Duterte gov’t encouraged by ‘excellent’ trust rating

President Rodrigo Duterte. PHOTO BY ACE MORANDANTE / CONTRIBUTOR

Malacañang on Wednesday welcomed as “a positive sign” the “excellent” trust rating of President Rodrigo Duterte at the start of his term.

“It’s a positive sign and very encouraging to know that the people trust the judgment, decisions and actions of the President. The mandate is clear, the government cannot stop what it has started,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told reporters in a text message.

Results of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in June revealed that about 84 percent of those surveyed showed “much trust” in Duterte. Only 11 percent said they were undecided, and five percent had “little trust”. This yielded a 79 percent net trust rating.

READ: SWS: Duterte begins presidency with ‘excellent’ trust rating

Asked for comment on Duterte’s reaction to the survey rating, Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, in an ambush interview, said “I am sure he would appreciate the trust. He would also say, (knowing) him, that’s part of the job and we will continue to do our part.”

Duterte won in the May 9 elections with at least 16.6 million votes. The former local executive of Davao City ran on the promise of eradicating criminality, illegal drugs and corruption within the first six months in office. IDL