MARCOS TRUST, APPROVAL RATINGS DROP BIG, SARA UP; Imee twits brother, asks him to ‘reflect,’ is endorsed by VP

manilateam April 16, 2025

By ALFRED GABOT and CLAIRE MORALES TRUE

Editor in Chief and Managing Editor

MANILA – Less than a month before the May 12 midterm elections and as questions are raised about the health of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Philippine leader’s trust and approval ratings plummeted big while the ratings of Vice President Sara Duterte soared in latest published surveys.

The surveys also showed senatorial candidates supported by former President Rodrigo Duterte and the Vice President like reelectionist Senators Christopher Lawrence Go and Ronald dela Rosa have surged in ratings and are now leading the race while some runningmates are catching up in the “Magic 12.” (See related stories)

For one, a Pulse Asia survey in March showed voter support increasing for some Duterte-backed Senate candidates and decreasing for some Marcos-endorsed bets.

Malacanang, meanwhile, assured that President Marcos is in “good health,” following videos showing his gums bleeding while attending a Day of Valor event in Camp Aguinaldo which was captured in the official live stream by RTVM (Radio Television Malacañang), raising concerns and speculations. The bleeding disappeared when the President attended a food fair at the nearby SM Mega Mall and the commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan at the Mt. Samat National Shrine in Pilar, Bataan.

“Sa aking perspektibo dahil nakakasama tayo mismo ng ating Pangulo, maganda po ang kalusugan ng ating Pangulo (From my perspective, because we are personally with our President, our President is in good health),” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a Malacanang briefing.

Castro said the public need not worry about Marcos’ health, assuring them that the President continues fulfilling his duties.

As this developed, reelectionist Sen. Imee Marcos, whose rating in surveys has also improved following her departure from the administration slate backed by President Marcos, urged her brother to “reflect” during the Holy Week believing that the administration has “lost its way.”

“Siguro, ang sasabihin ko na lamang, Holy Week, magmuni-muni tayong lahat, ipagdasal natin na maiwasto ang pagkakamali… Sana mag-isip-isip lang tayong lahat at balikan ‘yung mga turo ng aking ama,” Sen. Marcos said.

For the senator, her brother’s administration appears to have lost its way, adding that he could be getting bad advice from people around him.

“Wala tayong magagawa… Hindi ko maintindihan kung sino talaga ang nag-a-advise… Kaya sana pinagdadasal ko lagi ang aking kapatid na mabalik sa tamang landas dahil hindi na tama itong mga pangyayari, itong politika na mapang-ape, mga pahigante, hindi na siya ayos. Tutukan natin ang problema ng mamamayan. Balikan natin ang ating tungkulin,” she said in an ABS-CBN report.

Sen. Marcos also said in the report that she feels their bid to “redeem” their father’s name after the 1986 People Power revolution toppled their 20-year rule has been wasted.

VP Duterte endorsed the reelection bid of Sen. Marcos and senatorial aspirant Rep. Camille Villar.

In a video posted on Sen. Marcos’ Facebook page, the senator and VP Duterte were seen together wearing black to “mourn” the state of the country “burdened by crime and hunger.””Itim ngayon ang kulay ng bansa. Sa gutom at krimen naglukuksa (The color of the country right now is black because we are mourning the proliferation of crime and hunger.),” Duterte said as ABS-CBN reported.

“Gutom na ang sikmura, gutom pa sa hustisya. Ginigipit ang hindi kaalyansa,” Sen. Marcos then said, an apparent reference to the administration’s “Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas.”

The March 23-29 2025 survey by Pulse Asia Research showed President Marcos’ approval rating fell by 17 percentage points from 42% in February to 25% in March and his disapproval rating rose by 21 points to 53%.

The Pulse Asia survey was conducted just days after the vice president’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested on March 11 and turned over immediately to the International Criminal Court, on the heels of his family’s falling out with Marcos. It was not clear if Duterte’s arrest may have contributed to the surge in ratings of some senatorial and local candidates.

The Pulse Asia survey showed Marcos’ performance rating specifically decreased largely in the National Capital Region by 24 percentage points, followed by Balanced Luzon (-20), Mindanao (-14), and Visayas (-10).

Majority of Filipinos or 54% also expressed distrust toward the President, up from the previous 32%. His trust rating likewise dropped significantly from 42% in February to 25% in March.

The decline in Marcos trust rating was also the highest in NCR by 24 percentage points. Balanced Luzon came next with -22, then Mindanao with -13, and Visayas with -9.

VP Duterte, meanwhile, was the only top government official in the country whose performance ratings got better, with her approval rating increasing from 52% to 59%; and her disapproval rating dipping from 26% to 16%.

The Vice President’s approval rating was highest in NCR (+22), followed by Visayas (+17), Balanced Luzon (+5), and Mindanao (+3). It also peaked among Class E (+13), Class ABS (+11), and Class D (+7).

Duterte’s trust score also climbed by 8 percentage points from 53% in February to 61% in March.

Duterte’s trust rating mostly improved in NCR (+23), followed by Visayas (+16), Balanced Luzon (+5), and Mindanao (+3).

The Pulse Asia survey also showed the trust and performance ratings of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Speaker Martin Romualdez also decreased over the same period.

The survey showed Escudero’s approval rating declined by 8 percentage points and his disapproval rating increased by 6 points.

The approval rating of Romualdez was unchanged but his disapproval rating climbed to 54% in March 2025, up by 14 percentage points from February 2025.

Re-electionist Sen. Go maintained his no. 1 spot as the most preferred Senate candidate as of end of March, Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes said.

Pulse Asia said Go garnered 61.9 percent voter preference to become the first placer in its latest pre-election survey conducted from March 23 to 29.

ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, who had shared the top spot with Go in the last survey, slid to second place to third place with 51.1 percent voter preference. He shared the ranking with Sen. Bato dela Rosa, who got 48.7 percent.

Holmes said that the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte could have had an effect on why administration bets were losing support while Duterte-backed candidates Go, Dela Rosa, Salvador, and Marcoleta are now ranking higher in the surveys.

Social Weather Station, Publicus, WR Numero and OCTA Research surveys also showed Sens. Go and dela Rosa among the top preferred senatorial candidates.

OCTA Research’s Tugon ng Masa survey conducted from March 18 to 24 showed Senator Go again topped the list with 64% voter preference—up from 62% in February and 58% in January.

Other probable winners in the May 2025 senatorial election include the following.