The latest Octa Research Group survey released just a few days ago validated the Pulse Asia survey released the first week of October and showed that the approval and trust ratings of Vice President Sara Duterte are on a steep downward trend. Both polls were conducted in early September of this year.

Pulse Asia found that Sara’s approval and trust ratings went down by nine and 10 percentage points, respectively, while the Octa Research survey showed a decline of eight and six percent.

Worth noting in the Pulse Asia survey was the huge decline in Sara’s approval and trust ratings in Metro Manila which went down 28 and 29 percentage points, respectively, from June to September. Also highly significant was the dip in Sara’s trust ratings among the Class D sector by 12 percentage points.

The Octa Research third quarter survey, on the other hand, showed that Vice President Sara obtained approval and trust ratings (52 and 59 percent, respectively) that were lower than that of Speaker Martin Romualdez (62 and 61 percent) and Senate President Chiz Escudero (65 and 67 percent).

These survey results are a very important measurement for a public official because of the constitutional adage that public office is a public trust. One of Sara’s bad habits is the delusion that her 32 million votes in 2022 equated to unquestioned loyalty. She can’t seem to fathom that she has been entrusted with power by the people but she holds that power in trust to be used only for the benefit of the people, never for herself or a few of her followers.

However, the House leadership exposed the “bratinella” and her other bad habit: her addiction to and indulgence in confidential funds, whether in Davao, the OVP, or DepEd. Unfortunately for her, the Octa Research survey indicated that the legislative inquiries into her supposed mishandling and misappropriation of confidential funds are supported by the people owing to the fact that the House and the Senate leadership now have significantly higher satisfaction and trust ratings than her, when just a year ago Sara’s ratings seemed to be unreachable by the congressional leaders.

The Pulse Asia survey showed that Sara Duterte, in just the last three months of this year, alarmingly lost the trust and confidence of three out of 10 voters in Metro Manila and more than one out of 10 of her vaunted “masa” support in Class D in the entire country.

These numbers point to one thing and one thing only — her accountability, or the lack thereof. Sadly for Sara, this is one of her bad habits. As we already said months ago, Sara, the “bratinella” is incapable of accepting that her position requires accountability. I am hardly surprised because a spoiled brat connotes characteristics of entitlement, arrogance and resistance to accountability. To Inday Sara’s mind, public office is not a public trust but a throne.

What should alarm those who still support her in the political sphere, whether national or local, is that Sara’s numbers have nowhere to go but down.

These surveys were conducted in early September and did not take into account her meltdown in her own press conference on 18 October.

Her foul-mouthed and venomous performance threatening to exhume the remains of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. will surely have a huge negative effect on the 86 million Catholics, seven million Muslims, three million INC members, and other denominations who all religiously and culturally despise the desecration and disrespect of the dead.

In fact, a few days ago, millions flocked to memorial parks to honor the souls of their departed loved ones. This is not to mention her condescension and mockery of our country’s claims in the West Philippine Sea.

The surveys also had not taken into account the revelations this week on what appeared to be fabricated acknowledgement receipts submitted by Sara’s DepEd staff to liquidate her confidential funds, among other shenanigans.

As Inday Sara is being unmasked in the legislative inquiries and by her own mouth as an ill-bred “bratinella,” her public trust crumbles. The spoiled brat has developed a lot of bad habits and these will prove to be her downfall.