42% of Pinoys don’t want Noy to resign

MANILA, Philippines - Four out of 10 Filipinos or 42 percent do not want President Aquino to quit his post amid criticisms over the mishandling of the Jan. 25 Mamasapano operation, Pulse Asia’s latest survey showed.

The survey, conducted from March 1 to 7, showed that 29 percent agreed with and 28 percent were undecided on the President’s resignation.

Forty-five percent of Metro Manila residents, 47 percent in the rest of Luzon and 43 percent in Class D did not want Aquino to resign.

Public opinion was split three-ways in the Visayas with 36 percent ambivalent on the matter, 34 percent opposed to calls for the President’s resignation and 29 percent supporting such calls.

In Mindanao and Class ABC, 39 percent and 42 percent, respectively, believed the President should not resign while 34 percent and 32 percent, respectively, expressed ambivalence on the matter.

The survey also showed that for 79 percent of Filipinos, the explanation of the administration, particularly the President, on the Mamasapano massacre is not enough.

This view is shared by big majorities in every geographic area (73 to 82 percent) and socio-economic grouping (73 to 82 percent).

Ten percent of respondents said the administration’s explanation is sufficient while 11 percent were undecided.

Ambivalence is more pronounced in the Visayas (21 percent) compared to the rest of Luzon and Mindanao (both at seven percent).

The Pulse Asia survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents.

Everybody knows

Pulse Asia said almost every Filipino (99 percent) knows about the Mamasapano operation, which led to the killing of 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF).

Awareness levels posted across geographic areas and socio-economic classes do not differ significantly from the national figure (97 percent to 99 percent and 97 percent to 99 percent, respectively).

The survey also found 79 percent of Filipinos disagreed with the President’s decision to skip the arrival honors for the police commandos in favor of another event.

Most Filipinos or 91 percent are aware of Aquino’s non-appearance during the arrival honors for the PNP-SAF members last Jan. 29.

Grateful

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Pulse Asia survey shows that a majority wanted the President to continue fulfilling his duties.

“Because of that the President and the administration will show utmost perseverance, determination and hard work to be deserving of their trust and support,” he said.

Coloma said the President understands the sentiments of the public over his failure to attend the arrival honors for the fallen SAF heroes.

“I believe he will do what is needed based on his own appreciation of the situation,” he said.

Coloma said they would continue to explain to the public and cooperate once the House of Representatives resumes its own investigation into the incident.

“Of course we are ready to help them in looking for additional information. If they will ask for the presence of resource persons from government, that will be a reasonable request,” he said.

“We are all stakeholders in the quest for truth and justice,” he said.

Review report

Sen. Benigno Paolo Aquino IV defended the President over the findings of the Senate panels into the Mamasapano incident even as he called for its review.

Aquino signed the Senate joint panel’s report on condition that he may introduce amendments.

He said the committees should take into consideration the excerpts of the deliberations of the Constitutional Commission (Concom) dated Oct. 1, 1986.

Aquino quoted the exchange between Concom members Francisco Rodrigo and Teodulo Natividad regarding the President being the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces.

“Since the national police is not integrated with the armed forces, I do not suppose they come under the commander-in-chief powers of the President of the Philippines,” he quoted Rodrigo as saying.

Rodrigo pointed out that the powers of the President cover control over the departments, bureaus and officers, and supervision over local government and, as such, police fall under both categories on control and supervision.

Aquino said the President was given “inaccurate information” and that his orders to coordinate with the police and the Armed Forces were disobeyed.

“These facts as revealed in the hearings and the executive session are not clearly stated in the committee report… If the committee acknowledges these facts, there would be a contradiction on the assertion that more could have been done,” he said.

15 months to go

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz said the number of Filipinos who want Aquino to resign would have been higher if the elections were not so close.

“Many Filipinos don’t want him to resign only because he’s got only about 15 months left, so they say: ‘let’s just finish his term so that there’ll be no more complications’,” De la Cruz said.

“Malacañang has been doing damage control but do they still have time with so many issues of high prices, lack of jobs, criminality, and power?” he added.

House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga said the public should judge the President’s performance in the last five years of his administration and not by the handling of the Mamasapano incident.

Lame duck

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Public Affairs Committee chairman Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the drop in Aquino’ trust rating is an indication that he has become a lame duck leader.

The President’s approval and trust rating nosedived from 59 percent and 56 percent last November to 38 percent to 36 percent this month, respectively.

“His influence has waned, the people no longer believe and he has neglected his other duties,” Pabillo said in an interview over the Church-run Radio Veritas. – With Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan