Public trust in government fell in Q3 amid corruption scandal, says poll
PUBLIC APPROVAL and trust in government institutions plunged in the third quarter of 2025 as controversies over anomalous flood control projects continue to sap confidence in transparency and accountability, Publicus Asia, Inc said on Sunday.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) saw the “steepest drop” after its approval rating fell to 12% from 33% in the second quarter and trust rating declined to 8% from 22%, according to a noncommissioned poll that surveyed 1,500 Filipinos from Sept. 27-30. It had an error margin of ±3 points.
The pollster said in a statement that this is largely due to the department’s “central role in the controversial flood control projects.”
Approval and trust in the House of Representatives likewise waned, with 10-point drops to 21% and to 11%, respectively. The Senate’s approval also slipped to 28% from 32%, while trust in the chamber declined to 16% from 22%.
“The declines in both legislative chambers are attributed to their involvement in the budget process, particularly amid allegations of illegal budget insertions and calls for greater transparency in national spending,” Publicus said.
The Philippines has been rocked by a multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has fueled street protests, exposed cracks in the government and clouded economic outlook.
The government has rolled out P545 billion worth of flood control projects since President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. took office in July 2022. Of this, P100 billion worth of projects were cornered by only 15 contractors, Mr. Marcos said in August.
Investigations into the scandal have implicated politicians, government engineers and private contractors, all of which are accused of colluding to siphon off public funds meant for flood mitigation structures like dikes and flood walls in the disaster-prone country.
The Commission on Audit (CoA) also saw a sharp drop in its ratings, with approval dropping to 31% from 45% and trust to 21% from 33%, Publicus said. “The dip comes amid public concern over CoA’s role in auditing substandard or ‘ghost’ flood control projects.”
Approval and trust in the Budget department also slipped to 26% from 32% and to 18% from 23%, respectively, driven by allegations of “redundant allocations and questionable budget insertions.”
Fewer Filipinos also said they trust and approve of the Finance department in the third quarter, as its approval rating dipped to 30% from 35% and trust to 19% from 24%. This comes as concerns over rising debt and fiscal transparency weighed on public sentiment.
Last week, a separate poll showed trust ratings for Mr. Marcos and Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio fell in September.
The Social Weather Stations poll showed trust in Mr. Marcos fell to 43% from 48% in June, while Ms. Duterte’s rating dropped eight points to 53%, marking her sharpest decline this year.
Another survey, conducted by Pulse Asia, showed last week that nine of 10 Filipinos think there is collusion among politicians, contractors and other officials to defraud infrastructure funds, though opinions remain split on whether the government could be trusted to resolve the issue.
About 56% of respondents said they were uncertain whether they could trust the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) in solving the corruption scandal, according to the separate poll.
The Marcos administration has formed a fact-finding body to investigate anomalous flood control deals that has so far summoned key political figures including a former Speaker, senators, congressmen and the government’s Budget secretary.
The ICI, however, has opted to hold its hearings behind closed doors, compared with earlier televised congressional inquiries that brought the issue into limelight. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
