Trillanes points out Duterte’s ‘alarming’ 12-pt. ratings drop in Mindanao

The public should focus its attention not on the overall net satisfaction with President Rodrigo Duterte, but on the "alarming" ratings drop he got from Mindanao, which he placed under martial law more than a month ago.

This according to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who insisted that Duterte’s lower net satisfaction rating in Mindanao presented a “totally different and alarming” view of the Marawi siege.

“Those from Luzon and Visayas most likely appreciated the AFP's effective response to the Maute group, hence the increase in satisfaction rating,” Trillanes said in a text statement to reporters on Friday.

“On the other hand, the 12-percent dip in Mindanao shows a totally different and alarming picture,” he said.

In Mindanao, where martial law has been declared by the President, Duterte’s net satisfaction rating has gone down by 12 points or from +87 in March to +75 in June.

Despite the 12-point drop, the rating is still considered "excellent" and much higher than his satisfaction ratings in Visayas and Luzon, where his ratings went up to +73 (from +62) and +58 (from +51), respectively.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), Duterte’s net satisfaction rating decreased by one point, from +64 in March 2017 to +63 in June.

Overall public satisfaction with Duterte's performance grew during the second quarter of the year despite his controversial martial law declaration in Mindanao, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

In its latest survey conducted from June 23 to 26 — or more than a month after the President's May 23 military rule declaration — the SWS found out that 78 percent of the 1,200 respondents were satisfied with his performance in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, 12 percent of the respondents were dissatisfied and 10 percent were undecided. This yielded a net satisfaction rating of +66 (% satisfied minus % dissatisfied), classified as “very good” and marking a new personal record high. An "excellent" rating should at least be +70.

‘Passed test of leadership’

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, for his part, said that Duterte’s record-high ratings show that he has passed his “first true test of leadership.”

“The rebellion in Marawi has been the first true test of leadership for the Duterte administration. Based on the President's improved approval rating in the latest SWS poll, it seems that he is passing this test so far,” Gatchalian said in a statement. 

“The true character of a leader is often revealed during times of crisis, and the Filipino people have responded positively to the fearless devotion displayed by the Commander-in-Chief and our soldiers in their mission to bring the Marawi crisis to an end,” he said.

Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said the survey results matched the feedback he has been getting from the public.

Senator JV Ejercito said the satisfaction ratings indicated that Filipinos “understand” the President’s intention when he declared martial law in southern Philippines.

“People understand that the intention of the declaration of martial law in Mindanao is for the resolution of the rebellion in Marawi,” Ejercito said.

Gatchalian, Sotto, and Ejercito were all authors of a Senate resolution expressing support for the declaration of martial law in Mindanao. — MDM/KVD, GMA News