SWS: 26% trust rating for Rody, 45% for Leni

MANILA, Philippines - President-elect Rodrigo Duterte obtained a “moderate” 26 percent net trust rating, while vice president-elect Leni Robredo got a “good” 45 percent in the last pre-electoral survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The May 1 to 3 survey, the result of which was published in BusinessWorld yesterday, showed that 54 percent of the 4,500 respondents said they have “much trust” in Duterte, who was then the frontrunner in the presidential race.

Twenty-eight percent said they have little trust in Duterte, while 17 percent were undecided.

Net trust ratings are arrived at by subtracting “little trust” figures from the “much trust” numbers.

Prior to his assumption as chief executive in 2010, then president-elect Aquino had a net trust rating of 83 percent, according to an SWS survey.

Eighty-eight percent of Filipinos said they had much trust in Aquino, while only four percent had little trust in him.

Findings by Pulse Asia also matched those of the SWS.

Eighty-five percent of Filipinos expressed trust in Aquino while only two percent said they distrust him.

SWS categorizes net trust ratings of at least 70 as “excellent”; 50 to 69, “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”; as well as -70 and below as “execrable.”

10-point increase

Based on the pre-electoral surveys, the net trust ratings of Duterte increased by 10 points from December 2015.

He obtained 16 percent in the Dec. 12-14 survey; 13 percent in Jan. 8-10; 17 percent in Feb. 5-7; 26 percent in March 4-7; 29 in March 30 to April 2; and 30 percent in April 18-20.

Duterte won by a landslide after obtaining 16,601,997 votes in the general elections last May 9.

Highest trust in Mindanao

Based on the latest survey data, Duterte had the most trust from respondents in his bailiwick Mindanao, obtaining a net 67 percent. He obtained 21 percent in Metro Manila, nine percent in balance Luzon and 17 percent in the Visayas.

His net trust rating is higher in urban against rural areas, 30 percent versus 21 percent.

In terms of socio-economic class, the incoming president had net 35 percent trust ratings both in Classes ABC and E, and a net 23 percent in Class D. His net trust rating is higher among men (29 percent) than among women (22 percent).

Duterte obtained the highest net trust rating among the youngest age group of respondents (18 to 24 years old) at 42 percent. 

The rating drops as the age group gets older: 38 percent among 25-34 years old, 27 percent among 35-44 years old, 22 percent among 45-54 years old and 11 percent among those 55 years old and above.

Robredo more trusted

Meanwhile, Robredo obtained a better trust rating than Duterte in the May 1 to 3 survey.

Sixty-one percent of the respondents said they have “much trust” in her while 17 percent had “little trust” in her, giving her a “good” 45 percent net trust rating. Twenty-one percent said they were undecided.

The trust rating of Robredo increased throughout the campaign season: 29 percent in the Dec. 12-14 survey; 30 percent in Jan. 8-10; 33 percent in Feb. 5-7; 36 percent in March 4-7; 36 percent in March 30 to April 2; and 44 percent in April 18-20.

Robredo won the vice presidential race with a slim lead of just over 200,000 votes against Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The last pre-electoral survey showed her net trust rating as “good” in all geographic regions: 34 percent in Metro Manila, 46 percent in balance Luzon, 52 percent in the Visayas and 41 percent in Mindanao.

Her net trust rating among socio-economic classes are relatively similar (45 percent in Class ABC, 44 percent in Class D and 46 percent in Class E).

Robredo’s net trust among female respondents was higher than among men, 48 percent versus 41 percent, while her net trust rating among age groups was also relatively similar.

The non-commissioned survey was the sixth and last in the series conducted by SWS in connection with the recent polls.

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 4,500 validated voters: 300 in Metro Manila; 950 in north Luzon; 750 in south Luzon; 1,000 in the Visayas and 750 each in north Mindanao and south Mindanao.

“The area estimates were weighed by the 2016 Commission on Elections data on registered voters to obtain the national estimates,” said SWS.

It had a plus or minus one percent sampling error margin for national percentages.