Well-off Filipinos least satisfied with PH leaders – poll

MANILA, Philippines – Well-off Filipinos appear to be least satisfied with the country’s top 5 national leaders, the June survey results of Pulse Asia Research showed.

The results of Pulse Asia’s June 2014 Nationwide Survey on the Performance and Trust Ratings of the Top 5 Philippine government officials revealed lower approval and trust ratings for all 5 leaders, led by President Benigno Aquino III who suffered the steepest drop in his public approval and trust ratings since he took office in 2010.

While Vice President Jejomar Binay obtained slightly lower approval and trust ratings, he remained the most appreciated and trusted national leader in the country.

Binay obtained an approval rating of 81% in June, down from 87% in March, and  a trust rating of 79%, also down from 86%. Aquino is a distant second with an approval rating of 56% (from 70%), and a trust rating of 53% (from 69%).

Senate President Franklin Drilon was a close third, with a majority approval rating of 52% – just 4 percentage points away from the President – followed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno with 35%, and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr with 33%.

Drilon’s 52%-approval rating in June is 6 percentage points less than in March, while his trust ratings fell by 9 percentage points, or to 46% from 55%.

Belmonte’s approval and trust ratings were statistically unchanged over the survey period – 33% from 36%, and 28% from 31%, respectively. Sereno’s approval rating is 5 percentage points less than in March, or 35% from 40%, while her trust rating is 32% – 4 percentage points lower than in March.

Lowest ratings from Class ABC 

Among social groups, the well-off Class ABC, often the most critical, gave all national leaders the lowest approval and trust ratings.

Aquino obtained a 48% approval rating from Class ABC, 14 percentage points lower than March’s 62%. This is lower than the approval rating of Class D, 57% from 72% in March; and the poorest Class E, 58% from 70%.

The President’s Class ABC trust rating fell to 42% in June from 62% in March – a 20-percentage point plunge – much lower compared to Class D (54%) and the poorest Class E (55%), though his trust ratings in these two social classes also dipped by 17 percentage points and 14 percentage points, respectively. 

Like Aquino, Binay obtained the lowest approval and trust ratings from Class ABC: 73% in June from 80% in March, and  65% from 80%, respectively. 

The same social class gave Belmonte a trust rating of 27% in June, from 37% in March or a 10-percentage point drop.

Among the leaders in the survey, Class ABC least appreciates and trusts the Chief Justice, with an approval rating of 26% – 23-percentage points less than in June, when she obtained a 49% approval rating from the social class. Class ABC gave her a trust rating of  25% – 19 percentage points lower than her previous trust rating of 44%.

Among geographical locations, approval for Aquino was lowest in the National Capital Region at 46%, 11 percentage points lower than in March. While he obtained a 61%-approval rating in Mindanao, this is 19 percentage points lower than in March. The President also suffered approval rating cuts in Luzon (54% from 68%) and in the Visayas (62% from 72%).

Among geographical locations, Aquino’s trust ratings were lowest in Metro Manila at 40% in June, from 57% in March.

Indecision in presidential performance and trustworthiness also expanded from March to June, by 8 percentage points (22% from 30%) and 11 percentage points (33% from 22%), respectively.

Among geographical locations, the Vice President is least trusted in the Visayas, where he obtained a 72% trust rating in June from 79% in March.

Aquino to rebound, Binay ‘thankful’

Malacañang said on Friday it expects the President’s ratings to improve after his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) where he apprised the people on the “real situation” of the country.

“We have a healthy plurality that continues to support the President. We believe just as the President has explained the real situation of the country, the public will respond accordingly,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

The Binay camp said the Vice President will remain focused on his work, even as he thanked his supporters for their trust and approval.

“Since 2010, Vice President Binay has received majority trust and approval ratings, and for this he is grateful to the people. He will continue to focus on his work and will not be distracted or deterred by baseless, fictitious and politically motivated attacks clearly linked to the coming 2016 presidential election,” said Binay spokesperson Joey Salgado. 

During the survey period from June 24 to July 2, the dominant news was the Supreme Court ruling declaring several acts under the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional, the filing of plunder and graft charges against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr, and their co-accused in the pork barrel scam.

During this time, Aquino was heavily criticized for rejecting the nomination of actress Nora Aunor as National Artist for Film.

The nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey have a ± 6% error margin, also at a 95% confidence level.

Pulse Asia said in a statement that it conducts its Ulat ng Bayan surveys “on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort.” – Rappler.com