Pulse Asia: Binay most appreciated, Corona least trusted official

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay is the most appreciated and trusted while Chief Justice Renato Corona has the lowest approval and trust rating among top government officials, according to Pulse Asia’s November 2011 Ulat ng Bayan survey released yesterday.

Corona had a low approval rating even though the Supreme Court together with the Senate emerged as the most appreciated and trusted government institutions.

The survey, taken from Nov. 10 to 23 – at the height of the controversy over the high tribunal’s issuance of a temporary restraining order on the watchlist order against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – was released a day after the House of Representatives impeached Corona with 188 votes.

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents.

Most Filipinos expressed appreciation for the performance of Binay (83 percent), followed by President Aquino (72 percent), Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (60 percent), and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (45 percent) and Corona (38 percent).

Filipinos are most critical of the performance of Corona (24 percent) compared to Binay (four percent) and Aquino (nine percent).

Aquino enjoys the trust of 74 percent of Filipinos while 59 percent claim they trust Enrile.

Belmonte registered essentially the same trust and indecision ratings (41 percent versus 40 percent) while Corona recorded a big plurality indecision rating (43 percent).

“In general, trust is most manifest toward Vice President Binay (83 percent) while the lowest trust rating is obtained by Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona (29 percent),” Pulse Asia said.

“Between August and November 2011, the most marked movement in the overall trust ratings of these government officials is the 6-percentage point rise in the distrust rating of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona,” it said.

Aquino and Binay registered majority approval ratings across geographic areas and socio-economic classes (64 to 82 percent and 80 to 85 percent, respectively), while Enrile obtained majority approval ratings (58 to 64 percent), with Visayas being the exception (50 percent).

Belmonte’s majority approval ratings are recorded in Classes ABC and E both at 53 percent.

Pulse Asia noted that the new overall performance ratings have no significant differences from those recorded in its August 2011 survey.

“Only marginal changes in the performance ratings of these government officials occur between August and November 2011. Even the five-percentage point decline in the approval ratings of President Aquino and Senate President Enrile, the five-percentage point decrease in the level of indecision toward the work done by House Speaker Belmonte and the five-percentage point increase in the disapproval scores of President Aquino and Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona fall short of being significant given this survey’s overall error margin of +/- three percentage points,” it said.

The only notable movements are the 15-percentage point drop in the approval rating of Enrile and the 13-percentage point increase in the level of indecision as regards his performance recorded among Visayans and 13-percentage point decline in the level of indecision concerning Belmonte’s work among those in the poorest Class E.

Binay, Aquino and Enrile registered majority trust ratings across geographic areas and socio-economic classes – Aquino (68 to 87 percent), Binay (78 to 91 percent) and Enrile (54 to 63 percent).

Belmonte’s majority trust rating is given by those in Class ABC (51 percent) while he posted plurality indecision ratings in the rest of Luzon, Mindanao and Class D (40 to 41 percent).

Senate, Supreme Court most trusted

“Most Filipinos approve of and trust the Senate (52 percent and 51 percent, respectively) and Supreme Court (52 percent and 53 percent, respectively),” the survey said.

The Senate registered majority approval ratings in the rest of Luzon and Visayas (54 to 55 percent) and Classes ABC and E (54 to 56 percent).

In the case of the SC, most of those in the Visayas and Mindanao (56 to 57 percent) and Classes D and E (51 to 57 percent) appreciate its performance.

The Supreme Court enjoys the trust of most of those in the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao (51 to 57 percent) and Classes ABC and E (51 to 59 percent).

A big number of Filipinos (45 percent) is appreciative of the work done by the House of Representatives while almost the same percentages expressed either trust or indecision regarding the trustworthiness of the House (45 percent versus 42 percent).

But while the Senate and Supreme Court registered majority trust ratings (51 and 52 percent, respectively), the House of Representatives recorded basically the same trust and indecision ratings (45 versus 42 percent).

The Senate registered trust ratings of 53 to 56 percent in the Visayas and Mindanao and Classes ABC and E (54 to 59 percent) while the House of Representatives posted a majority trust rating of 52 percent in Class ABC. –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)