Duterte government's approval slides as Philippines election season starts

FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he delivers his 6th State of the Nation Address (SONA), at the House of Representative in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, July 26, 2021. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's government suffered a slump in ratings in the third quarter, with lower approval of its handling of issues like COVID-19, inflation, crime and corruption, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.

Pulse Asia's Sept. 6 to 11 survey was released as election season gets underway in the Philippines for the presidency and hundreds of key political posts being contested in May 2022, including by Duterte's allies.