Satisfaction with gov’t officials slipped–SWS survey
MANILA, Philippines—The satisfaction ratings of top government officials slipped amid controversies surrounding the reproductive health bill and the devastation wrought by Typhoon “Pablo” in Mindanao in December, a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.
The SWS survey, conducted between Dec. 8 and 11, showed that the net satisfaction rating of Vice President Jejomar Binay slid by six percentage points from an “excellent” plus 76 (82 percent satisfied, 6 percent dissatisfied) in August to a still “excellent” plus 70 (79 percent satisfied, 9 percent dissatisfied).
In an earlier report, President Aquino’s net satisfaction rating dropped by 12 points from plus 67 in August to 55 plus in December, his lowest rating in his two-year presidency.
On the other hand, the net satisfaction rating of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile declined by eight points from a “very good” rating of plus 65 (73 percent satisfied, 8 percent dissatisfied) in August to a “good” rating of plus 47 (63 percent satisfied, 16 percent dissatisfied) in the latest survey.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte’s net satisfaction rating slid by five points, from plus 20 (40 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) in August to plus 15 (37 percent satisfied, 23 percent dissatisfied) in December. Both are within the “moderate” rating.
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who was included in the survey for the first time, registered a “moderate” rating of plus 14 (32 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied).
The SWS considers net satisfaction ratings of plus 70 and above as “excellent”; plus 50 to plus 69, “very good”; plus 30 to plus 49, “good”; plus 10 to plus 29, “moderate”; plus 9 to minus 9, “neutral”; minus 10 to minus 29, “poor”; minus 30 to minus 49, “bad”; minus 50 to minus 69, “very bad”; and minus 70 and below, “execrable.”
At the time of the survey, there were intense debates on the reproductive health bill, which both the House and the Senate eventually passed on Dec. 13 and 17, respectively.
There was also the devastation wrought by Typhoon Pablo, which slammed Davao Oriental on Dec. 4, claiming at least 1,067 lives and destroying property worth P36.9 billion.
The net satisfaction ratings of major institutions also declined with the Senate slipping from an all-time high of plus 67 (74 percent satisfied, 7 percent dissatisfied) to plus 51 (65 percent satisfied, 14 percent dissatisfied) in the latest survey. Both ratings were within the “very good” category.
Public satisfaction with the House of Representatives slipped from an all-time high of plus 42 (55 percent satisfied, 14 percent dissatisfied) in August to plus 31 (50 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) in the latest survey, maintaining its “good” rating.
From its record rating of plus 33 (50 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied) in August, the Cabinet still got a “moderate” rating of plus 26 (45 percent satisfied, 19 percent dissatisfied).
Bucking the trend was the Supreme Court, which gained a single point from August’s plus 35 (52 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied) to December’s plus 36 (55 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied).—Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research
