‘Pork’ scandal pulls down Noy’s ratings

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino’s net satisfaction rating plunged from +64 to +49 amid the pork barrel controversy, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

The SWS survey conducted from Sept. 20-23 among 1,500 respondents showed that 68 percent remained satisfied with the President’s performance while 19 percent were dissatisfied, giving him a net score of +49 or “good.”

Aquino’s latest rating was 15 points down from the “very good” +64 he received three months earlier.

The SWS categorizes net satisfaction scores of +70 and above as “excellent”; +50 to +69, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”, +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; and -70 and below, “execrable.”

It was the fourth time that the President’s rating fell below +50 since he took office in 2010, according to the SWS. He received a record low of +42 in May last year, the pollster said.

SWS said Aquino’s net satisfaction ratings declined across all areas, socioeconomic classes and gender, but these did not drop below “good.”

Aquino maintained a “very good” score of +52 in Mindanao, but it was also down by six points from June.

His score declined by 15 points but stayed in a “very good” territory (+52) in balance Luzon.

In Metro Manila, Aquino’s rating dropped by eight points to still “good” +38.

The biggest drop in his rating – 26 points – was recorded in the Visayas, a “good” +48 from an “excellent” +74 in June.

The President’s satisfaction rating in rural areas also fell by 18 points to “very good” +52 from the “excellent” +70 three months earlier.

In urban areas, his net score fell to a “good” +47 from June’s “very good” +57.

Aquino’s net rating declined by 10 points among class D or “masa” to +52 (still “very good”).

It dropped by 20 points among classes ABC, to a “very good” +55 from June’s “excellent” +75.

It fell to a record low of +39 (“good”) among the class E, down by 29 points from the “very good” +68 recorded in June.

Aquino’s net score stayed “very good” among women at +50 but it was down by 13 points. He received a “good” +48 score among men, down by 16 points from June.

Aquino’s response

Meanwhile, a majority of Filipinos believe misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) continues under the Aquino administration, even as they approve of the President’s response to the issue, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

The survey was conducted from Sept. 14 to 27 among 1,200 respondents.

The survey showed that seven in 10 Filipinos or 67 percent believe that the reported anomalous use of the PDAF during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo continues to happen under the Aquino government. Most Filipinos across geographic areas (66 to 69 percent) and socio-economic groupings (65 to 78 percent), with 78 percent belonging to class ABC, share such opinion.

At least 63 percent approve of Aquino’s response to the alleged misuse of the PDAF, with 45 percent saying it should either be reduced or retained (25 percent) but impose stricter rules on its use (20 percent).

The rest of the respondents (10 percent) said the PDAF should be maintained to allow lawmakers to have their own projects and programs for their constituents.

On the use of the PDAF, 32 percent of Filipinos think PDAF is used by politicians to get elected or provides lawmakers with opportunities to receive bribes and commissions (27 percent).

The remaining 23 percent think PDAF is used by the President to obtain the support of lawmakers for his administration’s priority bills and 19 percent opine that the PDAF provides significant local development assistance.

“Between October 2004 and September 2013, there is a significant increase in the percentage of Filipinos who consider the PDAF as a means by which lawmakers are given opportunities to receive bribes and commissions (+11 percentage points),” Pulse Asia said.

In contrast, there are declines in the percentage of Filipinos who say the President uses the PDAF to secure the support of lawmakers for his administration’s legislative agenda (-7 percentage points) or that the PDAF is a means of providing local development assistance to lawmakers’ constituents (-8 percentage points), it said.