On PRRD’s ratings

SINCE President Rodrigo

Duterte assumed office all performance surveys done to measure the people’s acceptance of his governance have resulted in high ratings.

None of the results has gone below the “Very Good” level despite incessant attacks by his critics here and abroad.

Even the President’s near blasphemous attacks on the Catholic church and

God due to his claimed personal disagreement with certain religious personalities appear to have only a limited negative effect on his trust ratings. The phenomenal acceptance of the President’s performance by his constituency has not shown any sign of slowing down.

Of course for those unbiased among us Filipinos President Duterte’s trust rating is easily understandable. After all, it cannot be denied that among the country’s chief executives he is the only one who has done so many pro-people programs and projects.

Even his war against illegal drugs which, to many of his critics is extremely bloody and a blatant attack to human rights, is widely accepted by the citizenry. And this acceptance is validated by the results of all the surveys conducted by the country’s leading opinion pollsters.

Perhaps the President’s ratings could have gone even beyond the “Very Good” level. That is, from “Very Good” to “Outstanding” to “Excellent.” The only thing that the people could possibly think of as hindrance to his breaching the “Very Good” performance rating is his relentless bashing of some members of the clergy which, because of his use of uncouth, often generalized terms, is taken by some sectors of society as attacks to both religion and the church as an institution on the whole.

If the President could only be a little more cautious and conciliatory with his language especially against the Church and women it will not take long for his performance ratings in all indicators of governance to skyrocket to the maximum.

We know that many Filipinos are appreciative of what the President has so far accomplished for them. And again this is validated by the survey results.

How much more if they see positive changes in the President’s treatment of the Church, the women and all of his critics.

When was that when we heard some resource speakers quoting passages from one modern day philosopher saying to the effect, “Make your friends close, but make your enemies even closer.”

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We are saddened with what we have witnessed on television -- the apparently unscripted and unrehearsed comedy skit played by Davaoeno senatorial candidate Christopher “Bong” Go and his avid supporter former actor Philip Salvador. The skit was done during a campaign sortie of candidates for senator from the Hugpong sa Pagbabago somewhere in Laguna last Wednesday.

Candidate Go and Salvador somehow went over to the personal realm in the life of actress Kris Aquino, sister of former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Salvador had, at one time, a live-in relationship with Kris, which relation was made the subject of the skit.

It is general knowledge that while Ms. Aquino belongs to a very political family she is not a candidate to any elective position in government in this coming May elections. She has not also campaigned for any of the senatorial candidates from the party of her brother former President Noy.

Therefore, candidate Go’s and campaigner Salvador’s dragging of Kris’ name in the campaign, even if it was only intended for entertaining the probably sleepy audience, smacks of unprofessionalism and so much way out of ethical standard.

But really, we do not know if it was the candidate’s lack of platform to present and the inability of the former actor to discern the implication of their dialogue to the subject person. But for the candidate to shout in public how his campaigner has fooled Kris Aquino and Salvador sort of admitting it through his unuttered answer and body language, we can be certain that some of those in the audience and those who have seen the skit and heard the dialogue on television, may have second thoughts on supporting Go but also the rest of the Hugpong-endorsed bets.

Good thing that candidate Go immediately apologized to Kris. At least the act indicated some kind of personal contrition. It might help prevent the loss of some of his supporters.

What was that campaign which advised every netizen to “Think first before you click?” Or, should it be, “Think first before you open your mouth?”