Who or what is to blame for PGMA's low popularity ratings in surveys?

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: The opposition and media bashing is to blame for GMA’s low popularity ratings. However, this does not reflect the true sentiment of the majority.

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: PGMA’s ratings, whether high or low, doesn’t matter to me. I don’t expect everybody to give her a high rating. It’s the price of being a working president.

She is insensitive to criticism

Ishmael Q. Calata, Parañaque City: Her perceived insensitivity to address many of the things that subject her to legitimate criticism is reasonable cause for her low popularity rating. For instance, her foreign travels with “excess baggage” make people ask, “Are these necessary?” Dinners in plush restaurants in New York and Washington DC make people think about them in disgust. How about the SALN and the Congressman Mikey stories? Oh, well. Of course, the low rating can be expected to go even lower with the continuous bombardment of anti-government elements and flared up by media, which does its job of reporting.

Rudy Tagimacruz, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon: The Palace cordon sanitaire plays a major role in PGMA’s low popularity ratings in surveys.

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: With or without surveys, PGMA is unpopular for two major reasons: First, she never answers directly all the accusations hurled against her and her family. Her mouthpieces are oftentimes making contradicting statements. FG and Mikey always dare their accusers to charge them in court to prove their guilt. Second, her pronouncements of economic recovery and development are not felt by the masses.

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: None. You can’t make people hear if they want to play deaf, you can’t make them see if they want to play blind, and you can’t reason with them if it is against what they want to believe and want to happen.

It could be due to her tolerance

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: A decision has to be made, whether right or wrong. PGMA’s low standing in surveys could be due to her tolerance in allowing her men to do obvious wrongdoings without prohibition or hindrance. This can be corrected by using her ultimate power to sanction those who defy or take advantage. It’s not only fair and just, but it will make her a strong authority. Her diplomacy needs improvement, too.

Lapses in judgment

Fortunato Aguirre, Bulacan: Blame it on her graft-ridden administration, her and her family’s anomalous lifestyle, and a thousand and one lapses.

Imee Aglibot, USA: GMA is to blame for her low popularity highlighted by so many scams and malpractices. Her administration once stood out for having the most number of journalists murdered or missing. When it comes to the World Bank and the IMF, her administration hit the list and made a record never accomplished by a past president. As a leader, she’s not as popular as anyone among other international leaders either.

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: PGMA should blame herself for her low popularity ratings. Her lapse in judgment on matters like the P1.7-million dinners; traveling around the world with a large entourage; being vague and covering up for her Cabinet secretaries; attempts of her allies in Congress to change the Charter, and many more.

Benjamin Nillo, Las Piñas City: There are numerous factors to consider, but the most glaring and damaging was the “Hello, Garci” election controversy of 2005.

Media shares in the blame

Avelino Falcon, Saudi Arabia: It is our print and broadcast media. If you are overseas, you won’t hear anything good about her. The news only reports corruption, patronage politics, etc. by her and her minions.

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: GMA herself, whose moves always seem to invite suspicion and incite questions; the media, which doesn’t seem to find anything good or right with the President; the survey firms whose questions lead to answers of disgust over the present administration – all these comprise the lackadaisical and abysmal popularity of Pres. Arroyo.

Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: There is no one to blame for the low popularity rating of PGMA but herself. She succumbs to the stupid and idiotic advice of jokers and pretenders surrounding her, compounded by media, which prefers to highlight negative shallow issues and showbiz over crucial national policies.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: Media doesn’t fail to highlight questionable surveys and all negative factors. Good and positive accomplishments are simply not in their agenda.

Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: Blame PGMA’s low rating on: a. the opposition, which only sees the negative side of everything she does, and the biased media which sensationalizes and blows things out of proportion just to sell their papers; b. the ignorant masses who still take everything the opposition, Erap and the biased media say as gospel truth; and c. PGMA, FG, her minions and government media. These cause PGMA’s low ratings. Add Mikey to the list.

Jimmy Donton, Puerto Princesa City: The people themselves should take the blame for PGMA’s low popularity ratings in surveys because of crab mentality and low understanding of realities in politics, which control government’s day-to-day operations for the people. Second, the media networks that have business interests to protect is also to blame because of unfair media practices in reporting.

