Binay still most trusted official

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay continues to enjoy high approval and trust ratings among the top five national government officials, according to a recent Pulse Asia survey.

The survey found 83 percent of Filipinos appreciative of the work done by Binay.

“Vice President Binay registers the highest national approval rating (83 percent) while Supreme Court Chief Corona records not only the lowest overall approval rating (28 percent) but also the highest disapproval score (24 percent),” Pulse Asia said.

Binay expressed gratitude for the results of the survey and vowed to continue working hard.

Seven out of 10 Filipinos, on the other hand, are satisfied with the performance of President Aquino (71 percent) and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (57 percent) in the past three months.

In contrast, Chief Justice Renato Corona fared the worst in the same non-commissioned survey conducted from May 21 to June 4.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. scored essentially the same approval and indecision ratings (39 percent versus 37 percent).

Indecision is the plurality sentiment as regards Corona’s performance (38 percent).

Aquino and Binay obtained single-digit disapproval ratings (eight percent and four percent, respectively).

As regards public indecision, it is most pronounced toward the performance of Belmonte and Corona (37 percent and 38 percent, respectively) and least manifest toward Binay’s work (13 percent).

Aquino and Binay scored majority approval ratings in all geographic areas (57 percent to 79 percent and 72 percent to 89 percent, respectively) and socio-economic classes (63 percent to 77 percent and 81 percent to 84 percent, respectively).

Majorities in every geographic area (54 percent to 61 percent) and Classes D and E (57 percent to 58 percent) are satisfied with the performance of Enrile.

House speaker unperturbed

In the Pulse Asia survey, Belmonte and Corona obtained non-majority approval ratings across geographic areas (36 percent to 47 percent and 23 percent to 38 percent, respectively) and socio-economic classes (35 percent to 48 percent and 22 percent to 33 percent, respectively).

“Between March and May 2011, the only significant change in the overall performance ratings of these top government officials is the 11-percentage point decline in the approval rating of House Speaker Belmonte,” Pulse Asia said.

Across geographic areas, the Speaker also experienced a drop in his approval ratings in the Visayas and the rest of Luzon (-13 and -15 percentage points, respectively).

Belmonte’s approval rating also decreased in Class E (-13 percentage points).

The Speaker recorded practically the same trust and indecision ratings in all geographic areas (32 percent to 39 percent versus 42 percent to 43 percent) and socio-economic classes (31 percent to 48 percent versus 38 percent to 44 percent).

But Belmonte said he was not worried over the drop in his survey rating because the rating of the House is more important to him.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said the dip in the ratings of congressional leaders could be attributed to their support for the Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

However, Ang Kasangga sa Kaunlaran party-list Rep. Teodorico Haresco said Belmonte and the House leadership had been working very hard, unmindful of the ratings.

“I’m very sure Filipinos would soon appreciate the fruits of the hard work our Speaker has been doing,” Haresco said. – Helen Flores, Jose Rodel Clapano, Paolo Romero, Christina Mendez, (The Philippine Star)