Palace downplays Pulse Asia survey
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 18:19:00 03/24/2008
Filed Under: Graft & Corruption, Protest, Governance, Conflicts (general)
MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang downplayed a recent survey showing one of two Filipinos critical of her performance, saying the polls were carried out at the height of the scandal over the allegedly corruption-ridden national broadband network (NBN) deal.
Pulse Asia said 51 percent of 1,200 respondents disapproved of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's performance in its February 21-March 8 survey, compared with 39 percent in October.
“Heto yung panahon na masyadong mainit ang [NBN] issue na pinipilit inili-link ang ating Pangulo at ang Unang Pamilya sa issue ng ZTE [the Chinese firm to which the since scrapped NBN contract was awarded] kaya yung survey na ito ay hindi kataka-taka na ganoon ang maging resulta [This was the time when the issue was very hot and they were trying to link the President and the First Family to the ZTE issue, which is why the survey results are not surprising],” deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelai Fajardo told reporters in Malacañang on Monday.
“Pero ang mahalaga dito is that, with or without the survey, ang Pangulo ay patuloy sa kanyang trabaho, patuloy na nakafocus sa lahat ng mga hinaharapa natin, lalong-lalo na sa mga hinaharap nating mga kasalukuyang issue ngayon katulad ng bigas at patuloy na pagtaas ng langis [But what is important is that, with or without the survey, the President continues with her work, continues to focus on our future, especially the current issues we are facing like rice and the continued increase of oil prices],” she said.
Fajardo said Arroyo’s ratings would eventually improve.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye also said Arroyo is not bothered by surveys because she remains focused on improving the economy and the lives of the Filipino people.
“The President has time and again said that what is more important for her would be the
economic numbers rather than the popularity numbers,” Bunye said in a separate interview.
“The President will remain focused, as she has always been, on what needs to be done, and that her priority will be improving and growing our economy because that's the only way that we can lift the other Filipinos from the poverty line,” he pointed out.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita also dismissed the survey.
“You know, when you talk about those surveys, they're entitled to their own opinion. How can you fight that? They’re the only who's saying that…how can you fight that?” Ermita said.
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