Senate ratings down, House up in Q2 – OCTA poll

Facade of the House of Representatives at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.

The STAR / Michael Varcas, File photo

MANILA, Philippines —The Senate has retained better performance and trust ratings than the House of Representatives despite a drop in the latest survey conducted by the OCTA Research group.

From 44 percent in March, trust in the Senate dropped to 41 percent in the survey conducted from July 4 to 11.

Twenty-seven percent said they distrust the upper chamber, up from 24 percent, while undecided respondents remained at 32 percent.

The Senate’s performance rating also dropped from 42 percent to 38 percent, with those dissatisfied with its performance increasing from 27 percent to 32 percent.

Undecided respondents hardly moved, from 31 percent to 30 percent.

The latest OCTA poll coincided with the start of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, which started on July 6.

It also captured the tumultuous period that involved leadership changes, a shooting incident and the arrest of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta due to cases filed before the Sandiganbayan.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who briefly appeared in May, is again in hiding due to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.

Meanwhile, the ratings of the House of Representatives slightly improved in the second quarter, although these remain lower than the ratings of its counterpart in the upper chamber.

Thirty-eight percent said they trust the House, up from 36 percent, while 28 percent said they distrust it, down from 33 percent. Undecided respondents increased from 30 percent to 33 percent.

In terms of performance, 37 percent said they were satisfied with the lower chamber, up from 35 percent, while 32 percent were undecided, down from 35 percent. Those who were undecided hardly moved, from 30 percent to 31 percent.

OCTA’s second quarter survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus three percent.

Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez said the favorable ratings of the chamber were due to its “steady focus on legislation and service” under the leadership of Speaker Faustino Dy.  –  Delon Porcalla