President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Net public satisfaction with President Benigno Aquino’s performance slid by seven percentage points from plus 49 in March to plus 42 in May, the lowest rating in his two-year presidency, the most recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.
The biggest drops in the President’s net satisfaction ratings were in Metro Manila, where it plunged by 34 percentage points (from +52 in March to +18 in May) and among members of Classes ABC, where it slid by 37 percentage points (from +62 to +25).
The Palace, however, shrugged off the decline and insisted this would not deter Mr. Aquino from his fight against poverty and corruption.
“Regardless of whether it was up or down, the President would continue to do his job of pursuing inclusive growth in the economy and our crusade on anticorruption,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the drop in the President’s net satisfaction rating was “somewhat consistent,” but he found the steep drop in Metro Manila really surprising.
“That’s something we cannot explain. Plus you must remember that during this time, prior to the survey, Mindanao was in a bit of a storm over power outages but in spite of that the President appeared to have major approval in Mindanao,” he said.
But for some analysts, the rating was satisfactory.
“[Plus 42] is still a good rating. I’ll be alarmed if it is lower than 10 or 20,” Earl G. Parreño, a political analyst at the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms, said. “The dip in the President’s rating is to be expected because he is the visible representative of the government.”
Among the reasons Parreño cited for the decline were the people’s very high expectations of the President. “As you implement programs, there will always be difficulties.”
The Second Quarter 2012 SWS survey, conducted from May 24 to May 27, found 63 percent satisfied and 21 percent dissatisfied with the President’s performance, for a net rating of +42 compared to +64 net rating in November 2010.
The SWS, however, said the +42 rating was still good. It classifies ratings of +70 and above, “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good,” and +30 to +49, “good.”
The President’s net satisfaction rating plunged in Metro Manila from +52 (72 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) in March to +18 (48 percent satisfied, 30 percent dissatisfied) in May.
Mr. Aquino’s net satisfaction rating also fell among members of Classes ABC—from +62 (79 percent satisfied, 16 percent dissatisfied) in March to +25 (54 percent satisfied, 29 percent dissatisfied) in May.
The President’s ratings also declined across areas except in Mindanao, where it increased by 8 points from +53 (69 percent satisfied, 16 percent dissatisfied) in March to +61 (73 percent satisfied, 12 percent dissatisfied) in May.
In the Visayas, it decreased by 9 points from +50 (67 percent satisfied, 17 dissatisfied) in March to +41 (61 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) in May. In Luzon outside Manila, it slipped from +45 (67 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied) in March to +41 (64 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) in May. Kate Pedroso and Ana Roa, Inquirer Research and Christine O. Avendaño