Aquino, Binay approval ratings drop in latest poll

With a little more than four months left in office, President Aquino and Vice President Jejomar Binay experienced declining approval and trust ratings in January, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey which showed none of the country’s highest officials receiving majority scores.

READ: Nearing their terms’ end, Aquino, Binay lose majority approval ratings

In the “Pulso ng Bayan” nationwide survey, the results of which were released on Friday, 49 percent of 1,800 voter respondents approved of the President, 6 points lower than the 55 percent registered in December.

Trust in the President was also down by 8 points to 45 percent from 53 percent.

Binay’s approval rating also declined, from 52 percent to 47 percent, and his trust rating from 49 percent to 45 percent.

Mamasapano anniversary

The survey, which had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points, was conducted from Jan. 24 to 28, during which the country marked the first anniversary of the Jan. 25, 2015, Mamasapano massacre in which 44 elite police commandos out on a mission to arrest a foreign terrorist were treacherously ambushed and killed by Moro rebels, including the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front which had signed a peace agreement with the Aquino government.

The approval rating of Senate President Franklin Drilon was down from 51 percent to 44 percent, and his trust rating decreased from 47 percent to 42 percent.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte’s approval and trust scores declined from 29 percent to 24 percent and from 24 percent to 21 percent, respectively.

All areas

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno saw her approval and trust ratings virtually unchanged, from 29 percent to 25 percent and from 25 percent to 23 percent, respectively.

Approval of the President declined across all areas, ranging from 45 percent (from 50 percent) in the rest of Luzon to 62 percent (from 68 percent) in the Visayas.

By class, Mr. Aquino’s approval score suffered a double-digit drop among Class E (52 percent from 67 percent), increased among Classes ABC (51 percent from 44 percent) and barely moved among Class D (49 percent from 52 percent).

Binay’s approval scores moved up slightly in Metro Manila (49 percent from 46 percent), but decreased in the rest of Luzon (53 percent from 55 percent, in Mindanao (41 percent from 52 percent) and the Visayas (37 percent from 49 percent).

The Vice President’s approval ratings among socioeconomic groups increased among Classes ABC (36 percent from 30 percent), hardly moved among Class D (46 percent from 49 percent) but declined among Class E (54 percent from 66 percent).

Approval of Drilon’s performance was virtually unchanged in Metro Manila (48 percent from 46 percent) and the Visayas (58 percent from 60 percent) but dropped in Mindanao (34 percent from 45 percent) and the rest of Luzon (41 percent from 52 percent).

By classes, Drilon’s approval increased among Classes ABC (57 percent from 45 percent) but decreased among Class D (43 percent from 51 percent) and Class E (43 percent from 52 percent).

Belmonte’s approval scores slightly moved in Metro Manila (42 percent from 38 percent), the Visayas (17 percent from 20 percent) and the rest of Luzon (26 percent from 29 percent), but declined in Mindanao (15 percent from 32 percent).

The Speaker’s approval ratings increased among Classes ABC (40 percent from 35 percent) but went down among Class D (24 percent from 29 percent) and E (19 percent from 28 percent).

Sereno’s approval ratings slightly moved in the rest of Luzon (27 percent from 29 percent), the Visayas (25 percent from 23 percent) and Metro Manila (35 percent from 38 percent), but dropped sharply in Mindanao (15 percent from 31 percent).

Approval of Sereno by classes ranged from 18 percent (from 27 percent) among Class E and 38 percent (from 40 percent) among Classes ABC.

Trust scores

Trust in Mr. Aquino also declined across the regions, ranging from 34 percent (from 42 percent) in Metro Manila to 56 percent (from 64 percent) in the Visayas.

By class, the President’s trust scores improved among Classes ABC (50 percent from 43 percent) but declined among Class E (48 percent from 64 percent) and Class D (44 percent from 51 percent).

Binay’s trust ratings were virtually unchanged in Metro Manila (48 percent from 46 percent) and the rest of Luzon (51 percent from 52 percent) but decreased in Mindanao (40 percent from 49 percent) and the Visayas (37 percent from 43 percent). By class, trust in the Vice President slightly moved among Classes ABC (34 percent from 31 percent) and Class D (44 percent from 46 percent), and down among Class E (53 percent from 62 percent).

Trust in Drilon was unchanged in Metro Manila (45 percent) and the Visayas (57 percent) but declined in Mindanao (31 percent from 41 percent) and the rest of Luzon (39 percent from 46 percent). His trust score improved among Classes ABC (55 percent from 43 percent) but dropped 7 points among Class D (41 percent from 48 percent) and Class E (39 percent from 46 percent).

By region, Belmonte’s trust scores ranged from 17 percent (from 19 percent) in the Visayas to 41 percent (from 35 percent) in Metro Manila, and from 19 percent (from 24 percent) among Class E to 36 percent (from 31 percent) among Classes ABC.

The decline in the Chief Justice’s trust ratings ranged from 12 percent (down from 29 percent) in Mindanao to 35 percent (from 36 percent) in Metro Manila, and from 15 percent (from 24 percent) among Class E to 38 percent (from 40 percent) among Classes ABC.

For Malacañang, the President’s approval and trust ratings of 46 and 45 percent can still be considered “high.”

In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the survey showed Mr. Aquino maintaining high approval and trust ratings.

“We note further the most significant increases in the President’s ratings came from socio-economic Classes ABC at both +7, indicating that the government’s programs to institutionalize good governance and transparency as well as ensuring continued economic reform and inclusive growth have resonated well among the leaders of the professional and business communities,” Coloma said.

The approval and trust by other sectors of the country remained “high,” he noted, which reflected the “positive sentiments and outlook of our Bosses, the Filipino people, who have witnessed and experienced the transformation of the country and its journey toward joining the ranks of high-income countries through sustained socio-economic progress.”

Nothing unusual

Belmonte said there was nothing out of the ordinary in the declines in trust and approval ratings registered by top officials, including the President and himself.

“I think ups and downs are just to be expected,” he said in a text message.

The Speaker said it would only be considered exceptional if there were “drastic changes” in the figures.

Asked to comment on whether the administration coalition had reason to worry, Belmonte replied pointedly: “Didn’t [Binay’s] numbers drop, too?”

The ‘real’ survey

The Binay camp shrugged off the unfavorable results of the latest Pulse Asia survey, declaring that the real survey is the warm reception the candidate for President receives on the campaign trail.

“We look at these surveys to see where the wind is blowing so to speak. But we say again and again, we are steady,” Rico Quicho, Binay’s spokesperson for political affairs, told reporters in Batangas province.

“In Vice President Binay’s rounds in different provinces, you see the warm welcome, the trust and love from the public. That’s the real survey,” he said.

“[The results of] the real survey will be known on May 9,” he added. Reports from Inquirer Research, Tarra Quismundo, DJ Yap and Nikko Dizon/TVJ