Vice President Sara Duterte, who faces an impeachment trial in the Senate, emerged as the only top national official to secure a majority approval rating in the latest Pulse Asia Ulat ng Bayan survey conducted in March 2025 — just 12 days after the controversial arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, on 11 March.

The survey, which captured the public sentiment in the immediate aftermath of the elder Duterte’s arrest, reflects not only on the performance of key national leaders but also the broader political shift marked by the public backlash and mass mobilizations nationwide and abroad.

Among the four highest officials — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Duterte, Senate President Francis Escudero, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez — only Duterte received majority support, with 59 percent of Filipinos expressing satisfaction with her performance. She also registered a 25-percent indecision rating and a relatively low 16-percent disapproval score.

The timing of the survey was critical. It came at a politically volatile time following the highly publicized and controversial arrest of the former president — an event that sparked widespread protests, solidarity campaigns, and condemnation from loyal supporters across the Philippines and from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The mobilizations, organized under the banner of “justice” for Duterte, served to also rally public sentiment behind his daughter, positioning her as a symbol of resistance against perceived political persecution.

In contrast, President Marcos garnered only a 25-percent approval rating. A majority of respondents (53 percent) disapproved of his performance, while 22 percent were undecided.

His dismal numbers suggest that his administration may be absorbing the public frustration, particularly from sectors angered by what they view as the politically motivated targeting of the Duterte family.

The arrest appears to have triggered not just sympathy for the former president, but also a broader rejection of Marcos’ leadership.

Senate President Escudero received a 39-percent approval rating, with a large number of Filipinos (44 percent) undecided and 18 percent disapproving. These numbers point to a relatively neutral stance among the public — Escudero has not emerged as a central figure in the post-arrest fallout, which may explain the high level of indecision about his performance.

House Speaker Romualdez posted the lowest approval rating among the four top officials, with only 14 percent of Filipinos expressing satisfaction. A staggering 54 percent disapproved of his performance, and 31 percent were undecided.

The figures underscored a significant erosion of his political capital, with many observers linking Romualdez’s steep decline to his perceived alignment with the Marcos administration during a time of mounting public backlash.

Of the four officials, Vice President Duterte was the only one to experience an improvement in her approval rating — a notable rise from 52 percent in February to 59 percent in March. Her disapproval rating also dropped significantly, from 26 percent to 16 percent.

Analysts point to a “sympathy wave” in the wake of her father’s arrest, as well as her calm and defiant public posture during the crisis, which may have endeared her further to both loyal supporters and undecided voters.

The trust ratings followed the same pattern. Duterte’s trust score rose by eight percentage points, from 53 percent in February to 61 percent in March — again, the only increase among the country’s top leaders.

In stark contrast, President Marcos’ trust rating plunged from 42 percent to just 25 percent, with a majority (54 percent) of Filipinos saying they do not trust him. This sharp decline is particularly alarming for the administration, as it suggests a deeper credibility crisis that may extend beyond the controversy at hand.

Speaker Romualdez similarly suffered a major setback, with a 15-point increase in distrust — from 42 percent in February to 57 percent in March — reinforcing his image as one of the most unpopular figures in the national government.

The administration-controlled House voted to impeach the Vice President on 5 February.

Senate President Escudero saw his trust rating fall from 47 percent to 38 percent, while his distrust rating rose from 14 percent to 20 percent. However, 41 percent of respondents remained undecided on whether to trust him, indicating that he is still viewed more as a peripheral figure in the current political battles.

The Pulse Asia survey was conducted from 23 to 29 March and involved 2,400 adult respondents selected through a multi-stage probability sampling. It had a plus/minus 2 percentage error margin at the 95-percent confidence level.

Taken together, the data paint a portrait of a shifting political landscape. While public trust in the Marcos administration and its allies appears to be eroding rapidly, Vice President Duterte’s numbers suggest that she may be gaining ground as a national political figure — not only as her father’s daughter but increasingly as a potential unifying force for those disillusioned with the current leadership.

Her rise in approval and trust amid a major political storm may be a sign of her growing independence as a political actor — and a preview of her future ambitions.

Go solidifies top spot; Cayetano, Revilla, Lapid falling

In the latest MBC-DZRH pre-election survey, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go widened his lead with 63.2 percent followed by fellow PDP Laban Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in second place with 50.7 percent.

Rep. Erwin Tulfo was in third spot with 50.4 percent.

Former senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III took the next two spots with 42.9 percent and 41.8 percent, respectively.

Broadcaster Bienvenido Tulfo shared sixth and seventh spots with Rep. Camille Villar with 40.1 percent and 39.5 percent.

Suffering a big drop were Senators Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano and Bong Revilla.

Lapid is in eighth place with 38.9 percent and Cayetano clings to ninth with 36.3 percent.

Revilla is locked in a battle for 10th and 11th with Makati Mayor Abby Binay, logging 34.3 percent and 33.8 percent, respectively.

Tied for 12th and 13th were Senator Imee Marcos and former Senator Bam Aquino with 31.7 percent and 31.1 percent, respectively.