Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
The Malacañang communication team’s deficient strategy, especially in the wake of the Mamasapano debacle, is to blame for President Benigno Aquino III’s plunging ratings, not the media.
This according to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, an administration ally, who said the Palace communication group should have been more meticulous in its messaging given the sensitivity of the Mamasapano issue.
Earlier, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said the decline in the President’s satisfaction rating was “mostly media related,” noting that public opinion surveys are based on information gleaned from the media by citizens.
“It’s their fault. They are the communications handlers of the President. They should be the ones reining him in. If they know P-Noy is very emotional, they should stop him from speaking. Their messaging should be very deliberate. It’s a very emotional issue, highly charged,” Trillanes told reporters in a phone patch interview.
He acknowledged, however, that President Aquino’s first public statements following the Mamasapano massacre made things worse, and he could not blame the early missteps on his spokespersons.
“It’s more the overall strategic communications—who will say what and so on,” he said.
Was the President responsible for the dismal communications strategy?
Trillanes said everyone was, but the Chief Executive should set the direction and approve the strategy.
Mr. Aquino should have his communications director present a strategy and he could approve it, instead of letting his emotions dictate his statements, the senator said.
He said Mr. Aquino should fire whoever suggested that he skip the arrival at Villamor Air Base of the remains of the 44 Special Action Force commandos who were killed in Mamasapano.
He said he received information someone had advised the President not to attend the event.
Mr. Aquino’s absence from Villamor drew intense criticism, more so since he showed up to inaugurate a car manufacturing plant at the same time.
“The problem is P-Noy takes the fall for the failures of his staff,” Trillanes said.
He said that because the Palace failed to handle the Mamasapano issue correctly, propagandists were able to exploit the situation and create the perception that the President had neglected the SAF troopers and let them die.
But the evidence that subsequently came out disproved this, Trillanes said.
Thus, the senator thinks the President’s ratings could still recover.
“He’s not the one who killed them. He’s not a thief. He’s not a bad person. So in the long run, people will start asking again why they are angry at P-Noy. They won’t remember because it won’t stick. He himself did not do these things. These are just propaganda,” he said.
He thinks the poor perception of the President could change with time, after emotions have subsided. The administration should show sincerity and good governance to prove it means well, he said.