Aquino popularity wanes Porsche purchase big issue with Pinoys – SWS

PURCHASE by President Benigno Aquino 3rd of a Porsche was one issue that caused his net satisfaction rating to plunge, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed on Monday.

The survey results, which were first published in BusinessWorld, showed that President Aquino’s satisfaction rating was down by 13 points from +64 (74 percent satisfied and 10 percent dissatisfied) in November to +51 (69 percent satisfied and 18 percent dissatisfied).

The results showed, too, that despite the President pointing out that his Porsche was not brand-new and that he had used his own money to buy it, nearly half or 48.9 percent of Filipinos said that his purchase of the luxury sports car was not a good example for the leader of a country like the Philippines.

SWS said that many respondents objected to the purchase of the Porsche 911, with pluralities of 52 percent in the Visayas, 51 percent in Mindanao and 46 percent in the Balance of Luzon (Luzon without Metro Manila).

Plurality of 50 percent was recorded among Class D or the masses and 45 percent among Class E.

Mixed results were noted in Metro Manila, with 44 percent agreeing with the purchase, also 44 percent disagreeing and 13 percent undecided.

Among Class ABC, 48 percent agreed with the Porsche purchase, 46 percent disagreed and 6 percent undecided.

Despite the drop in the President’s satisfaction rating, Malacañang also on Monday said that there was still a significant number of people supporting Mr. Aquino.

“Mukhang malaki ang pagbaba [The decrease seems big] but if you take a look at the absolute numbers—which are what we tend to look at in the Palace—the approval was down by about 5 percent, which was more or less the same as drop as reported in the Pulse Asia. So we don’t think it’s as dramatic as initially reported,” said Secretary Ricky Carandang, the head of Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office.

Carandang added that the “slight dip” in the President Aquino’s ratings was “natural.”

“We will take this as an opportunity to remind ourselves that the public wants to see results of our reforms sooner rather than later,” he said.
According to Carandang, the issue of the Porsche purchase has been settled with the public.

SWS noted that the President’s scores in all areas but one, socioeconomic classes and gender, were down from November last year.

It said that in Luzon urban areas, among the ABC class, Mr. Aquino particularly saw his net ratings dip to “good” from “very good.”

According to the survey, the President’s sole gain was in the Visayas, to a “very good” +60 from +56 in November.

It said that also a “very good” net rating of +53 came from Mindanao but this declined from +65 previously.

Just ‘good’

In Balance of Luzon, the rating was down 21 points to a “good” +48 from a “very good” +69, and by a slightly smaller 18 points to a “good” +41 in Metro Manila from a “very good” +59.

Rural satisfaction skidded to a net +55 from +67, both “very good,” while urban satisfaction fell further to a “good” +47 from a “very good” +61 in November, the survey said.

In socioeconomic classes, the President’s net rating went down by 26 points to a “good” +49 from an “excellent” +75.

But in Class D or the masses, Mr. Aquino maintained “very good” rating of +51 (from +63) and in Class E, +50 (from +64).

In terms of gender, satisfaction among men dropped to a “good” +47 from a “very good” +65 and among women, it plummeted to +55, from +63.

Still, the SWS survey said, Mr. Aquino kept his net score in “very good” territory.

Earlier, pollster Pulse Asia announced that its February 24 to March 6,
2011 survey showed that the President’s satisfaction rating decreased to 74 percent from October’s 79 percent.

Opposition lawmakers viewed the fall in the President’s satisfaction rating as public dissatisfaction.

Rep. Milagros Magsaysay of Zambales and Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey”
Arroyo of Ang Galing Pinoy party-list also on Monday cited that the 13-percent dip in Mr. Aquino’s satisfaction rating showed that the public was beginning to realize that President has no solid program to stand on.

“People are tired of his political ranting and need solutions to their problems,” Magsaysay said in a text message.

Rep. Arroyo, eldest son of former President Gloria Arroyo, said that the drop in Mr. Aquino’s satisfaction rating was also brought about by too much politicking, which, the lawmaker added, the President employs through his blame game and his insensitivity as evidenced by the purchase of the Porsche sports car.

People’s concerns

“He should start working to address the people’s concerns and tone down his politics of vendetta. [He should not] always blame past administrations for [his] woes and start working seriously,” he added.

But for Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan City (Metro Manila), the Aquino administration should still be given more time to prove its worth.

“Although there have been many less desirable moves by the Aquino administration, I would still give it until [the President’s] first year [in office came to pass] to judge. The administration should be given the opportunity to fix prevailing problems,” said Ejercito, a son of deposed President Joseph Estrada.

The latest SWS survey, which was conducted on March 4 to 7, 2011, used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent for national percentages and plus or minus 6 percent for area percentages.

SWS, however, said that its latest survey was a non-commissioned one and was conducted on its own Initiative. –Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz, Reporter with Reports From Cris G. Odronia And Llanesca T. Panti, Manila Times