7 in 10 Pinoys trust P-Noy -- Pulse Asia

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III's approval and trust ratings are going down, but he still enjoys high approval and trusting ratings, a Pulse Asia survey released today showed.

Pulse Asia said that based on its face-to-face interviews with 1,200 people from May 21 to June 4 this year, 71 percent or seven in 10 Filipinos trust and approve of the performance of President Aquino.

The survey also showed that less than one in 10 Filipinos or 8 percent is critical of the President's performance and 7 percent distrusts President Aquino.

The May to June survey results showed that President Aquino's trust rating dipped 9 percent compared to the October 2010 survey result (80 percent) and 4 percent compared to the survey firm's Marcy 2011 rating (75 percent).

The President's performance rating also dipped by 8 percent from 79 percent in October last year and 3 percent from last March's 74 percent.

Pulse Asia, however, said that the difference from the President's ratings compared to the March 2011 survey "do not vary significantly."

The survey firm noted the plunge in President Aquino's approval rating. It said Aquino's performance approval rating in Metro Manila dipped to 57 percent or by 9 percent compared to October 2010's 78 percent.

Pulse Asia added that President Aquino's trust ratings in Metro Manila and Visayas declined by double digits (-13 and -14 percent, respectively) between March and May 2011. The President's approval rating in Visayas also went down by 15 percent.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the Pulse Asia survey's result shows that President Aquino's ratings remained at near-historical highs.

"The latest Ulat ng Bayan numbers reflect wide-ranging support for the administration’s efforts to curb corruption, pursue inclusive growth, and provide basic services to the people. This, despite obvious attempts by the enemies of reform to stoke the fires of negativism," Lacierda said.

He said the President remains committed to leading the Philippines on the "straight and righteous path to equitable progress."

In a separate survey released by Social Weather Stations (SWS), the President’s net rating slipped from a record high of 64 in November last year to 46 this month, with 64 percent of Filipinos saying they were satisfied with his performance and 18 percent dissatisfied.

The survey was conducted from June 3 to 6 among 1,200 respondents.

President Aquino’s satisfaction rating also went down from March’s +51 (69 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied). His March rating was also a decline from his +64 net rating in November 2010, which was also considered “very good.”

SWS said Aquino’s new scores, despite the drop, were all in the “good” and “very good” ranges across all areas, social classes and sex.