People are angry

Due to the discontent over his pronouncements about the Mamasapano incident, President Aquino suffered a huge drop in his approval and trust ratings, dipped by 21 and 20 percentage points, respectively, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

Aquino’s current ratings, conducted from March 1 to 7, were his lowest ever.

Seventy-nine percent of the 1,200 Filipino adults who participated in the survey said President Aquino’s explanation on the Mamasapano massacre is not enough. Only 10 percent believed the President.

Seventy-nine percent also disagreed with President Aquino’s decision to skip the arrival honors for 44 SAF troopers at Villamor Air Base. The President instead chose to attend the inauguration of a car manufacturing plant in Laguna. His absence was heavily criticized on social media despite his deputy spokesperson’s explanation that Aquino was not “originally scheduled” to attend the arrival honors.

Nevertheless, for netizens, his decision to visit a car factory speaks volumes of the president’s lack of basic respect for his servicemen, especially for a commander-in-chief.

Less than a majority or only 42 percent don’t want him to resign.

Forty-four percent are now against the passage of the Basic Bangsamoro Law (BBL), with only 21 percent agreeing. Sixty-two percent of Mindanao respondents are against the BBL.

The most serious finding in the Pulse Asia report is the big drop in President Aquino’s approval ratings from 59 percent to 38 percent.

With only 23 percent approving his performance, that makes a net of 15 percent approval rating.

What is sad is the fact that up to now, President Aquino has not taken any major moves to improve his trust ratings such as a major Cabinet revamp — with the firing of 4 Cabinet members, or the formation of a unity government. Also, he must fill up all the major vacancies in government. He should also apologize as suggested by former President Fidel V. Ramos.

It’s time the President accepted that the buck stops at the Office of the President when it comes to most state affairs, in this case, to military and police affairs where he is clearly the final commander.

The President must realize he only has six months left to recover his approval and trust ratings, as the filing of certificates of candidacy is set on October 15, 2015.

As Bishop Broderick Pabillo observed, he is now a lame duck President.

Significant changes

The Pulse Asia survey of March 1-7 on presidential preferences shows some significant changes.

1. Vice President Jejomar Binay has turned around his ratings and increased from 26 percent in November to 29 percent.

2. Senator Grace Poe recorded a surprise decrease in her  rating, from 18 percent to 14 percent.

3. The gap between Binay and Poe has increased to 15 percent.

4. Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte drew 12 percent of the respondents. It is probable that the 4 percent reduction of Grace Poe transferred to Duterte.

5. The ratings of President Erap increased to 12 percent from 10 percent.

6. The rating of Liberal Party (LP) presumptive candidate Mar Roxas slid to 4 percent from 6 percent, resulting in a 25 percent difference with Binay’s 29 percent. 

7. Senator Miriam D. Santiago stayed at 9 percent.

8. Senator Bongbong Marcos had a respectable 6 percent.

9.  Senators Allan Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes recorded a dismal 3 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

10. Senator Grace Poe was a runaway leader in the vice-president stakes.

The increase in Vice President Binay’s ratings and the dismal ratings of Senators Cayetano and Trillanes probably means that the votes do not believe the charges against Binay, after 15 hearings.

Trillanes has given up his presidential ambitions and announced he is running for vice president.

More killings

The criminality problem has become worse.

Businessman scion Wilbur Reagan Chua, 33, died from eight gunshot wounds in Davao City. Based on police investigation, the victim’s mother, Helen Chua, is an acquaintance of Supt. Leonardo Felonia, tagged as the mastermind in the killing of Cebuano businessman Richard King.

Another Tsinoy trader, Fritz Linjohn Chu, 31, was shot in the face while walking towards his car parked near the LRT Carriedo Station. Authorities are now looking at possible suspects — his older brother, business partner and a parking boy — with whom he had gotten into a heated argument.

Rodrigo de los Reyes, a trader of scrap materials, was shot in the head at close range near his junk shop in Barangay 2C, San Pablo City.

An irked ex-con, Fernando Ines, 73, stabbed to death his nephew, Reynaldo Sembrano, 43, after he was humiliated and smashed twice on the head with a pitcher.

Bouncer Alexander Montenejo, 23, was shot dead by two men riding-in-tandem while standing outside his house in Mandaluyong.

Businessman Richard Sola, also a former soldier, was bringing his daughter Rica to school on board their SUV when they were shot in the head by unidentified men aboard a motorcycle in Antipolo.

Argel Torres, 30, a mechanic, was shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while he was fixing his motorcycle in front of a bicycle shop in Apalit, Pampanga.

Roberto Ramos, 40, a vendor, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Alaminos City, Pangasinan. His wife, Lelaine, was wounded.