Marcos on ratings plunge: People are hurting

MANILA, Philippines —   Acknowledging the difficulties faced by many Filipinos, including soaring prices of food and other commodities, President Marcos said he understands the significant drop in his approval rating in the latest Pulse Asia survey.

“It’s not surprising. People are having a hard time. It’s a different story when you talk about rice. It’s different from anything else, any other agricultural product,” Marcos told reporters partly in Filipino during rice distribution in Taguig City yesterday.

“I completely understand it, and that’s why we’re working very hard to make sure that this (public approval) comes up again – not because of the survey, that’s not important to me. What’s important to me is that we make sure that people have enough to eat and that it is affordable to them,” he added.

A Pulse Asia poll, taken from Sept. 10 to 14, found 65 percent of 1,200 respondents approved of Marcos’ performance, down 15 points from 80 percent in a June poll.?

This was the first time Marcos experienced a significant drop in approval scores since he was elected president.?

Marcos said he could not blame the public for getting dissatisfied with his performance, but gave assurance that the government is doing everything to ensure access to sufficient and affordable food.

“I cannot blame the people. They are really suffering. That’s why we’re doing all of the things to try and maintain the prices at the level that is affordable to the people,” Marcos said.

Marcos expressed optimism the prices of rice would continue to go down as the supply of the commodity improves.?“I think we’re slowly getting there because our supply is improving,” he said.

Marcos also cited the suspension of pass-through fees from all motor vehicles transporting goods or merchandise going through national roads and other roads not constructed and funded by local government units.?Executive Order 41 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Sept. 25 aims to ensure the efficient movement of goods across regions and help lower the prices of food and other commodities.

Crack whip

With a double-digit drop in his approval rating, President Marcos should “crack the whip” or even “replace” underperforming Cabinet members, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said.

In an interview with reporters, Zubiri commented on results of the recent Pulse Asia survey that found fewer Filipinos approve of the Marcos administration’s performance in key national issues.

“It’s a wake-up call to all of us. We need to crack the whip, we must replace officials who do not perform and I think have no empathy, no love for the people,” Zubiri said in Filipino.

Results of the survey released on Oct. 3 found that only 16 percent of the respondents approved of the government’s efforts to address the rising cost of essential commodities. It went down from 31 percent in a similar survey conducted in June.

Zubiri said, “Maybe when the people see officials, whether the House of Representatives, the Senate, the OVP (Office of the Vice President), President, people get a little angry. People get annoyed with the government.

“We all dropped our rating, thankfully mine is only a single digit among the leaders of the different branches of government. But what is important is let’s address this. We know the pulse of the people.”

However, Zubiri did not divulge the names of Cabinet members who need to be replaced as he would first discuss the matter with Marcos.

“I wish I could name names. I would talk to our President first. But there are agencies whose secretaries I think should be removed and replaced with new ones with a heart for Filipinos,” he said.

He noted that when the prices of canned goods, sardines, fish, chicken, rice and food go up, the proper authorities should immediately take action. “We do not want this to extend all the way to the Christmas season,” he said. – Cecille Suerte Felipe