Survey shows fewer Filipinos approve of Aquino’s fight vs corruption

President Benigno Aquino III. AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Amid controversies surrounding the Priority Development Assistance Fund and the Disbursement Acceleration Program, more Filipinos now disapprove of the Aquino administration’s efforts at fighting graft and corruption in the government, according to the latest survey by Pulse Asia.

The survey, conducted from June 24 to July 2, showed an eight-point decrease in the proportion of Filipinos who approve of the administration’s performance in fighting graft and corruption in the government (from 50 percent in March to 42 percent in June), as the proportion of those who disapprove of the administration’s performance on this issue increased by eight points, from 19 percent to 27 percent.

“Perhaps due in part to the continuing controversies regarding the alleged misuse of the PDAF of some lawmakers and the DAP, there is a significant decline in the level of approval for the Aquino administration’s anti-corruption initiatives, and an increase in the level of disapproval for the same,” Pulse Asia said in a statement released Friday.

Pulse Asia also noted that disapproval of the administration’s work on three issues— improving workers’ pay, reducing poverty and controlling inflation — also increased by 7 points.

The proportion of Filipinos disapproving of the administration’s performance in increasing the pay of workers rose from 23 percent in March to 30 percent in June, while those who disapproved of the administration’s poverty reduction efforts also increased from 26 percent to 33 percent.

As for inflation, an issue cited by majority of Filipinos (52 percent) as an urgent concern, disapproval of the government’s performance also increased from 34 percent to 41 percent. Only 26 percent approved of the administration’s efforts at curbing inflation, putting the government’s net approval rating at minus 15, the lowest among 11 issues included in the survey.

The Aquino administration recorded a majority approval rating on only one issue — fighting criminality (54 percent), while 14 percent disapproved, for a net approval rating of plus 40.

The administration scored a net approval rating of plus 33 on the issue of increasing peace in the country (50 percent approve, 17 percent disapprove), while it scored plus 31 in defending the integrity of Philippine territory against foreigners (47 percent approve, 16 percent disapprove).

On the issue of stopping the destruction and abuse of the environment, the Aquino administration scored a net approval rating of plus 29 (46 percent approve, 17 percent disapprove), while it scored plus 26 on the issue of enforcing the law on all (44 percent approve, 18 percent disapprove).

The administration recorded a plus 16 net rating (39 percent approve, 23 percent disapprove) on the issue of controlling population.

With the decrease in approval ratings, the administration’s net rating on the issue of combating graft and corruption is at plus 15 (42 percent approve, 27 percent disapprove), while the administration scored plus 11 (37 percent approve, 26 percent disapprove) on the issue of creating more jobs.

With 36 percent approving and 30 percent disapproving, the government scored a net approval rating of plus 6 on the issue of improving workers’ pay.

Overall, the most urgent national concern is inflation (52 percent) — a sentiment shared by 46 percent in the Visayas, 50 percent in Luzon outside Metro Manila, 56 percent in Metro Manila and 58 percent in Mindanao, as well as 51 percent in class D, 53 percent in class E and 55 percent in class ABC.

As the country’s population approaches the 100 million mark, the survey also showed that Filipinos were least concerned about population growth, an issue cited as urgent by only 9 percent of respondents nationwide.

Forty-nine percent cited improving workers’ pay as an urgent concern— a sentiment shared by proportions ranging from 41 percent in Mindanao to 54 percent in the Visayas, and from 43 percent among ABC to 51 percent among class E.

Fighting graft and corruption was deemed an urgent concern by 47 percent of Filipinos. Across areas and classes proportions ranging from 42 percent in Metro Manila and in the Visayas to 53 percent in Mindanao, and from 39 percent in class E to 51 percent in class ABC also considered this issue an urgent concern.

Other issues cited as urgent were: creating more jobs (38 percent), reducing poverty (34 percent), fighting criminality (20 percent), enforcing the law on all (17 percent), stopping the destruction and abuse of the environment (16 percent), and increasing peace in the country (16 percent).

“Five issues are identified as the first-, second- or third-mentioned urgent national concerns by practically the same percentages of Filipnos — controlling inflation (12 percent to 22 percent), increasing pay of workers (15 percent to 18 percent), fighting corruption in government (15 percent to 17 percent), creating more jobs (12 percent to 13 percent) and reducing poverty (11 percent to 12 percent),” Pulse Asia said.

While the level of concern regarding job creation increased by 7 points from 31 percent in March to 38 percent in June, Pulse Asia said there were no other notable changes during this period.

“However, year-on-year, public concern in relation to the need to fight corruption in government becomes more notable (up 16 percentage points, from 31 percent in June 2013 to 47 percent in June 2014) while concern for the need to control inflation becomes less marked (down 9 percentage points, from 61 percent in June last year to 52 percent in June this year),” Pulse Asia added.

The survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult Filipinos. It had a margin of error of plus-or-minus three percentage points.

Issues at the time of the survey included the filing of plunder and graft charges against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as their subsequent surrender and arrest; the Supreme Court decision declaring several acts under the Disbursement Acceleration Program unconstitutional; continued tension between China and the Philippines over disputed territories in the South China Sea; President Aquino’s call for the Philippine National Police to swiftly resolve crime incidents after the recent series of killings involving several high-profile individuals; the President’s controversial decision to reject the nomination of Nora Aunor as National Artist for Film; and the increase in oil prices due to the Iraq crisis, as well as the hike in the price of rice, garlic and sugar reportedly due to lower supply levels, among other issues.

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