GMA has no one to blame but herself

Leonard Villa, Batac City: It’s her own doing. Those who accuse media and oppositionists as the cause of GMA’s low rating are barking up the wrong tree. This government is graft-ridden.

Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Who else? On several occasions, she was caught dipping her dirty fingers into the cookie jar, with her fingerprints all around. She blames the media for exposing her shenanigans. Thank God Pinoys are naturally peaceful, cowards, or easy to appease utuin o suhulan, kung hindi, yari siya.

Elizabeth Oximer, Negros Occidental: Siya lang, wala nang iba. Stop the finger-pointing.

Dr. Dennis Acop, Baguio City: There is nothing and no one to blame for GMA’s low popularity ratings in surveys other than herself. The surveys are nothing but a reflection of public perception of her performance as the entrusted leader of this developing nation. They are not really that difficult to understand when one reviews GMA’s conduct during her ironically long term in office. The following would have raised her popularity ratings: Resigning, like any honorable leader would have done, following revelations of her voice rigging the 2004 elections and photos revealing secret and unethical dealings with the Chinese relative to the despicable NBN-ZTE shenanigan; being honest and perhaps firing subordinates suspected of committing graft and corruption; avoiding junkets and wasting taxpayers’ money on P2 million dinners; shying away from unethical political deals with shady characters such as convicted plunderer Estrada, among others.

William Gonzaga, Marikina City: PGMA has no one to blame but herself for her low popularity ratings. The opposition is naturally looking for mistakes to expose while the media must report the same for public consumption. Furthermore, she has allowed whatever accomplishments she has done to be overshadowed by unending scandals, which remain unresolved, by omission or commission.

Elpidio Que, Vigan City: The low popularity ratings of GMA in surveys should be blamed on nobody but herself. She is accused of being a ‘Garci’ president, yet with arrogant convenience, she allowed the accusation to be murdered like all other accusations against her. We are a featherweight nation, but a proclaimed heavyweight in corruption.

Joel Caluag, Bulacan: PGMA has no one to blame for her low popularity ratings except herself. Who would want a President who does differently from what she says?

Rose Leobrera, Manila: She only has herself to blame. I admit I was a big fan of GMA before. I thought she would carry on the legacy of her father. She being a Kapampangan, I had high hopes and expectations that she would be different. She is an ekonomista. But she danced a different tune. She never listens to the people’s pulse, or she simply ignores the people’s clamor. She refuses to answer issues.

Ed Gulmatico, Yemen: PGMA, Mike Arroyo, her presidential congressmen sons, most of her Cabinet secretaries, and advisers who participated in the pillage of the economy and are robbing the nation blind and treating all Filipinos like idiots are to blame, nobody and nothing else. They inflicted it upon themselves.

Aldo Apostol, Quezon City: Herself and her allies. What you sow is what you reap.

Part of the territory

Eddie Yap, Kabankalan City: It’s only to be expected that PGMA’s ratings will be low in surveys as a result of the unrelenting hatred and smear campaign against her administration. I admire the President, though, that despite all these accusations, she just keeps doing what needs to be done, faithfully fulfilling her obligation in the last few months of her presidency.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: Of course, anti-PGMA people readily blame her for her alleged controversies. But that’s part of the territory and despite that, she’s still focused on her job.

People do not trust her

Geeann Rivera, San Pablo City: PGMA has low popularity ratings in surveys because Filipinos do not trust her anymore after she was perceived to have cheated during the elections. The President and First Gentleman are perceived to be often involved in government transactions, earning kickbacks and tongpats. Add to that her luxury dinners, increased assets, the “Hello, Garci” scandal, frequent trips abroad, and her sons’ unexplained wealth.

Sahlee Reyes, Las Piñas City: PGMA has herself to blame for her low popularity ratings because of the incendiary issues affecting her administration. Massive corruption, the cover-up and perpetual evasion of issues on dubious illegal activities confronting her administration, deceit and betrayal of public trust, etc., in outright abuse of her coat of impunity, which has stirred up public uprising in revulsion against her misgovernance. Hence her low popularity ratings in surveys.

The pitfalls of a minority president

Renato Los Baños, Las Piñas City: Blame the multi-party system where politics revolve around personalities rather than ideologies. With a game like this, charismatic leaders who can play to the mob will succeed. GMA lacks charisma, and, coupled with hostile media outfits like ABS-CBN, it’s no wonder that she is in the predicament that she is in now.

