Pulse Asia: Most Filipinos believe senators will be fair

Most Metro Manilans believe the senators sitting as jury in the impeachment trial of President Estrada will probably be impartial, the latest Pulse Asia tracking survey said yesterday.

For the period covering Nov. 16 to Dec. 4, some 55 percent of 300 respondents selected at random believe the 22 senators, who will be presided by Chief Justice Hilario Davide when the trial starts tomorrow, would be fair in judging the President.

At the same time, pro-Estrada senators continued to bring up the rear in the net approval ratings of members of the chamber, according to results of a continuing study by Pulse Asia.

The series of surveys, commissioned by and exclusive to The STAR, has a margin of error of plus or minus six percentage points. It is designed to determine how Filipinos view political issues concerning the nation as the presidential scandals drag on.

Those who were undecided about the senators’ impartiality or, as the case may be, discernible bias, numbered about 26 percent. On the other hand, those who took the cynical view that the senators won’t be objective enough hovered a little below 20 percent of the total respondents.

Among senators, two who are closely identified with Mr. Estrada ended up in the tailend of net disapproval ratings. Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta got negative seven percent, while Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago was at negative four percent for the period ending Dec. 4.

Sen. Ramon Revilla, despite his bolting the ruling coalition Lapian ng Masang Pilipino at the height of defections last month, still wound up with a poor negative three percent net disapproval rating.

The notable pro-administration senator who got the highest rating was Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople with a 27 percent net approval rating.

The top five senators who the public believe will be most impartial are: Sen. Loren Legarda (+63); Senate President Aquilino Pimentel (+56); Sen. Juan Flavier (+47); Sen. Raul Roco (+45); and Sen. Renato Cayetano (+44).

Legarda reached her highest rating since the survey started mid-November.