Rody, Leni approval, trust ratings up in Pulse Asia survey

[It’s] a perception boost for [the President], but not a reality check . . . [They] will not erase the 5.2-percent inflation that’s hitting people’s pockets hard, the cutting down of real wages, loss of jobs and the high interest rates driving investments down Tom Villarin Akbayan representative

The country’s leading government officials continued to enjoy majority approval and trust as shown by a rise in their ratings in June, according to the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey released on Friday.

President Duterte got an approval rating of 88 percent in June, up from 80 percent in March, and a personal high since September 2016. His trust rating increased from 78 percent to 87 percent, results of the survey taken from June 15 to 21 indicated.

Vice President Leni Robredo similarly enjoyed an increase in approval rating: 62 percent in June, from 55 percent in March. Her trust rating was 56 percent in June, up from 53 percent in March.

Mr. Duterte viewed the survey ratings “with all humility,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, adding that the results reflected “our people’s continuing vote of confidence for the President.”

“However (the President) is not leading the country for the sake of high or good ratings; he is simply fulfilling his campaign promises with the best interest of Filipinos in mind,” Roque added.

Trust in Sereno dips

Former Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s approval rating of 72 percent in June was an improvement over his 61 percent rating in March. So was his 64 percent trust rating in June, up from 53 percent in March.

The approval and trust rating of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez also went up from 41 percent to 47 percent, and from 36 percent to 45 percent, respectively.

‘Perception, not reality’

Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s trust rating, however, slid to 19 percent in June, from 22 percent in March.

Pulse Asia used face-to-face interviews with 1,800 respondents and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points for national data.

Members of the opposition in the House of Representatives downplayed the survey results, with Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin describing them “as a perception boost for (the President), but not a reality check.”

“(The results) won’t make people feel less poor, hungry and insecure of the future. (They) will not erase the 5.2percent inflation that’s hitting people’s pockets hard, the cutting down of real wages, loss of jobs and the high interest rates driving investments down,” he said.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. noted what he described as a “significant difference” between Mr. Duterte’s 88-percent approval rating in the Pulse Asia survey, and the 65-percent gross satisfaction rating he obtained in the survey conducted the same month by rival polling station Social Weather Stations.

Sampling design error?

“I can’t get an accurate picture if you look at both surveys,” Baguilat said.

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano also described the huge difference in the results of the two surveys as “incomprehensible,” with the disparity putting “into question the accuracy of the surveys.”

“The result of the Pulse Asia survey is, frankly, hard to believe. What I do believe is that people are afraid to respond objectively or failed to respond at all to the survey questions due to the prevailing atmosphere of fear caused by killings everywhere,” Alejano added.

He also pointed out Pulse Asia’s “apparent sample errors,” with Davao City comprising most of the sample population for Mindanao, which might have tipped the results in favor of Mr. Duterte who was the city’s mayor for 22 years.

Opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said the survey was “clearly a sampling design error and therefore, invalid.”

Over state-run Radyo Pilipinas, Roque called the opposition “useless” and challenged them “to debate on issues instead of posting tarpaulins.”

Roque was referring to the controversial banners found hanging on Friday over several prominent streets in Metro Manila, where the Philippines was described as a “province of China.”

“That’s why they are being rejected by our people—because of the foolish things that they do,” Roque said.