25-point ‘bounce’ elates Palace

Malacañang on Friday hailed the huge leap in President Benigno Aquino III’s satisfaction rating, describing the numbers as “tangible indicators of the people’s support” for his brand of leadership and anticorruption campaign.

“The consistently strong numbers affirm the President’s mandate for change; they are tangible indicators of the people’s support for the difficult yet necessary reforms the President has championed since Day One,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

Mr. Aquino’s net satisfaction score soared from plus 42 in May, to plus 67 in late August based on the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations.

Lacierda said the President’s high satisfaction rating released on the heels of news of the country’s good showing in the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum was an affirmation of his brand of leadership.

Transparency, accountability

“The results of these surveys, both within and beyond our borders, validate the brand of leadership that the President has continuously espoused—of transparency and accountability, of restoring social trust and rebuilding public institutions, and of honesty and integrity in public service,” Lacierda added.

Communication Secretary Ricky Carandang attributed the high ratings to Mr. Aquino’s reforms that led to the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona for nondisclosure of his true assets in violation of the Constitution and other laws.

“Yes, I believe the successful impeachment of the former Chief Justice had something to do with the approval ratings of the President,” Carandang told reporters in an ambush interview. “Because part of what we’re trying to do during the impeachment—as part of our anticorruption campaign—was to introduce reform in the judiciary,” he added.

People’s faith

Carandang also credited the Filipino people’s faith in the President.

“The survey numbers are looking very good—they are record-high—and we believe this is because of the faith the Filipino people continue to have on President Aquino,” he said.

The Palace official said the impressive satisfaction score was a good sendoff for Mr. Aquino who is joining world leaders at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting in Russia this weekend.

“I think any politician who is working so hard to get his programs through would be happy to know that the public approves of his numbers, of his performance … I think it’s safe to assume that the President is happy,” Carandang said.