Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s net trust rating soared to 52 percent in December, with 66 percent of those surveyed saying they have much trust in her, the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed.

The poll conducted from December 8 to 16 showed that Robredo’s trust rating was 16 points higher than her 36 percent score in September 2017.

Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo

In the December survey, 14 percent of those polled said they had little trust in her.

The 52 percent score was rated “very good” by SWS.

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“I am very happy because it only shows that we are going in the right direction,” Robredo said in an interview, citing her office’s Angat Buhay program which links communities in need to private sector help for funding social services.

“A16-point increase is a big help and it inspires us to help more people in need,” she added.

The December score was the third time that Robredo recorded a net trust rating above 50 percent. Her highest recorded net trust rating in June 2016 when she posted 63 percent. This went down to 58 percent in September 2016 and ranged from the lower 30 to 45 percent during December 2016 to September 2017.

Robredo scored the highest gain in Mindanao with a 50 percent net trust rating, 26 points higher than her September 2017 score of 24 percent.

The Vice President’s net trust ratings also increased in Visayas (up to 64 percent as opposed to 48 percent in September 2017) and Balance Luzon (56 percent from 40 percent)

Robredo, however is yet to post marked improvement in Metro Manila since she only scored 27 percent or a five point increase from her September 2017 figures of 22 percent.

Robredo fared very well in the country side (60 percent net trust score from a mere 40 percent in the previous survey ) and the urban areas (42 percent from 31 percent).

The Vice President is also well received in the poorest (Class E) and middle class (Class D) segment of society, logging int 52 and 53 percent, respectively.

Robredo, however, is having a tough time getting the trust in Class ABC, mustering only a 32 percent rating.

The December 2017 SWS poll used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults aged 18 years old and above nationwide. The margin of error is 3 percent for national percentages and six percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo has vowed to finish her six-year term even amid the proposed abolition of her office under the new Constitution aimed at instituting a federal government.

Robredo was referring to the proposal of President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies in Congress of abolishing her office, as well as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Judicial and Bar Council.

The Ombudsman’s office prosecutes government officials on both administrative and criminal charges, while the Judicial and Bar Council screens nominees for the justices of the Supreme Court.

“The Vice President is there to work with the President; is there in the event that something happens to the President, so the succession would not be a burden to our country. My election as Vice President…the mandate that was given to me was six years. Only the electorate can revoke that mandate because they are the ones who gave me that mandate,” Robredo told reporters at the sidelines of her visit in an Tandang Sora National High School, Quezon City for the launch of her office’s Istorya ng Pag-asa initiative which collects success stories of individuals and communities.

“In the event that the voters would say that they don’t need the Vice President anymore, we will and always respect their wishes. But this [removal of the Vice President] should be a genuine clamor from the people, not from a few politicians,” Robredo, a former Camarines Sur representative, added.

Robredo won the Vice Presidency by 263,473 votes during the May 2016 polls vs. former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.

Marcos has protested Robredo’s victory but the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, is yet to decide on Marcos’ protest.

Likewise, Robredo warned against the haphazard changing of the 1987 Constitution.

“Our Constitution provides for our rights and obligations. That is why it is important for government institutions to hear what our people have to say about this initiative,” Robredo said.

“It is our responsibility, as public officials, to make the people understand that this initiative does not only depend on the decision of the government because this will affect our rights and democracy,” Robredo added.