Rody gets record-high satisfaction rating — SWS

MANILA, Philippines -  After one year in office, President Duterte’s net satisfaction rating hit a new record high despite various issues hounding his administration, including summary killings in his war against illegal drugs and his declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

Based on the survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from June 23 to 26, almost eight in 10 or 78 percent of Filipino adults expressed approval of Duterte’s performance, and only 12 percent were dissatisfied, yielding a net satisfaction rating of “very good” +66.

The remaining 10 percent of the 1,200 respondents were undecided on the matter, according to the survey, results of which were published in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday.

Duterte’s latest net satisfaction rating was a “new personal record high” and was three points above his March rating of +63 (75 percent satisfied against 12 percent dissatisfied).

Public satisfaction with Duterte rose in the Visayas and balance Luzon or areas outside Metro Mania, but dropped in his home region Mindanao.

It went up 11 points to an “excellent” +73 (83 percent satisfied, 10 percent dissatisfied) in the Visayas from +62 (75 percent satisfied, 12 percent dissatisfied, rounded off) in March.

Duterte’s net rating also rose by seven points but stayed “very good” in balance Luzon to +58 (73 percent satisfied, 15 percent dissatisfied) from +51 (68 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied).

Satisfaction with the President fell 12 points in Mindanao, although it stayed “excellent” at +75 (83 percent satisfied, eight percent dissatisfied) from +87 (89 percent satisfied, three percent dissatisfied, rounded off).

It hardly moved in Metro Manila at +63 (77 percent satisfied, 13 percent dissatisfied, rounded off) from +64 (76 percent satisfied, 12 percent dissatisfied) but remained in “very good” territory.

It also remained “very good” across socioeconomic classes.

Duterte obtained the highest rating among class E at +67, up seven points from +60; +59 among ABC respondents, also up by three points from +56; and +66 in class D from +64.

His net satisfaction rating stayed “very good” for both men and women. It was up eight points to +69 from +61 among women and hardly changed at +63 from +65 among men.

It stayed “excellent” among respondents who were college graduates, flat at +76; and increased eight points to “very good” +68 from +60 among those that did not graduate from elementary level.

It hardly changed at +66 from +64 among elementary school graduates and at +62 from +60 among high school graduates.

The survey has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national percentages, and plus or minus six percentage points each for Metro Manila, balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of at least +70 as “excellent”; +50 to +69 as “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; and -70 and below as “execrable.”

Palace, allies welcome survey result

Malacañang welcomed the result of the SWS survey and said the President’s high satisfaction rating will further boost the administration’s move to work for the restoration of Marawi City.

“This positive acknowledgement of the Filipino people further motivates the administration to work for the restoration of normalcy in Marawi and to start its rehabilitation as well as bring a comfortable life for all Filipinos, including Muslim Filipinos,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

“It is a clear indication of the growing confidence in the Chief Executive and his performance as the country’s leader,” he added.

Meanwhile, presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday thanked the Filipino people for her father’s high net satisfaction.

“Thank you to our fellow Filipinos who continue to believe in what PRD can do for our country,” she said in a statement yesterday, referring to the President by his initials.

Duterte’s allies in the House of Representatives and Senate claim that his high satisfaction rating reflects the people’s support for his bloody anti-drug campaign and his decision to declare martial law in Mindanao.

“It is a reflection of the people’s approval of his strong resolve to address the drug menace to ensure peace and order in the country as he also champions good governance to eliminate corruption,” deputy speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu said. 

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the high satisfaction rating of Duterte shows the “broad and deep public support for his swift and decisive action in addressing the conflict in Marawi City, including the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.”

Rep. Jericho Nograles of Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta said Duterte’s rating would still improve once people feel the benefits of economic growth and the administration’s massive “build, build, build” infrastructure program.

For Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the attempted takeover of Marawi City by Maute militants last May “has been the first true test of leadership for the Duterte administration.” And based on the President’s improved approval rating in the latest SWS poll, “it seems that he is passing this test so far.”

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito said Filipinos understood that the intention of the declaration of martial law in Mindanao is for the resolution of the rebellion in Marawi City.

‘High rating does not mean real change’

Opposition lawmakers shot back, saying Duterte’s rating does not mean he has achieved real change as he promised during the campaign.

“By nature, Filipinos are patient. Thus, it’s expected for the President to get high satisfaction ratings early in his administration. Many would like to give this administration a chance and are willing to gloss over his unfulfilled promises and deadly rhetoric. And Filipinos have obviously embraced his drug war, notwithstanding their dislike of the killings,” Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. said.

However, he said Duterte’s high satisfaction and popularity ratings “are not an indication of real change or genuine progress.” 

Baguilat’s opposition colleague Tomasito Villarin of Akbayan said he expected the President’s high mark, “as his appeal to people’s emotions and insecurities fit into the grand narrative of a creeping authoritarian rule.”

“It reflects the numbing effect of a culture of violence, hatred and death that this administration has promoted but has been touted by its propaganda machinery as the true, good and beautiful,” he said.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV also downplayed Duterte’s satisfaction rating, saying that this was only a reaction to government’s response to the ongoing crisis in Marawi City.

In a statement, Trillanes said that the SWS survey showed that the overriding concern of respondents at the time the poll was taken was the Marawi City siege.

“Those from Luzon and the Visayas most likely appreciated the AFP’s effective response to the Maute group, hence the increase in satisfaction rating,” Trillanes said.

However, he noted that the poll numbers in Mindanao were more telling because it showed a 12 percent drop in the President’s satisfaction ratings, which he said was “a totally different and alarming picture.”

According to Trillanes, once the situation in Marawi subsides, “the public would shift its focus again on other prevailing issues or on the hardships of day-to-day living.” 

–  With Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero, Marvin Sy, Christina Mendez, Edith Regalado