Aquino’s SWS rating up; he’s grateful to ‘Bosses’

President Benigno Aquino III on Friday thanked Filipinos who gave him positive ratings in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, saying continued public trust should make him and his team work harder.

The President’s net satisfaction rating recovered in the third quarter after plunging to a record low in June, the latest survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey, conducted from Sept. 26 to 29, also found marked increases in the President’s approval ratings across all geographic areas, including urban poor locations.

Mr. Aquino said he was confident that he still enjoyed a high trust rating despite the results of an earlier Pulse Asia survey that showed 62 percent of Filipinos disapproved of amending the Constitution to allow him to run for a second term.

“I am not saying that I want to extend my term. But let’s talk about the numbers. When I won in 2010, I got 42 percent of the votes cast. It is not far from the 38 percent [who want Charter change],” Mr. Aquino told reporters in Bali, Indonesia, where he cochaired a democracy forum.

Mr. Aquino was referring to the 38 percent who favored amending the Constitution in the Sept. 8 to 15 Pulse Asia survey.

President Benigno Aquino III INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Mr. Aquino pointed out that according to the survey, 18 percent were still undecided.

“Getting another 13 percent to achieve the majority, which is 15 percent (of the population), is not that difficult, I believe,” he said.

“I have a friend who rode a taxi about two days ago. The driver was praising me. He said: ‘I want him to run but he doesn’t want to, according to the news. I just hope the person replacing him will be just like him.’”

But the President clarified that he was not “laying the groundwork” for constitutional amendments that would allow him to run for a second term.

“They might say I’m laying the groundwork. I am still the servant of my bosses and they will tell me what should be the case. Perhaps we should even go beyond 2016 to 2022,” Mr. Aquino said.

The President said his administration was treating the possibility of term extension with caution. “[President Ferdinand] Marcos had two terms and pushed for a parliamentary [system]. We have to consider that,” he said.

Mr. Aquino said he was also weighing whether opening the door to a term extension would be worthwhile.

“Will the risk be that great? I am not a dictator so I want to consult the public,” he said.

The latest SWS survey found that 59 percent of respondents were satisfied with the President and 25 percent dissatisfied, resulting in a net satisfaction rating (satisfied minus dissatisfied) of “good” plus-34.

The President’s latest score— his second lowest so far—is 9 ticks up from his “moderate” plus-25 rating in June, which was the lowest he has registered since he began his term in 2010.

Doomsday scenario

Relishing the rebound in the President’s satisfaction ratings, Malacañang said the doomsday scenario of Mr. Aquino’s critics “has not materialized.”

“The professional naysayers and predictors of doom will perhaps find it inconvenient that their predictions of a trend have not materialized. President Aquino’s ratings remain historically high compared to the same period of other administrations,” presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told a press briefing.

“Surveys are snapshots of a political landscape at a certain time and accordingly fluctuate. The more accurate measure of government performance is the number of people who are empowered to take advantage of new and better opportunities,” she said.

SWS asked respondents: “Please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are in (sic) the performance of Benigno Aquino III as President of the Philippines. Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, undecided if satisfied or dissatisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, very dissatisfied, or you have not ever heard or read anything about Benigno Aquino III?”

SWS noted that the President got a “very good” plus-60 rating three months into his administration and reached the record high of “very good” plus-67 in August 2012.

In the 16 quarterly surveys SWS conducted before September, Mr. Aquino’s net scores were under plus-50 only seven times, it said.

Across geographic areas, the net satisfaction ratings of the President posted double-digit increases in Metro Manila (from plus-6 to plus-22) and the rest of Luzon (from plus-16 to plus-29), while it slightly moved up in the Visayas, from plus-39 to plus-43, and in Mindanao, from plus-40 to plus-43.

The President’s net score is still “moderate” in urban areas, as it climbed by 12 points from plus-15 to plus-27, while it is still “good” in rural areas, going up from plus-35 to plus-40.

Down among ABCs

Among socioeconomic classes, Mr. Aquino’s net scores went up by 12 points, from plus-22 to plus-34, among Class D and by 7 points, from plus-31 to plus-38, among Class E. But it dropped 5 points, from plus-32 to plus-27, among Class ABC.

By gender, the President’s satisfaction rating went up by 10 points, from plus-21 to plus-31, among men and by 9 points among women, from plus 28 to plus 37.

SWS considers a rating of plus-70 and above as “excellent”; plus-50 to plus-69 as “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.”

Among the issues in the headlines during the survey were the ongoing Senate investigation of the allegedly overpriced Makati City Building II and the P1-billion real properties allegedly owned by Vice President Jejomar Binay, the threat posed by the Islamic State to the country and the disarming of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as part of the peace agreement between the government and the separatist group, among others.

The survey, which involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults, had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points. Inquirer Research, with a report from Nikko Dizon