Palace describes Aquino rating decline ‘par for the course’

President Benigno S. Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Putting up a brave face, Malacañang on Monday said it was not bothered by President Benigno Aquino III’s dipping ratings in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia surveys.

“While pollsters generally note a dip in enthusiasm going into the fifth year of any administration, with SWS Satisfaction Rating at 55%; Pulse Asia  Performance Approval Rating at 56% and  Trust Approval Rating at 53%, these numbers can be considered par for the course or average for this period,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.

He also noted that a “healthy majority has expressed trust in the confidence of the President.”

“We believe that as the President explains to the people the truth of the matter with ongoing issues, the public will understand and respect the tough choices he has made for the public good,” he said.

Aquino’s net satisfaction rating, according to SWS, fell from a “good” +45 in March to a “moderate” +25 in June.

Meanwhile, the Pulse Asia poll showed that the President’s approval rating dropped from 70 percent in March 2013 to 56 percent in June. His trust ratings also went down from 69 percent in March to 53 percent last month.

Political analyst Ramon Casiple last week told Radyo Inquirer 990AM that public satisfaction is usually on a decline during the final years of a president’s term. He said the downtrend of Aquino’s performance ratings had started.

At the same time, he said adding to the problem were the serious issues faced by the administration, from the government response after typhoon “Yolanda” to the pork barrel scam.

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