Survey finds Duterte’s popularity rising, despite ‘vulgar’ comments

survey

More Filipinos are satisfied with President Duterte’s performance despite his controversial remarks, a nationwide survey has found.

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The Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey for the third quarter of the year asked its respondents if they found some of Duterte’s previous statements “bastos” or vulgar.

As we reported in June, for example, the president called God a “stupid son-of-a-bitch”.

Asked if this comment was vulgar, 83 per cent of Filipino adults agreed that it was, while only 14 per cent said it was not. Three percent of the respondents did not know.

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In August, the president again courted controversy by saying there were so many rape cases in Davao because the city’s women were so beautiful. To this, 63 per cent found the statement vulgar, while 33 per cent disagreed.

However, the survey released today (Saturday, September 29) found that 70 per cent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with the president’s performance, while 16 per cent were not. Fourteen per cent remained undecided.

This yields a net satisfaction rating of +54, ranked by the pollster as “Very Good”. The score is nine points higher than a record-low of good (+45) in the second quarter of this year.

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The president’s net satisfaction rating rose from “good” to “very good” in class D, at +56. The 13-point increase from the June rating was met, however, by dips in Duterte’s ratings across all the other classes.

It fell from “very good” to “good” in classes ABC, at +41 — down by 25 points from June, while it had a seven-point decline down +45 in Class E.

SWS also pointed out that the 18-24 age group were slightly less satisfied with the president’s performance, following a one-point dip from its +50 net rating in June.

The survey was conducted from September 15 to 23 through face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults across the country.

The survey also showed that the president is most popular in Mindanao, which has been placed under martial law for almost a year.

As we reported earlier this week, a Pulse Asia survey conducted last September 1-7 showed 75 per cent of Filipinos approved of the president’s performance, a drop of 13 points from June’s score of 88.

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