P-Noy approval rating plunges to lowest ever at 25%

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino’s public satisfaction and trust ratings in the second quarter plunged to their lowest levels since he assumed office in 2010 as he grappled with controversies including threats of impeachment as well as plunder charges for his administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), declared unconstitutional in some parts by the Supreme Court.

In the survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted from June 27-30, Aquino’s net satisfaction score fell by 20 points from +45 (66 percent satisfied, 21 percent satisfied) in March to +25 (55 percent satisfied, 30 percent dissatisfied) in June.

His approval and trust ratings also fell from +70 to +56 and from +69 to +53, respectively, in Pulse Asia’s June 2014 Ulat ng Bayan nationwide survey. Pulse Asia research director Ana Maria Tabunda said Aquino’s scores were the lowest “numerically and statistically” since 2010.

Reacting to the survey results, Malacañang promised to work more vigorously to meet the people’s high expectations.

“Heading into the last two years of this administration, we discern our people’s rising expectations that government will level up and deliver on the salient points of the President’s social contract,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said yesterday.

The SWS said Aquino’s highest satisfaction rating was recorded in August 2012 at +67.

In the latest poll, it was down by 10 points in the Visayas to +39, by 15 points to +40 in Mindanao, by 25 points to +16 in the rest of Luzon, and by 27 points to +6 in Metro Manila.

His satisfaction rating in the rural areas dropped to +35 from +49 and in urban areas to +15 from +41.

By socio-economic class, satisfaction with the performance of the President fell by seven points to +32 among the ABC and by 13 points to +31 among the class E crowd.

The biggest drop was registered among the masa or class D, falling by 23 points to +22.

By gender, Aquino’s score declined by 15 points to +28 and by 25 points to +21 among women and men, respectively.

The SWS survey also found 29 percent of Filipinos convinced that Aquino’s presidency “will be successful” while 21 percent said otherwise. Fifty percent of the respondents said “it is too early to tell.”

Results of the SWS second quarter poll were published in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday.

It used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide.

Meanwhile, Pulse Asia said Aquino suffered a “large decline” in his national ratings during the period March to June due to the controversy over DAP.

Aquino’s approval rating fell by 14 points in June to +56 while his trust score dropped by 16 points to +53.

His performance rating dropped to +46 from +57 in the National Capital Region, to +54 from +68 in the rest of Luzon, to +62 from +72 in the Visayas, and to +61 from +80 in Mindanao.

Satisfaction with Aquino’s performance also plunged among the class ABC from +62 to +48. Declines were also recorded among the class D and E at +57 from +72 and at +58 from +70, respectively.

Aquino’s trust rating likewise fell to +40 from +57 in the NCR, to +51 from +70 in the rest of Luzon, to +61 from +69 in the Visayas and to +61 from +76 in Mindanao.

It fell to +42 from +62 among class ABC, to +54 from +71 among class D or masa and to +55 from +69 among the poorest class E.

The Pulse Asia survey was conducted from June 24 to July 2, using face-to- face interviews with 1,200 Filipino adults. 

Palace assurance

 At Malacañang, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President still has the trust of “a healthy majority” and that the people would eventually “understand and respect the tough choices he has made for the public good” as he “explains to the people the truth of the matter with ongoing issues.”

Lacierda also pointed out that the survey figures could be considered par for the course for the period.

The biggest news stories when the SWS survey was conducted were the arrest of Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada for plunder and Malacañang’s rejection of the nomination of Nora Aunor for National Artist.

The Pulse Asia survey period also covered the arrest of the senators and the July 1 SC ruling on the unconstitutionality of some parts of DAP.

Coloma said that in response to the challenge of achieving inclusive growth, the government is broadening the scope of social protection in key aspects of job creation, health care and basic education.

Infrastructure building for sustained economic growth is also being pursued, he added.

Coloma said the government is heeding the people’s call for stepped-up delivery of essential public services as well as institutional reform.

DAP and prices

Some senators said the surge in the prices of basic commodities as well as the DAP issue may have fueled public distrust for the President.

“The spike in prices of rice and garlic coincided with the Supreme Court decision on the DAP program, leading to criticism from several quarters,” Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said.

He expressed belief the President can still regain the people’s trust. “But like I always say ratings go up and down. I’m quite certain the President’s ratings will go up again at some point in the future,” he said.

He said a more vigorous implementation of pro-poor programs aimed at generating jobs “would certainly” help the President restore the people’s confidence.

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III also blamed the DAP and the rising prices of goods for the President’s plunging ratings.

“In the first instance, his credibility was affected,” Osmeña said, referring to DAP.
“In the second instance, the people’s pockets were affected,” he said, noting the public outrage stirred by rising prices.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said the administration should move fast if it wants to regain public confidence and get more support for its programs. 

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito also sees the DAP controversy as well as the rising prices of commodities as the main reasons for the public’s thinning trust.

“PNoy is lucky to have an extended honeymoon period of almost four years. People believed and supported his thrust of good governance, the daang matuwid (straight path),” Ejercito said.

“But reality bites. People are now looking for performance. In reality, there was not much jobs created since 2010, poverty incident level has not improved and to make it worse, prices of commodities are going up and services and utilities are deteriorating,” Ejercito said.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares also attributed Aquino’s declining popularity to the DAP issue and to the steady rise in the prices of basic goods like rice, meat, and garlic.

“As can be seen he failed miserably on both issues because of the increasing poverty and corruption in the country,” he said. “He is no different from President Arroyo and he even justifies his wrongdoing. President Aquino has lost his credibility and he should be held to account by impeachment.” – With Aurea Calica, Christina Mendez, Paolo Romero, Mayen Jaymalin, Edith Regalado