C.B. Fundales, Bulacan: It’s because she’s a minority president who shuns traditional politics for higher approval ratings. Popularity doesn’t come in handy with political will.

Mike Sayat, Quezon City: No one is to blame except herself for going inside the war front. It is expected for a minority president.

Juan Deveraturda, Subic, Zambales: PGMA won as a minority president in 2004. That means there were more voters who did not vote for her and did not like her to become president or to succeed as president. Also, as repeatedly mentioned, she made some unpopular decisions, like the implementation of the e-VAT, which the people did not like, but had positively kept the economy going despite the global financial crisis. Another reason is the smear campaign and black propaganda against her by the noisy opposition, which is working and damaging her popularity. Media has not helped any to prop up her popularity rating as they always broadcast allegations and baseless accusations of corruption against her and the First Gentleman. I believe that the people’s judgment of her will eventually be kinder when she finally steps down in 2010. History will judge her as one of the best presidents our country has ever had for being able to manage the country’s economy well and for making democracy work.

Her ineptitude as President

Romeo J. Nabong II, Saudi Arabia: Since the question has something to do with negativity, let me elaborate some negative reasons why, for me, PGMA has become unpopular these days. I’ll start with her questionable ambassador appointees; babying of the military; her corruption-linked husband and braggart son; her army of disreputable secretaries and political advisers; the unresolved plight of OFWs living under the Khandara bridge in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; frequent political scandals; her continued failure to achieve peace with the Reds and the Moros, poverty; her doubtful moves to prolong stay in power, and so on. These are not simply accusations but my own observations. I will always hail PGMA’s accomplishments, but she has to do more. I am convinced that her continued low rating in surveys is the result of her inept actions.

Maricel Maralit, Naga City: GMA’s failure to alleviate poverty and curb corruption, the tirades of critics, and bad publicity contribute to her low popularity ratings in surveys.

Danny Lacuesta, Las Piñas City: An albatross to GMA’s popularity is the dismal failure of government housing agencies to address low-income housing.

Surveys are meaningless

Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: Surveys? Just how do they do this? Who do they ask? Popularity means nothing when the ones interviewed are nameless and unproductive.

Rod Villar, Iriga City: The presidency is not a popularity contest for us to consider these ratings seriously. It’s plain political gimmickry and a multi-million business political industry, though its results are not reliable, irresponsible and improbable and should not be taken as gospel truth by persons with the right frame of mind. Survey results depend greatly on how a particular question is framed and who paid such a survey that will necessarily benefit them and most importantly who are the respondents. Granting that the respondents really answered the questions being asked, did they understand the questions? Survey results do not resolve a particular issue, but rather muddle the issue further to the detriment of the best interest of our country.

Josh Pacatang, Dipolog City: There’s no one and there’s nothing to blame if GMA gets a low popularity rating in SWS or Pulse Asia surveys. She obtained high ratings at the United Nations as well as in Forbes Magazine and the London Economist.

She is perceived to be corrupt

Marciano Gatmaitan, Parañaque:What has caused her low popularity ratings in surveys is the truth about the greed and corruption in her administration, and members of her family, their callousness, the attitude that they are above the law, with the Ombudsman readily clearing them on the NBN deal, etc.

Tony Gomez, Parañaque City: GMA is to blame because public perception is that she and her family are guilty of the corruption happening in our country.

Mayee Vicuña, Metro Manila: PGMA’s cabal need not look that far to find someone to blame for their President’s dwindling popularity. It is their President’s, her family’s, and the Cabinet members’ own doing! GMA has racked up the most number of scandals hounding her administration than all of the Philippine Presidents had combined. An entire page isn’t sufficient to enumerate the numerous wrongdoings this administration has done. Cong. Dadong must be turning in his grave now. That’s quite a legacy that you are leaving to the Philippines, Madame.

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: GMA herself is to blame for her low ratings. She nurtured corruption through the FG and her Congressional allies. Transparency is alien to her government.

Eufrocino Linsangan, Isabela: Almost every scandal that hit GMA’s administration, sabit ang FG. Maybe I’m wrong, but it looked like Jose Pidal is to blame for GMA’s low rating.

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