MANILA, Oct. 17 -- 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 only as a snapshot of public perception at a particular time, noting that they do not dictate how the Senate carries out its 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...