Unspoken message

When the Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted one of its regular opinions survey from Sept. 17 to 20, they got nearly nine in 10 Filipinos admitting they suffered “stress” over the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 pandemic.

The SWS survey revealed 86% of adult Filipinos experienced “stress” because of COVID-19 – 58% of whom had “great stress” and 27 percent “much stress.” Compared with the same survey done in July 2020, SWS noted, those with “great stress” rose from 51%. Notably also, the SWS cited, the proportion of those with “great stress” was similar among men and women at 58% and 57%, respectively.

By age group, the same SWS survey showed, the “stress” experience was highest among those aged 25-34 years old at 62%; followed by those 45-54 years old at 61%; those 18-24 years old at 60%; and those 35-44 years old at 57%. The lowest stressed out people were among those 55 years old and above at 49%.

The SWS used a sample population size of 1,249 adult Filipinos, aged 18 and above. It was not clear though from this SWS survey what the stressors were except that it was related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presumably, the “stress” experience was related to the people’s continuing worries and anxieties of possibly contracting the deadly COVID-19 infection. Or, the survey respondents indicated “stress” on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic to changing overnight drastically our previous way of life. From lockdown to loss of income and jobs, not to mention living under a state of paranoia from wearing masks and face shields to constantly washing with water or alcohol to sanitize our hands every after touching objects, etc.

Also, we now have to live with the regular issuances of community quarantine guidelines from the national government as well as from our local government units (LGUs). And every late Monday nights, we have to await the latest pronouncements from President Rodrigo Duterte after his weekly meetings with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging and Infectious Diseases (IATF). Through the government-owned PTV-4, Malacañang releases a pre-taped “address to the Filipino people” of President Duterte and choice cut reports delivered to him by Cabinet members of the IATF.

Based from the policy recommendations of the IATF, President Duterte announces and enunciates his own views on the lockdowns and other community quarantine restrictions being imposed in various parts of the country. Departing from their usual face-to-face interviews, the latest SWS surveys are being done through mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviews in conformity with IATF guidelines. It is not clear if this survey was on nationwide basis but it was clearly limited to respondents who own mobile phones and computers.

On the other hand, a rival opinion pollster of the SWS recently released the latest results of its surveys, claiming having done them via face-to-face interviews. Pulse Asia disclosed the survey involved a 1,200 sample size population picked from various socio-economic groups and geographic areas of the Philippines. Given the very stringent IATF restrictions, Pulse Asia failed to say how they did the face-to-face interviews without violating the minimum health protocols.

Based from the results of Pulse Asia survey polls conducted from Sept. 14 to 20, they found 84% of Filipinos have “positive opinion” on the efforts of President Duterte and his government to control the spread of COVID-19 and provide assistance to Filipinos severely impacted by the contagion’s outbreak. Only 6% registered disapproval on the government’s response, and only 10% expressed ambivalence.

This meant 8 out of 10 Filipinos approved of the government’s efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. By areas, the highest approval rating of the Duterte administration’s handling of this public health crisis was noted in Metro Manila at 78%. This is despite the fact that the country’s national capital region remains as the epicenter of the COVID-19 contagion.

But the most controversial outcome of the Pulse Asia survey was the reported 91% approval and trust ratings of President Duterte for the same period in review. Or this falls on the sixth month after the hard lockdowns starting March 15 gradually eased to various degrees of community quarantines all over the country. The same survey showed Vice President Leni Robredo garnered a 57% approval and 50% trust ratings; Senate President Vicente Sotto III received 84% approval rating and trust rating at 79%; while House Speaker Alan Cayetano got approval rating of 70% and a trust rating of 67%.

Indeed, the 91% approval and trust ratings are unprecedented for a sitting President and it was only the former Davao City Mayor who did it in this lifetime.

But why would the 75-year old President Duterte make the extra drama last Thursday night at Malacañang in another unscheduled TV appearance? After meeting with them in a command conference, President Duterte paraded the top brass of the military and police behind him at his abruptly organized public address to the Filipino people. Do the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have any problems?

The “problem” he was supposed to be addressing was the violation of “gentlemen’s agreement” that sparked the on-going Speakership battle at the 18th Congress. As the father of the nation, the President can just crack the whip on his feuding allies from the so-called “super coalition” in Congress led by the camp of Cayetano and those supporting presumptive Speaker, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco.

As he threatened to do, President Duterte the next day called Congress to conduct special sessions to resume the deliberations of the proposed 2021 national budget on Oct. 13 to 16, cutting four days from their scheduled one-month recess. Problem solved? Let’s wait for the next maneuvers.

But if the President himself wants to be out of this petty squabbling for power of the purse that Congress controls, why include our men in uniform in this political feud? What’s the unspoken message here?