Villarin on Pulse Asia survey: Ego boost but not a reality check

The June Pulse Asia survey which showed that 87 percent of respondents trust President Rodrigo Duterte was just a “perception boost” but “not a reality check,” Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said on Friday.

Aside from this, the opposition lawmaker pointed out that the Pulse Asia survey has been consistent in showing high ratings for Duterte.

While the survey will boost the egos in Malacañang, Villarin said: “it won’t make people feel less poor, hungry and insecure of the future.”

“It will not erase the 5.2 percent inflation that’s hitting people’s pockets hard, the cutting down of real wages, loss of jobs, and high-interest rates driving investments down,” he added.

In the survey conducted from June 15 to 21, or before Duterte’s controversial “stupid God” remark and tirades against Christianity which drew the ire of many Filipinos, Pulse Asia said Duterte enjoys an approval rating of 88 percent and trust rating of 87 percent.

In January, Duterte got an approval rating of 80 percent and trust rating of 82 percent.

READ: Pulse Asia’s June survey: 87% of Filipinos trust Duterte

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte was “humbled” by the ratings.

READ: Duterte humbled with high trust, approval ratings – Palace

But opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said the survey was “clearly a sampling design error and, therefore, invalid.”

READ: Trillanes questions Pulse Asia’s ‘invalid’ survey method   /muf