Zarate: Stalled peace talks, TRAIN law to blame for drop in Duterte’s rating

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate. Photo from the Makabayan opposition bloc

Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate said the current administration should reconsider its policies and programs, such as the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, after President Rodrigo Duterte received his lowest-ever net satisfaction rating.

“As can be seen on SWS surveys, there is approximately a 2% per month drop in President Duterte’s satisfaction rating mainly due to the implementation of the TRAIN law and his bullying stance on the peace talks,” the opposition lawmaker said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, a survey from the Social Weather Stations revealed that the President had an 11-point decrease in his net satisfaction score for the second quarter of 2018.

READ: Duterte’s net satisfaction rating drops by 11 points in Q2 — SWS

‘The growing dissatisfaction is bound to happen because as if the TRAIN law is not enough, the Duterte administration also arbitrarily killed the peace negotiations with the NDFP that will supposedly craft comprehensive agreements on social, economic, and political reforms,” Zarate said.

After a speech on Tuesday, Duterte told reporters that he was unfazed with the latest result of the survey. He even dared his detractors to make the decline to 15 points.

“I do not care. Make it 15. Wala na ako diyan. It does not interest me at all,” Duterte said.

Malacañang also defended the ratings, saying that it is still higher than most of the President’s predecessors at the same stage in their tenures.

READ: Duterte on 11-point rating drop: ‘I do not care. Make it 15’

However, Zarate sees a downward trend in the public’s perception of Duterte’s performance.

He also sees the President’s rating to plummet down on a consistent basis, if the government’s policy does not change.

“Now, if the TRAIN law is not repealed and it is continuously implemented, high prices prevail, extra-judicial killings continue, contractualization is unabated, the subservience to US and China persists, and the peace talks is not resumed […] then we would not be surprised if it will plunge further faster,” Zarate said.

“If they want to significantly address this decline then it is obviously what the Duterte administration has to do,” he explained. /jpv