Malacañang is pointing the finger at fake news for the sudden drop in President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s approval rating, as shown on a recent survey by Pulse Asia.

“This drop reflects the impact of the fake news being spread around,” said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro in a press briefing on Monday. “We’ve seen and mentioned these fake news items, and it mirrors just how much influence they’re having.”

Castro downplayed the survey results, noting that the respondents were a small sample compared to the entire population.

“There were 2,400 respondents. That number doesn’t necessarily reflect the sentiments of more than 100 million Filipinos,” she said.

The Pulse Asia survey showed a significant 17-point drop in President Marcos’ approval rating — from 42 percent in February to 25 percent in March. His disapproval rating, on the other hand, surged by 21 points to 53 percent.

In contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte’s numbers improved. Her approval rating rose from 52 percent to 59 percent, while her disapproval rating fell from 26 percent to 16 percent. She was the only top government official in the survey whose performance rating went up.

Castro suggested that the survey respondents may have been misled or influenced by the misinformation circulating online.

“If the survey results are accurate, then the government still needs to look into who these respondents are, where they’re from, and whether they’re getting truthful information — or if they’ve been influenced by fake news,” she said.

She stressed the administration would not let survey results dictate its decisions.

“Are these respondents not receiving government aid? That’s something we also need to understand from the administration’s side,” she said. Lade Jean Kabagani