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| President Rodrigo "Rody" Roa Duterte |
The Second Quarter 2016 Social Weather Survey, conducted June 24-27 via face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide and with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Luzon areas outside the nation’s capital, the Visayas and Mindanao -- found 84% of those surveyed with “much trust,” 11% undecided, and 5% with “little trust” in Mr. Duterte, yielding an “excellent” net trust rating of +79 (% “much trust” minus % “little trust”).
Mr. Duterte’s net score approximated the comparable trust rating of former president Benigno S. C. Aquino III following his 2010 election victory.
That survey, conducted June 25-28, 2010, showed those with “much trust” in Mr. Aquino then at 88%, and those with “little trust” in him at 4%, yielding an “excellent” +83 net trust rating.
No surveys were conducted on public trust for other past presidents-elect.
Sought for comment, Edmund S. Tayao, political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas, said in a phone interview that the significant increase in the net trust rating of a newly elected president was to be expected in its “honeymoon period,” while Roland G. Simbulan, Center for People Empowerment in Governance vice-chairman and University of the Philippines professor, replied via text: “We can attribute this to his (Mr. Duterte’s) uncompromising campaign against illegal drugs and criminality and his choice of cabinet members.”
Mr. Duterte’s latest June 2016 net trust rating is a 53-point and three-grade surge from the “moderate” +26 (54% much trust, 28% little trust) recorded in the May survey. It was a “moderate” +16 when SWS first asked about it in December 2015. It hardly changed from January to February 2016, ranging from +13 to +17. It rose to “moderate” +26 in March 2016, and reached as high as a “good” +30 in April.
It was a “moderate” +26 just before national elections.
The SWS classifies net trust ratings of at least +70 as “excellent”; +50 to +69 as “very “good””; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; and -70 and below as “execrable”.
Across Areas ...
The 53-point rise in Mr. Duterte’s overall net trust rating was due to increases of 66 points to +75 in June from +9 in May in “Balance Luzon” (a four-grade jump to “excellent” from “neutral”), 57 points to +78 from +21 in Metro Manila (three grades up to “excellent” from “moderate”), 57 points to +74 from +17 in the Visayas (three grades up to “excellent” from “moderate”) and by 23 points to +90 from +67 in Mindanao (one grade up to “excellent” from “very “good””). Ratings across all areas are “excellent”.
Similarly, the president’s net trust rating rose by two grades to “excellent” from “good” and by 53 points to +83 from +30 in urban areas, as well as by three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 54 points to +75 from +21 in rural areas.
Social Classes
Mr. Duterte’s net trust rating rose by two grades from to “excellent” from “good” and by 47 points to +82 from +35 among respondents from class ABC.
It rose by three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 56 points to +79 from +23 in D.
It rose by two grades to “excellent” from “good” and by 44 points to +79 from +35 in class E.
Age Groups
Net trust in Mr. Duterte rose to “excellent” in all age groups, with higher scores coming from the youth, SWS survey.
The rating increased by two grades to “excellent” from “good” and by 46 points to +88 from +42 among respondents aged 18-24 years old.
It similarly rose by two grades to “excellent” from “good” and by 46 points to +84 from +38 among those aged 25-34 years old.
It surged three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 51 points to +78 from +27 among those 35-44 years old.
It rose by three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 56 points to +78 from +22 among those aged 45-54 years old.
It also rose three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 59 points to +70 from +11 among those aged at least 55 years old.
... And Educational Status
Mr. Duterte’s net trust rating also increased to “excellent” across education status, with higher scores among respondents with more formal schooling.
It rose by three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 58 points to +76 from +18 among non-elementary graduates.
It similarly rose by three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 58 points to +74 from +16 among those with some high school education.
It also rose by three grades to “excellent” from “moderate” and by 53 points to +81 from +28 among those with some college education.
Finally, it increased two grades to “excellent” from “good” and by 43 points to +87 from +44 among college graduates.
