Government treatment of Arroyo fair, 7 of 10 Filipinos think

Former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

The Aquino government’s treatment of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding the cases she is facing has been “only fair,” according to seven out 10 Filipinos (69 percent) nationwide in a Social Weather Stations survey.

The Fourth Quarter Social Weather Report also said that 17 percent of respondents believed government had been “too harsh,” while 13 percent said government had been “too lenient.”

Arroyo spent Christmas at Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City, where she is detained on nonbailable electoral sabotage charges.

The survey asked respondents to complete the following statement: “What is your opinion about the administration’s treatment of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding the cases that she is facing? Would you say that the treatment of the administration has been…”

Three options

They were presented with three options: “Too harsh,” “too lenient” and “only fair.”

The survey also found that nearly three of four adult Filipinos (73 percent) had “little trust” in Arroyo. With only 11 percent expressing “much trust” in her, Arroyo’s net trust rating plunged to a “very bad” minus-62 (much trust minus little trust), down from minus-40 (19 percent much trust, 59 percent little trust) in June.

This was even lower than Arroyo’s “record-low” of minus-52 (16 percent much trust, 68 percent little trust) posted in November last year, according to the survey, results of which were first reported in BusinessWorld on Monday.

Socioeconomic classes

Majorities across areas also believed that the government’s treatment of the former President had been “only fair”—79 percent in Mindanao, 78 percent in Metro Manila, 66 percent in Balance Luzon and 59 percent in the Visayas.

Majorities across socioeconomic classes also held a similar view—71 percent among class ABC, 69 percent among class D and 69 percent among class E—as did 71 percent among men and 68 percent among women.

Eighty-two percent among college graduates, 70 percent among high school graduates, 68 percent among elementary graduates, and 63 percent among those who have attended some elementary or no schooling at all also believed that government treatment of Arroyo had been “only fair.”

Twenty-four percent in the Visayas, 17 percent in Luzon outside Metro Manila, 15 percent in Mindanao and 10 percent in Metro Manila said the government’s treatment of Arroyo had been “too harsh” while 16 percent in Luzon outside Metro Manila, 15 percent in the Visayas, 12 percent in Metro Manila and 5 percent in Mindanao said the government had been “too lenient.”

Among class E, 17 percent said government had been “too harsh,” along with 16 percent among class D and 15 percent among class ABC. Fourteen percent among class ABC said government had been “too lenient,” as did 13 percent among class D and 12 percent among class E.

Little trust

Among those who had “little trust” in Arroyo, 76 percent said government treatment had been “only fair,” while 77 percent said government had been “too lenient.” Fifty-nine percent of those who had “little trust” in her said government had been “too harsh” on her.

Among those who said government treatment of Arroyo had been “only fair,” 73 percent were satisfied with President Benigno Aquino III, while only 12 percent were dissatisfied. Satisfaction with the President was lower among those who said government had been “too harsh” on Arroyo (69 percent) or “too lenient” (60 percent), SWS also noted.

The survey, conducted from December 3 to December 7, used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults. It had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points. Inquirer Research