Approval, trust ratings on Noy post big slides

The performance rating on President Aquino slid an ominous nine percentage points to 79 percent in the latest Pulse Asia survey even as the Palace heralded the latest poll as indication of shared optimism among the public.

A major decline was also recorded in his trust rating that shrunk to 80 percent in the survey conducted in October from a high of 85 percent in the July survey. The substantial drop in both his performance and trust ratings was posted in just a span of 17 weeks since his election.

The latest survey covered most, if not all, of the controversial issues that tested Aquino’s administration, including the August 23 Manila bus hostage tragedy, the jueteng allega-tions on some of his most trusted officials, the granting of amnesty to over 300 rebel soldiers, and the dispute with the Catholic Church over the Reproductive Health bill.

The Pulse Asia survey covered 1,200 respondents and was held last Oct. 20 to 29.

Aquino told reporters he was expecting the outcome of the survey as he admitted encountering drawbacks during the first few months of his administration, foremost of resulting in the country’s strained

relations with China.

Apart from the hostage fiasco, Aquino said the slide in his ratings may have been caused by the “painful” decisions he made including the elimination of so-called midnight appointees in the government, the rebidding of anomalous projects in the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the suspension of benefits and perks once enjoyed by the executives of the government-owned and –controlled corporations.

Aquino, however, stressed that the numbers still showed majority support from the public.

“I was just handed those numbers a few minutes ago and I find it really heartwarming in the sense that more people are noticing the positive steps we are taking for the benefit of the greater majority. There is an approval and I will work even more to ensure that that number even gets better not because I’m chasing numbers but I think I have just been given new directions by my boss [the people] that what I’m doing is on the right track and therefore, we should celebrate the process,” Aquino said in a short press briefing at the international airport upon his arrival from Japan yesterday.

Aquino again raised that his administration is still young and there are still more room for improvement in the poll data.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, nevertheless, claimed the latest result of the Pulse Asia survey affirmed public confidence on the new administration in taking the “righteous path” in governing the nation.

“The President urges all sectors to continue taking part in his administration’s agenda of change. The administration will not let the country down,” he said.

The President also emphasized that these ratings are not merely a measure of his executive competence, but rather reflect the strong solidarity between the government and the people as they work together to achieve change, Lacierda said in a statement.

Across socio-economic groupings, 74 percent to 83 percent approved Aquino’s performance while 78 percent to 85 percent expressed trust in him, the survey showed.

Approval for the Aquino administration’s efforts to address key national issues is expressed by small majorities of Filipinos, on criminality (62 percent), job creation (59 percent), law enforcement (58 percent), corruption (57 percent), peace (56 percent), workers’ pay (56 percent), population control (53 percent), and environmental degradation (51 percent).

In contrast, it got lower approval ratings on three national issues – expanding the sources of government funds (48 percent), poverty reduction (47 percent) and inflation (45 percent).

Keeping the prices of commodities stable was considered as an urgent national concern by about one in ten Filipinos (49 percent).

It was on the issues of inflation and poverty reduction that the Aquino administration scores its highest disapproval ratings (21 percent and 18 percent, respectively). Given the survey’s error margins, nearly the same disapproval ratings (9 percent to 14 percent) are registered by the current dispensation on the other national issues probed in this survey. Indecision levels, on the other hand, range from 28 percent on criminality to 42 percent on the expansion of sources of government funds. –Aytch S. de la Cruz, Daily Tribune