Duterte still most trusted gov’t official? Not surprising, Panelo says

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang is not surprised that President Rodrigo Duterte remains the most trusted government official, noting that his approval and trust ratings keep on increasing even as his detractors continue to hurl criticisms against his administration.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said this Thursday in response to a Pulse Asia survey showing Duterte getting an 85 percent approval and trust rating, enough to best Vice President Leni Robredo, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, former House Speaker Gloria Arroyo, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin.

READ: Pulse: Duterte remains most trusted government official

“Not surprising. It keeps on increasing simply because the President is a very transparent leader. His political will show in every measure and step he has undertaken. It shows how sincere he is and the people are satisfied with his method of governance,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“People keep expressing their support to awaken the critics and detractors from their sleep that all the criticisms against this President relative to drugs, the West Philippine Sea and other issues of national interest are all wrong. No basis,” he added.

Panelo, who is also Duterte’s chief legal counsel, claimed that he is confident the President will maintain his high approval and trust ratings until the end of his term in 2022.

“The detractors keep on saying that the (Duterte’s) rating will go down. But the more they say that, the more it goes up,” he said.

The Palace official also said that the Recto Bank incident does not affect Duterte’s rating.

A Chinese vessel hit and sank an anchored Filipino fishing boat at Recto Bank on June 9, leaving its crew afloat on the open sea for hours. They were eventually rescued by Vietnamese fishermen.

READ: China fishing vessel sinks Filipino boat after ‘collision’ in West Philippine Sea 

Duterte drew flak for downplaying the incident as a mere “little maritime accident.”

Panelo also noted that the survey demonstrated the public’s support to Duterte administration’s foreign policy, which was harshly criticized for supposedly kowtowing to China’s expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea.

“Diba every time that issue is raised binabanatan siya nang husto, eh ‘yung survey na ‘yan kinuha at the height of the Reed Bank incident so factored na ‘yan sa mga tinanungan,” Panelo pointed out. /je