MANILA – Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday downplayed the decline in the Senate’s public approval rating, saying the chamber will continue to perform its duties with diligence and integrity regardless of survey results.

In a Viber message to reporters, Sotto said surveys should be viewed as mere snapshots of public perception at a specific time, emphasizing that they do not influence the Senate’s legislative work.

“As always, surveys serve as guides to perceptions in that particular moment. In other words, a snapshot of the past. The Senate will do its work diligently no matter what,” he said.

His statement came after a Pulse Asia survey showed that the Senate’s performance approval rating dropped by 11 percentage points—from 53 percent in June to 42 percent in September.

The survey, conducted from September 27 to 30 among 1,200 respondents, also showed that disapproval of the Senate’s performance rose from 18 percent to 28 percent, while those undecided increased from 28 percent to 30 percent.

The House of Representatives posted a steeper decline, with approval ratings dropping by 17 points—from 47 percent in June to 30 percent in September. Disapproval of the lower chamber’s performance increased from 21 percent to 34 percent, while those undecided went up from 32 percent to 36 percent.

The survey was conducted weeks after leadership changes in both chambers and amid reports linking some lawmakers to alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects. (PNA)