Politics · Philippines Bureau
Palace Defends Marcos as Trust Gap Widens With Duterte
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration says it remains responsive to public concerns, even as recent polling shows nearly half of Filipinos disapprove of his performance and his predecessor maintains higher trust ratings.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Palace has moved to defend President Marcos' governance record, asserting that he actively listens to public concerns and factors the needs of different sectors into policy decisions. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the remarks Thursday in response to findings from Pulse Asia Research's September 2026 Ulat ng Bayan survey, which revealed that 49 percent of respondents disapproved of Marcos' job performance. The same survey showed former President Rodrigo Duterte maintaining higher trust ratings than the incumbent president, a contrast that has drawn renewed scrutiny of the current administration's public standing. Castro emphasized that Marcos' government considers input from various sectors when planning and implementing programs, though she did not provide specific examples of recent policy adjustments made in response to public feedback. The trust gap highlighted by the survey results underscores the challenges facing the Marcos administration as it navigates competing demands from different constituencies and works to maintain public confidence in its leadership.