Trust in Philippines' Duterte hits lowest point: poll
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Public trust in the Philippines’ popular, yet polarizing, leader Rodrigo Duterte is at its lowest point since he took office in 2016, a new poll shows.
The study, administered by Social Weather Stations to gage public opinion with a president’s personality, showed that trust in Duterte fell 8 points, from 65 percent to 57 percent, his lowest score in nine surveys since becoming president.
However, the score was enough to maintain a rating of “very good.” Respondents were not asked to explain their rating, Reuters reported.
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A rating decline is normal for a president at the two-year stage of his term, Ramon Casiple, head of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms in Manila, told the news agency.
Duterte enjoyed a high rating of 79 percent shortly after taking office.
A spokesman for the leader didn’t mention the survey results but welcome the support.
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“We are now working double time to aid families affected by high prices while keeping the economy stable,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.
Pollsters surveyed 1,200 people face-to-face at the end of June, during a week where Duterte called God “stupid” and blasted the Roman Catholic Church after high-ranking priests criticized his anti-drug campaign that has left thousands dead and has been criticized by human rights groups.
At a Saturday news conference, he again took aim at the church, which is facing a number of child sex abuse scandals, calling priests’ groups “the most hypocritical institution in the Philippines today.”