Castro shrugsoff Marcos’ ratings fall

Malacañang on Thursday declined to comment on the latest Pulse Asia survey showing that 49 percent of respondents disapproved of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s performance, while 48 percent expressed distrust in him.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro appeared unaware of the results when asked during a Palace briefing.

“Where did it come from? Pulse Asia? The President and I have not discussed these latest survey results. But they are noted,” Castro said.

The findings came as a separate Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released last week showed Marcos’s net satisfaction rating falling to negative-11 in September from negative-7 in June, placing him in the “poor” category.

Sources said the SWS results prompted the removal of Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez and his replacement by Lino Cayetano.

A separate SWS survey, conducted from 21 to 27 September and released on 15 October, found that 35 percent of respondents were satisfied with Marcos’s performance, 46 percent were dissatisfied, and 20 percent were undecided.

Others fall, too

The most recent SWS survey also showed declining satisfaction ratings for other top officials, including Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

Duterte retained the highest net satisfaction rating among the four at +21, down 10 points from +31 in June. Her rating remained in the “moderate” category.

Gatchalian recorded the steepest decline, with his net satisfaction rating dropping 14 points from +18 to +4. Dy’s rating fell 10 points from +8 to -2, while Gesmundo slipped four points from +10 to +6.

Duterte’s satisfaction rating declined in Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao but remained unchanged in Metro Manila. Her rating in Mindanao fell 12 points, from +84 to +72, although it remained in the “excellent” category.

Gatchalian’s ratings fell across all four geographic areas, with the sharpest drop in the Visayas, where his net satisfaction rating plunged 29 points from +30 to +1.

Dy recorded negative ratings in all four areas, while Gesmundo’s rating declined in the Visayas and Mindanao but improved in Metro Manila.

Duterte, meanwhile, received a 54 percent approval rating and a 55 percent trust rating in the Pulse Asia survey.

Castro earlier maintained that Marcos would continue performing his duties regardless of survey results, unlike some officials whom she accused of traveling abroad while national problems remained unresolved.