President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval rating and public satisfaction with his government remain steady despite “negative” criticisms, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a recent statement.
He issued the statement after research organization Social Weather Stations released the first-quarter approval ratings for Duterte on April 10 and its findings on the public’s sentiments on extrajudicial killings on April 18, and after Pulse Asia released the president’s latest approval ratings on April 5 and the performance ratings of his administration on April 19.
VERA Files annotates what Abella says about the surveys with what the surveys actually say, to show which parts are precise and which not so.
(Click on the colored text to see the direct quote from SWS and Pulse Asia.)
STATEMENT 1
The vicious noise from the President’s fiercest critics failed to dampen public sentiment on the latest presidential rating.
Considering that Pulse Asia March conducted its survey during the filing of an impeachment complaint against PRRD, the Senate appearance of a self-confessed hitman, the media releases of human rights reports highly critical of the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, and the internationally-aired video message of VP Robredo, the President has remained the highest approved, at 78 percent, and most trusted, at 76 percent, top national government official in the Philippines.
This tells us that a great majority of Filipinos appreciate the President’s priority of protecting the nation’s patrimony – the next generation – from dangerous drug traffickers and violators; to restore a trustworthy government free from corruption; to keep our streets safe from crime; our society just and fair; and our many peoples get along.
We thank our people for trusting that the Duterte administration is on the right track to building a nation worthy of all Filipinos.
(Source: Presidential Communications Operations Office, From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella – On PRRD’s Approval Rating in Pulse Asia Survey, April 18, 2017)
STATEMENT 2
Seventy-eight percent, a great majority of Filipinos, expressed satisfaction in the government’s performance, notwithstanding the negative criticisms we received here and abroad.
Filipinos understand and support the campaign against hard drug traffickers and violators. The drive will be relentless until the drug apparatus is rendered inutile; after all what is at stake is the national patrimony, the following generations of Filipinos, who will not only continue our dreams, be our God given social safety net, but also preserve our cultures, our gift to the world.
(Source: Presidential Communications Operations Office, From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella – On the First Quarter 2017 SWS Survey, April 19, 2017)
Sources:
Pulse Asia Research Inc., March 2017 Nationwide Survey on Presidential Performance and Trust Ratings, April 5, 2016
Social Weather Stations, First Quarter 2017 Social Weather Survey: Pres. Duterte’s net satisfaction rating stays at “Very Good” +63, April 10, 2017
Social Weather Stations, First Quarter 2017 Social Weather Survey: 73% of Pinoys worry about becoming victims of EJK; 92% say it is important that drug suspects be captured alive; Satisfaction with illegal drugs campaign falls to net +66, April 18, 2017
Presidential Communications Operations Office, From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella – On PRRD’s Approval Rating in Pulse Asia Survey, April 18, 2017
Presidential Communications Operations Office, From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella – On the First Quarter 2017 SWS Survey, April 19, 2017
Pulse Asia Research Inc., March 2017 Nationwide Survey on National Urgent Concerns and the Performance Ratings of the Duterte Administration, April 19, 2017
