Public perception on Aquino still positive despite DAP ruling, Palace claims

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) may have been unfavorable to the government, but Malacañang on Tuesday claimed it did not dampen the public’s perception on President Benigno Aquino III.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said Malacañang has been monitoring public sentiment through social media and other media platforms.

“Kung titignan ‘yung overall public pulse on the President, it is still substantially and predominantly in favor of the President,” he said, adding that there was “no significant downtrend.”

(If we look at the overall public pulse of the President, it is still substantially and predominantly in favor of the President.)

Coloma also said that most of the opinions expressed focused on the high court’s decision while those who mentioned the President were about 21 percent of those monitored.

Last week, the Supreme Court declared parts of DAP, which critics called “Presidential pork,” unconstitutional. It said the withdrawal of unobligated allotments, cross-border transfers, use of unprogrammed funds and funding of projects under DAP, all without compliance of the General Appropriations Act, violated the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Since the Supreme Court ruling was made public, two impeachment complaints have been filed against Aquino.

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