Aquino approval ratings up; Binay loses trust — Pulse Asia

President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay. LYN RILLON/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The approval and trust ratings of President Benigno Aquino III have increased in the past three months, the latest Pulse Asia “Ulat ng Bayan” survey showed.

The March 12 to 18 survey, released on Monday, showed Aquino getting a 52 percent approval rating, a three-point jump from the rating he got last January.

While Aquino’s trust and approval ratings soared, the numbers of presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay slipped.

Binay suffered a one-point decrease in his approval rating (from 47 percent in January to 46 percent in March) and a four-point dip in his trust rating (from 48 percent in February to 44 percent in March).

Majority of respondents from Luzon (51 percent), Visayas (59 percent), and Mindanao (58  percent) approve of the President’s work in the past three months. Only respondents from the National Capital Region gave Aquino an approval rating below 50 percent (33 percent).

Across social classes, appreciation for Aquino’s work was the majority sentiment of those from Class E (58 percent) while only half of those from Class D approve of his work. Respondents from Class ABC either approve (45 percent) or are undecided (30 percent) on the President’s performance.

Meanwhile, the President’s trust rating got the highest jump among government officials included in the survey—a 10-point increase from January’s 39 percent to March’s 49 percent.

Pulse Asia noted that Aquino scored small majorities in his trust rating in the Visayas (58 percent), Mindanao (57 percent), and Class E (54 percent). He also got a plurality sentiment in the rest of Luzon (45 percent) and Class D (48 percent).

Meanwhile, only those from Class E gave the vice president a majority approval rating at 54 percent while he received plurality sentiment among respondents from the rest of Luzon (47 percent), Mindanao (49 percent), and Class D (45 percent).

Binay registered plurality trust ratings in the rest of Luzon (45 percent), Mindanao (47 percent), Class D (43 percent), and Class E (50 percent).

Senate President Franklin Drilon posted an approval rating of 46 percent and a trust rating of 42 percent. Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno got an approval rating of 31 percent and a trust rating of 30 percent.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte retained his ranking as the top government official with the lowest ratings (30 percent approval and 27 percent trust rating).

The results of the said survey also showed that the Supreme Court is the only government institution that scored a majority approval rating at 52 percent. It is followed by the Senate with an approval rating of 49 percent and the House of Representatives at 41 percent.

The survey had 1,800 respondents, all of whom are registered voters. It has a margin of error of plus/minus two percent and 95 percent confidence level. KS