Manila: The Philippines’ top three elected officials continue to enjoy positive approval ratings and trust from the people, results of a December 2017 nationwide survey showed.
A poll conducted by the Pulse Asia Research Inc. (Pulse Asia) from December 10 to 15 and on 17 last year said Filipinos “remain appreciative” of the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice-President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo and Senate President Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III.
A sampling of responses from 1,200 statistically representative and voting age adults (18 years old and above) from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and Metro Manila showed that 80 per cent approve of actions and appreciate Duterte’s work, 59 for Robredo and 57 for Pimentel.
The survey by the poll group is taken every three months.
“Only Duterte succeeds in scoring majority approval ratings (72 per cent to 93 per cent and 77 per cent to 85 per cent, respectively) and trust figures (74 per cent to 94 per cent and 78 per cent to 85 per cent, respectively). Pimentel has majority approval ratings in all geographic areas and socioeconomic groupings (53 per cent to 61 per cent and 56 per cent to 59 per cent, respectively.
Robredo posts majority approval and trust scores in nearly each geographic area (59 per cent to 68 per cent and 55 per cent to 65 per cent, respectively) and socioeconomic grouping (58 per cent to 64 per cent and 58 per cent to 63 per cent, respectively). The exceptions are Metro Manilans and those in the best-off Class ABC who continue to withhold majority approval and trust ratings from the vice-president (both 46 per cent in Metro Manila and both 48 per cent in Class ABC),” Pulse Asia said.
House Speaker Pantaleon DAlvarez has almost the same approval and indecision ratings (42 per cent versus 37 per cent) as well as trust and indecision scores (37 per cent versus 43 per cent).
Pulse Asia listed following key developments during the period when the survey was taken which had an impact on how the people reacted to the President and other key leaders’ decisions. These are: The ratification by Congress a new tax law, the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) which seeks to raise more revenues for the Duterte administration’s infrastructure programme, the extension of martial law in Mindanao, the impeachment proceedings versus Supreme Court Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno among others.
For its part, the palace hailed as “good news” the results of the survey showing Duterte as the most trusted and approved government official.
“His numbers showed that our people are aware of and recognises the significant strides the President undertook in his one and in half years in office,” Harry Roque, the presidential spokesperson, said.
“We show our people that he will continue to discharge his duties with the nation’s interest foremost in his mind,” Roque said.
Contrary to the result of a survey taking reactions from his own people, Duterte continues to be vilified abroad for his touch actions, particularly against drugs.
