'WEAK' CABINET MEN DRAGGING NOY'S RATINGS DOWN / WORK ETHICS TOO SLOW
MANILA, JUNE 24, 2011 (ENQUIRER) By Jocelyn R. Uy — A weak Cabinet and the perceived patronage system in the administration of President Benigno Aquino III might be among the key reasons why his public approval rating in a private survey dropped once more, a Catholic bishop said on Wednesday.
Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo urged the President to stringently evaluate members of his Cabinet and replace those performing poorly with capable ones.
"There are many Cabinet members and officials in various departments who are not doing good in their public service… this is one of the factors why the President's satisfaction rating is not good," Bagaforo said over Church-run Radio Veritas.
The prelate also said the President must not protect friends in the government service found to have erred.
According to the Social Weather Stations (SWS), the President's net satisfaction rating slid further to plus-46 this month from plus-51 in March and plus-64 in November 2010.
But Aquino on Tuesday shrugged off his latest score, saying that he was not concerned with popularity but with his work.
"I think there is truth to the allegation that the President doesn't hold big and extensive meetings with his Cabinet [so] there's no coordination among the different departments in the government and the heads have their own strategy in managing their offices," said Bagaforo.
The prelate added that the continuing slump in the President's rating can also be attributed to his alleged KKK (kakampi, kaklase and kabarilan, or allies, classmates and shooting buddies) and to his administration's unfulfilled promises to the people.
"The latest rating simply indicates that in the eyes of the people, he has many promises that he has not fulfilled…this is also a wakeup call for the administration that the nation is really counting on the government to have a direction," the prelate pointed out.
Keeping friends, classmates and shooting buddies in the government even if they were not really performing well was also "a reflection" of poor government management on the part of the President, Bagaforo said.
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo reminded Aquino to pray amid his dipping net satisfaction rating.
He said the President needed to pray more so he could truly lead the country to the straight path ("tuwid na daan") and deliver a genuine public service to the Filipinos.
The former president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines also urged Filipinos to pray for Aquino. "Let's pray for him, that he will be able to realize all the things that are good for the country," Lagdameo said, also on Radio Veritas.
FROM MANILA STANDARD
Critics harp on Aquino's 'poor work ethic' by Maricel Cruz
OPPOSITION congressmen on Tuesday blamed President Benigno Aquino III's poor leadership and work ethic for the decline in his popularity.
"This is a wake-up call," said Deputy Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, referring to the latest Social Weather Stations survey that showed Mr. Aquino's net approval rating fell to +46 from +51 in March and +64 in November 2010.
"Half the population is not satisfied with the way you're handling the government."
The survey, which interviewed 1,200 respondents nationwide, subtracted the percentage of respondents who disapproved of Mr. Aquino (18 percent) from those who approved of his performance (64 percent) to reach his net approval rating.
The percentage of respondents who approved of Mr. Aquino also fell from a peak of 71 percent in November 2010 to 64 percent in June 2011.
The President played down the results Tuesday.
"I am not really that concerned. Ratings will go up or down," he said.
"What is more important to us is that we can face anybody and say with conviction that we are truly working and we are not after brownie points for our popularity."
But Suarez said the survey results bolstered the call by Palace critics for a congressional probe of the President's allies and cronies, who they said were getting special treatment.
"If there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear," Suarez said.
Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, also of the opposition, advised Mr. Aquino to improve his work ethic and practice being a "fast-paced" leader.
"More and more people are getting disappointed with this administration as they are either too slow or not addressing at all the needs of the people," Magsaysay said.
"If this situation persists, this will have a downward spiral in the coming months."
Gabriela Party-list Rep. Emmy de Jesus agreed.
"His non-action on people's economic issues will really bring down his credibility. Soaring prices are affecting more and more people," she said.
But the administration's allies said the drop in the President's rating was normal and to be expected.
"That is a very normal rating for a President who has an awesome rating because of the overwhelming mandate and trust given by the people to him," House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said.
External factors such as rising oil prices might have hurt Mr. Aquino's ratings, he said.
Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, another Aquino ally, said the 5-point drop in the President's approval rating was "insignificant" given the problems that the administration faced.
Pangasinan Rep. Kimi Cojuangco, a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition, predicted President Aquino's rating would bounce back once his infrastructure and social development projects got started. With Joyce Pangco Pañares
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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