P-noy, Binay, Enrile ratings fall–pulse Asia

THE APPROVAL and trust ratings of the country’s top government officials dropped significantly between November and January, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

President Aquino and Vice President Jejomar Binay were the only high officials to have scored majority approval and trust ratings in the survey, but their scores showed two-digit declines from their previous showing.

The survey, conducted last month and released yesterday, also showed that among three key government institutions (the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court), only the high court scored a majority trust rating.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s ratings exhibited the biggest decline, with his approval and trust ratings decreasing by 27 percentage points and 21 percentage points, respectively.

“Filipinos’ assessment of the performance of the country’s leading national government officials changed significantly between November 2012 and January 2013,” Pulse Asia noted in a statement.

Among the key developments at the time of the survey were the alleged misuse of Senate funds and the subsequent affirmation of support for the leadership of Enrile, election-related statements from the Commission on Elections, the investigation of the alleged shoot-out in Atimonan, Quezon, and the increasing incidence of criminality like the jewelry store heist at the SM Megamall and the killing of an Isabela town mayor in Quezon City, among others.

The President scored a 66-percent approval rating, a 12-point drop from his November approval rating of 78 percent, as the proportion of those undecided about his performance grew by 12 points from 16 percent to 28 percent. The President’s disapproval rating was unchanged at 6 percent.

The President’s approval rating dropped across all areas and classes, ranging from a 7-point drop in Mindanao to a 16-point drop in Balance Luzon.