Palace upbeat Aquino ratings will go up anew

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda expressed confidence that the public would be clarified about the Disbursement Acceleration Program, or DAP, once Aquino explained “the truth of the matter with ongoing issues.” INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Malacañang on Monday expressed confidence that the satisfaction and trust ratings of President Aquino would improve once he explained to the public the truth about the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

But senators said it was not just the DAP, which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional on July 1, that pulled down the President’s ratings to all-time lows.

The increase in prices of basic goods, few jobs created and the persistence of high poverty incidence have left people unsatisfied with the once very popular Chief Executive, the lawmakers said.

Expected in any given circumstances was how Malacañang described the decline in the President’s performance, trust and net satisfaction ratings.

But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda was confident that the public would be clarified about the DAP once Aquino explained “the truth of the matter with ongoing issues.”

The President delivered a televised address on the DAP Monday night.

“We believe that as the President explains to the people the truth of the matter with ongoing issues, the public will understand and respect the tough choices he has made for the public good,” Lacierda said in a statement.

Aquino’s net satisfaction rating plunged to its lowest level since he became the President in 2010, based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. He recorded a rating of plus 25 percent (moderate)—down from plus 45 (good) in March—based on the June 27 to 30 survey involving 1,200 respondents.

In the Pulse Asia survey conducted from June 24 to July 2, the President’s approval rating went down to 56 percent compared with 70 percent in March. During the same period, his trust rating dropped from

69 percent to 53 percent.

Still, the Palace noted that “a healthy majority has expressed trust and confidence in the President.”

“While pollsters generally note a dip in enthusiasm going into the fifth year of any administration, with SWS satisfaction rating at 55 percent; Pulse Asia performance approval rating at 56 percent and trust approval rating at 53 percent, these numbers can be considered par for the course or average for this period,” Lacierda said.

Rising expectations

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma acknowledged the “rising expectations that the government will level up and deliver on the salient points of the President’s social contract” with just two years remaining in the administration.

“In response to the challenge of achieving inclusive growth, the government is broadening the scope of social protection in the key aspects of job creation, healthcare and basic education. Infrastructure building for sustained economic growth is also being pursued,” Coloma said in a separate statement.

“We are heeding the people’s call for stepped-up delivery of essential public services and institutional reform.”

Reality bites

Aside from the DAP issue, hounding the administration are the dearth of jobs that have been created since 2010 and little improvement in the poverty incidence, according to opposition Sen. JV Ejercito.

Worse, prices of commodities have gone up while the delivery of services, including those by the utilities, has been deteriorating, Ejercito added.

“People believed and supported his thrust of good governance, the daang matuwid. But reality bites, people are now looking for performance,” the senator said in a text message.

He said Aquino was lucky he enjoyed an extended honeymoon period for almost four years.

Sen. Sonny Angara said the drop in the President’s rating was not surprising because the news about the rise in garlic and rice prices came at about the same time as the Supreme Court’s adverse ruling on the DAP.

But Angara said he believed the ratings could improve in the coming months as long as the government’s good programs on education, health and other sectors could be reported and felt throughout the country.

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III said the issue over the DAP had put into question the President’s credibility with the public.

“That is why, I understand, his net [satisfaction] rating has gone down to plus 25,” Osmeña said.

Despite this, he believed that the President would complete his term and that the impending impeachment complaint against him would not prosper.

Osmeña said the people were looking for somebody to blame in connection with the DAP.

“Normally, a loyal knight would fall on his sword for the king, won’t he?” he said.

He cited the case of then Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo, who resigned over the execution of domestic helper Flor Contemplacion even if he had no direct involvement in her case.