Despite drop in ratings, 7 out of 10 Pinoys still trust, appreciate PNoy — poll

Despite recent controversies hounding his administration, President Benigno Aquino III continues to enjoy the trust and support of slightly more than seven of 10 Filipinos, according to a new Pulse Asia survey.   The survey, conducted Nov. 10 to 23, showed 72 percent of Filipinos are appreciative of Aquino’s performance while 74 percent trust him.   Pulse Asia, however, noted this was a five-percentage point decline in his approval rating, a five-percentage point increase in his overall disapproval score, and a four-percentage point rise in his overall distrust rating.   Still, it said these changes are marginal at best given this survey’s overall error margin of +/- 3 percentage points.   "On the other hand, less than one in ten Filipinos (9 percent) is critical of and distrusts the President. Ambivalence toward presidential performance and trustworthiness is expressed by nearly the same percentages of Filipinos (19 percent and 17 percent, respectively). These overall figures hardly differ from those recorded by Pulse Asia in its August 2011 Ulat ng Bayan survey," it said.   Sizeable to big majority approval, trust   Pulse Asia said Aquino registers sizeable to big majority approval and trust ratings across geographic areas (64 percent to 82 percent and 69 percent to 87 percent, respectively) and socio-economic classes (65 to 75 percent and 68 to 76 percent, respectively).   Disapproval scores range from 6 percent in the Visayas to 11 percent in Mindanao, while distrust ratings vary from 3 to 11 percent across geographic areas.   Aquino records basically the same disapproval and distrust ratings in the different socio-economic groupings (8 to 11 percent and 8 to 9 percent, respectively).   Levels of indecision toward presidential performance and trust ratings across geographic areas (12 to 25 percent and 9 to 20 percent, respectively) and socio-economic classes (17 to 24 percent and 15 to 24 percent, respectively) are generally consistent with the national figures (19 and 17 percent, respectively).   Performance, trustworthiness   Pulse Asia said that for the most part, Filipinos’ assessment of presidential performance and trustworthiness remains constant between August and November 2011.   "During this period, the only double-digit movements in President Aquino’s ratings are the decline in his approval and trust ratings in Mindanao (-10 and -12 percentage points, respectively), the drop in his approval rating in the poorest Class E (-11 percentage points) and the decrease in the level of indecision toward his trustworthiness recorded among Visayans (-12 percentage points)," it said.   Disenchantment   On the other hand, disenchantment with the Aquino administration’s performance on selected national issues became more pronounced between August and November 2011.   A majority of Filipinos approves of the Aquino administration’s work in the areas of equally enforcing the law on all citizens (53 percent), fighting criminality (53 percent) and eradicating corruption in government (56 percent).   Approval is the plurality sentiment toward the current dispensation’s efforts to control population growth (42 percent), increase the pay of workers (43 percent), create more jobs (48 percent), protect the environment (49 percent) and promote peace (50 percent).   Almost the same percentages of Filipinos express either approval or indecision toward the Aquino administration’s initiative to strengthen Filipinos’ trust in government and its officials (44 versus 39 percent).   Public opinion regarding the president’s performance on two issues – reducing poverty and controlling inflation – is basically split three-ways as the administration scores essentially the same approval (32 percent), indecision (31 to 32 percent) and disapproval ratings (36 to 37 percent) on these concerns.   Even as the Aquino administration scores big plurality to small majority approval ratings (42 to 56 percent) on nine out of the 11 national issues on which its performance is evaluated in this survey, disapproval for the work it has done on seven issues is more pronounced in November 2011 than six months ago.   "During this period, levels of disapproval for the administration’s efforts to equally enforce the law on all Filipinos, create more jobs, strengthen public trust in government and its officials, increase the pay of workers, control population growth, control the increasing prices of commodities and reduce poverty increase (+8 to +15 percentage points)," it said.   Pulse Asia said the biggest increase in disapproval is recorded on the issue of reducing poverty.   It added approval for the Aquino administration’s initiatives in the areas of fighting criminality, promoting peace, increasing the pay of workers, controlling inflation and reducing poverty eased during this period (-7 to -8 percentage points).   "Levels of ambivalence are basically unchanged between May and November 2011, with the only significant change being the decline in the administration’s indecision rating on the issue of poverty reduction (-7 percentage points)," it said.   The survey conducted Nov. 10 to 23, using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above.   It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.   Sub-national estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 6 percent error margin, also at 95 percent confidence level.   At the time the field work was conducted, the following developments dominated the headlines:  

• The Supreme Court's issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the watch list order against former President Gloria Arroyo and former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo
• Acting on orders of Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, the immigration officials' preventing the former First Couple from leaving the country despite the SC TRO
• The arrest of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on 18 November 2011 on charges of electoral fraud in the May 2007 elections
• The murder of a son of former Senator Ramon Revilla, Sr. and the alleged involvement of family members in the murder plot
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit attended by President Benigno S. Aquino III
• The visit to the Philippines by U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton and South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak
• The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) continued campaign against tax evaders
• The commemoration of the second anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre
• The issuance of a hold departure order against retired Maj. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and his wife following the filing of tax evasion charges against the couple
• Government financial assistance given to several rebel groups
• The Supreme Court decision mandating the distribution of the lands of Hacienda Luisita to about 6,000 farmer beneficiaries
• The passage of the national budget by the Senate
• depreciation of the Philippine peso and increase in diesel prices and power rates.

• Saranggani Representative Emmanuel Pacquiao’s controversial win over Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez
• the appointment of Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista as the new chief of the Philippine Army
• the inclusion of the Palawan Underground River as one of the provisional winners in the search for the new seven wonders of nature.