BINAY STILL MOST TRUSTED, MOST APPRECIATED GOVT OFFICIAL - SURVEY
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 (STAR) By Helen Flores - Vice President Jejomar Binay is still the most appreciated and trusted government official, according to the latest survey by Pulse Asia, which also saw improved trust and approval ratings of four other top officials.
Pulse Asia's Ulat ng Bayan Survey, taken from Aug. 20 to Sept. 2, found most Filipinos expressing appreciation for the performance of Binay, from 83 percent in May to 85 percent in August.
Binay was followed by President Aquino, whose rating rose from 71 percent to 77, and Senate
President Juan Ponce Enrile, from 57 percent to 65 percent.
Malacañang, meanwhile, yesterday expressed elation over the increasing trust and approval ratings of Aquino, Binay and other top government officials.
While Binay remains as the most appreciated and trusted top official of the national government based on the survey, Malacañang did not find any reason for Aquino to be insecure.
"Both their numbers went up and we are happy that the people see what our officials are doing for them," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.
Valte said Binay's higher ratings should not be seen as a "criticism" against the President.
"No, I do not think so. No, really I don't," she said.
"What do you want me to say? I don't, I don't see it as a criticism," Valte said.
Binay, for his part, said the survey revealed the people still trust the President.
"It is incumbent upon us who are members of the Cabinet to help our President maintain that trust," he said.
Binay thanked Aquino for his trust and confidence in him.
"I also thank the people for recognizing what we have done after a year in office. The survey results both inspire and challenge me to do more to our people," he said.
Valte added they would not want to predict whether the survey ratings would go further up in the coming months.
"Maybe we will cross the bridge when we get there. At this point, we don't want to dwell on expectations and we will just keep doing the work," she said.
Valte said the period that the survey was taken was a snapshot of the public opinion at that time.
"And it was good that our top officials' ratings are going up," she said.
In the same survey ratings, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Chief Justice Renato Corona also obtained gains in their approval ratings from 39 percent in May to 45 percent in August and 28 percent to 37 percent, respectively.
Across all geographic areas and socio-economic classes, majority approval ratings are enjoyed by Aquino (68 to 86 percent), Binay (78 to 90 percent) and Enrile (59 to 72 percent).
Belmonte received majority approval ratings only in Class ABC (51 percent) and Metro Manila (57 percent) while Corona failed to score a majority rating in any of these survey sub-groupings.
On the other hand, single-digit disapproval ratings are recorded for Aquino (one percent to seven percent) and Binay (one percent to five percent) in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes.
Enrile obtained single-digit disapproval ratings (eight percent to nine percent) in all sub-groupings, except in the Visayas at 12 percent.
Belmonte and Corona posted double-digit disapproval ratings in most/all of these sub-groupings (10 percent to 16 percent and 15 percent to 20 percent, respectively), with single-digit figures obtained in Classes ABC and E.
Meanwhile, Binay (86 percent), Aquino (75 percent) and Enrile (59 percent) also obtained majority approval ratings at the national level.
With respect to distrust ratings, figures vary from three percent for Binay to 21 percent for Corona.
Aquino (64 percent to 82 percent), Binay (76 percent to 91 percent) and Enrile (50 percent to 70 percent) posted majority trust ratings in virtually all/all geographic areas and socio-economic classes.
In contrast, the only majority trust rating of Belmonte was granted by Metro Manilans at 55 percent while Corona's highest trust rating, 37 percent, was recorded in Mindanao.
Single-digit distrust ratings are registered by Binay (one percent to five percent) in every geographic area and socio-economic grouping, while Aquino registered single distrust ratings (two percent to six percent) in all sub-groupings, except Class ABC (11 percent).
Enrile has single-digit distrust ratings in Metro Manila, Mindanao and Class E (seven percent to nine percent).
Distrust and indecision
Meanwhile, Belmonte and Corona recorded double-digit distrust ratings in most/all of these survey sub-groupings (10 percent to 19 percent and 16 percent to 24 percent, respectively).
In contrast, the indecision figures obtained by the country's leading government officials across geographic areas and socio-economic classes do not vary significantly from their respective overall levels, Pulse Asia said.
The survey revealed indecision is most pronounced toward Belmonte at 43 percent and Corona with 45 percent and least manifested toward Binay at 11 percent.
Meanwhile, the survey also showed the Senate and Supreme Court scored the same overall approval ratings in August at 55 percent while nearly half of Filipinos (48 percent) are appreciative of the work done by the House of Representatives.
On the other hand, disapproval for the performance of these institutions is expressed by 10 percent to 14 percent of Filipinos while about the same percentages of Filipinos (32 percent to 38 percent) are ambivalent as regards the work they have done.
Majority approval ratings are enjoyed by the Senate (52 percent to 59 percent) in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes, while the Supreme Court obtains near-majority to majority approval (48 percent to 61 percent) in all sub-groupings.
Majority ratings are also recorded for the House of Representatives in the Visayas and Mindanao (54 percent to 55 percent).
Significant improvements in their overall approval ratings are enjoyed by the Senate, House of Representatives and Supreme Court (+7 to +16 percentage points) between May and August 2011, Pulse Asia said.
The survey also said the approval ratings of the Senate and Supreme Court in nearly every/every geographic area and socio-economic class increase markedly during this period (+10 to +20 percentage points for the Senate and +15 to +23 percentage points for the Supreme Court).
As for the House of Representatives, it registered a 19-percentage point gain in its approval rating in Mindanao.
Most Filipinos trust the Senate (53 percent) and Supreme Court (54 percent) while a near majority expresses the same sentiment toward the House of Representatives (47 percent).
Basically the same distrust ratings are obtained by these government institutions (eight percent to 12 percent) while their indecision ratings range from 33 percent for the Supreme Court to 41 percent for the House of Representatives.
The Senate and Supreme Court garnered majority trust ratings in almost all geographic areas and socio-economic classes (51 percent to 58 percent and 51 percent to 65 percent, respectively).
As for the House of Representatives, it recorded majority trust ratings in the Visayas, Mindanao and Class E (51 percent to 55 percent). The indecision and distrust ratings posted by these government institutions across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings are basically consistent with their respective overall figures, Pulse Asia noted.
"The national trust ratings of these government institutions improve significantly between May and August 2011 - House of Representatives (+11 percentage points), Senate (+12 percentage points) and Supreme Court (+16 percentage points)," Pulse Asia said.
It said the Supreme Court posted significant gains in its trust ratings in every geographic area and socio-economic grouping (+14 to +21 percentage points).
Meanwhile, the trust ratings of the House of Representatives increased in the Visayas and Mindanao, as well as in all socio-economic classes (+9 to +22 percentage points) and those of the Senate improved in the Visayas, Mindanao and Classes D and E (+9 to +19 percentage points).
The Pulse Asia survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a plus or minus three percentage points error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. - With Aurea Calica, Jose Rodel Clapano
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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