Duterte keeps high Pulse approval rating

ROBREDO, OTHERS SLIP IN LATEST SURVEY

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte kept his very high approval and trust ratings in the latest survey by pollster Pulse Asia, despite criticisms on his war on drugs and opposition allegations of unexplained wealth.

The survey of 1,200 respondents from September 24 to 30, showed Duterte’s 80-percent trust and approval ratings were higher compared with and 2 percentage points, respectively.

The Pulse Asia Survey contrasted with that of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed a double-digit drop in the President’s “satisfaction” rating in the same period, particularly in the poorest “E” class.

In Pulse, however, Duterte’s approval rating was the highest among the poorest Filipinos, with his Class E rating at 86 percent, Class D at 79 percent, and Class ABC at 75 percent.

The President also got an 85-percent

trust rating in Class E; 80 percent in Class D; and 74 percent in Class ABC.

Palace spokesman Ernesto Abella said the Pulse survey results showed that the people still supported the President’s vision for the Philippines “despite the multi-faceted political noise.”

He also noted that the survey was conducted “at the height of the demolition job against the President, even implicating some members of the President’s family.”

“We hope these survey results inspire us in the government that despite odds and challenges we continue to provide a comfortable life for all Filipinos in an environment free from illegal drugs and criminality,” Abella told reporters.

During and before the Pulse survey period, the news covered the Senate probe into the shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China, in which the President’s son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and his son-in-law, Manases Carpio, appeared. Both denied allegations they were involved in smuggling.

Another was the “revelation” of Duterte that Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th had a secret bank account in Singapore, which the senator disproved. The President later admitted that he just “invented” the bank account numbers that he had announced in public supposedly to “bait” his critic.

The killings of teens Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman also dominated the headlines in August and early September, fanning public outrage and criticism of Duterte’s war on drugs.