Despite naysayers, Aquino still rates high, says Palace
President Benigno Aquino lll. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The fourth quarter Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on the satisfaction rating of President Benigno Aquino III—which essentially remained unchanged since the previous survey—disproved claims by critics of the administration that he was becoming unpopular, Malacañang said on Thursday.
“In lieu of the usual naysayers trying to promote the impression that there is a general dissatisfaction among the Filipino people, the survey shows that an overwhelming majority in Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, as well as a healthy majority in Metro Manila, are solidly with the President,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma.
The results of the survey conducted from Dec. 11 to 16 make this evident, said Coloma.
Shoulder to shoulder
“The Filipino people continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Aquino administration,” he said, pointing out that 69 percent of Filipinos “remain satisfied with the President’s performance—a one-point increase from the last survey period—with 21 percent dissatisfied.”
The secretary noted that these past few months, the President had made “tough but necessary decisions” on issues of serious national concern.
He cited the conflict in Zamboanga City in September, earthquake in Bohol in October and last month, the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
“These results serve as a reassurance: The Filipino people, whom he has constantly referred to as his strength, continue to stand behind him. They believe in his leadership, founded on efficiency, firmness, and foresight,” said Coloma.
Facts from spin
“We are grateful to our people for proving once more that they are on the side of true public service and are unswayed by mere politicking. Their discerning facts from spin means the momentum of inclusive growth and change will continue unabated as we enter the final stretch of the President’s term,” said the secretary.
He said the administration would “continue working overtime” to be able to propel the country along the path to recovery and prosperity.
The quarterly SWS survey on public satisfaction with the President is a non-commissioned item, said the SWS in its website.
Face to face
The survey, which used face-to-face interviews of 1,550 adults nationwide, has a sampling error margins of plus or minus 2.5 percent for national percentages, plus or minus 4 percent for Visayas, and plus or minus 6 percent for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon and Mindanao.
The question posed to interviewees was: “Please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are in the performance of Benigno Aquino III as President of the Philippines. Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, undecided if satisfied or dissatisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, very dissatisfied, or you have not ever heard or read anything about Benigno Aquino III?”
In the latest survey, the President obtained a net satisfaction rating of plus 49 (“good”), which was similar to the one he had in September, but this figure was still down from plus 64 (“very good”) he obtained in June.
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