Vice President Sara Duterte continued to face low public approval and trust ratings in the third quarter of 2026, with roughly half of Filipino respondents expressing dissatisfaction and distrust despite a marginal improvement in her survey numbers.
According to the latest Pahayag survey conducted by Publicus Asia Inc., Duterte’s approval rating stood at just 29 percent, up one percentage point from 28 percent in the second quarter.
Her trust rating likewise remained below 30 percent, increasing slightly to 27 percent from 26 percent in the previous quarter.
The figures showed that fewer than three in every 10 respondents approved of Duterte’s performance or expressed trust in her, highlighting the gap between those who viewed her favorably and those who remained dissatisfied or distrustful.
The modest increases also fell within the survey’s reported margin of error of three percentage points, meaning they did not necessarily indicate a statistically significant improvement in public sentiment.
The survey findings came amid continued scrutiny over the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte previously headed.
The controversy has included testimonies from three officials linking Col. Raymund Dante Lachica to the handling of the confidential funds.
Questions surrounding the funds have continued to draw public attention as authorities examine allegations and financial transactions associated with their disbursement.
While Duterte registered slight gains in both survey indicators, the latest results showed that her approval and trust ratings remained below the 30-percent mark.
The survey did not establish whether the confidential funds controversy directly influenced respondents’ assessments of the Vice President.
