SWS: Duterte satisfaction rating slips slightly but still 'very good'

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte's net satisfaction rating has gone down by three points in the third quarter of 2019, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) Survey released Wednesday.

The survey conducted from September 27 to 30 found that 78% of adult Filipinos are satisfied, 9% are undecided and 13% are dissatisfied with the performance of the president.

Duterte's net satisfaction rating for the third quarter is a "very good" +65, a few points down from the +68 in June.

The poll firm attributed the three-point decline in the president's rating to decreases in balance Luzon and Mindanao.

In balance Luzon, Duterte scored +54 in September, which is 11 points lower than his +65 in June. His rating in Mindanao remained "excellent" from +81 in June to +76 in September.

The president enjoyed a new personal record-high in Visayas with a "very good" +75, nine points up from +66 in June.

In Metro Manila, the president's rating went up by seven points to +66 in September from +59 in June.

Duterte's net satisfaction went down in both urban and rural areas with +66 and +64, respectively, which SWS classifies as "very good."

'Very good' among poor, 'excellent' among rich

Among economic classes, Duterte's rating remained "very good" in class E at +57 and +66 in class D. The president recorded a new personal record-high in class ABC with an "excellent" +70.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, meanwhile, said the latest dip in satisfaction is insignificant.

"While the president would simply shrug off his survey numbers, saying he is not interested in any popularity contest relative to his goevrnance because with or without a soaring satisfaction rating he is unaffected and will just continue to do his constitutional task of serving and protecting the people even at the loss of his life, liberty and honor," Panelo said in a statement.

SWS considers +70 above as "excellent", +50 to +69, "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"; -70 and below, "execrable".

The poll was conducted using face-to-face interviews among 1,800 Filipino adults nationwide.

The survey results have sampling error margins of ±2.3% for national percentages, ±4% each for Balance Luzon and Mindanao, and ±6% each for Metro Manila and the Visayas.

"The Social Weather Survey item on public satisfaction with the president is non-commissioned. It is included on SWS's own initiative and released as a public service," the poll firm said.

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