Thursday, November 15, 2007 Arroyo’s approval rating continues to drop: survey
AMID calls for her resignation due to the broadband controversy and the alleged bribery of congressmen and governors, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s already negative net approval and trust ratings continued to drop, the October 20-31 Pulse Asia survey showed.
The survey, which had 1,200 respondents, was also conducted when former President Joseph Estrada was pardoned, the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections were held, the peso was appreciating, and the global price of oil was soaring.
The Pulse Asia survey showed Arroyo’s approval rating at 30 percent and disapproval rating at 39 percent, for a net approval rating of -9. Last July, Arroyo’s approval rating was at 30 percent and disapproval rating at 34 percent or a net rating of -4.
Metro Manilans continued to be the most critical of the President, giving her a 51 percent disapproval rating. Arroyo’s net approval rating worsened in all areas except Luzon, where her rating improved from -16 to -7.
In her bailiwick of the Visayas, Arroyo’s net rating plunged from +20 in July (41 percent approval v. 21 percent disapproval) to only +1 (34 percent approval v. 33 percent disapproval).
Her positive approval rating in Mindanao of +6 (38 percent approval v. 32 percent disapproval) in July became -11 (31 percent approval v. 42 percent disapproval) in October.
Among the socioeconomic classes, Arroyo’s net rating from the elite Class ABC dropped by 21 points, from +3 (33 percent approval v. 30 percent disapproval) in July to -18 (23 percent approval v. 41 percent disapproval).
Her net rating stayed at -9 among the masa Class D but went down among the poorest Class E, from +5 (33 percent approval v. 28 percent disapproval) in July to -5 (34 percent approval v. 39 percent disapproval).
Compared to the country’s other top officials, Arroyo’s 39 percent disapproval rating is the highest, while the highest approval rating belonged to Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. (61 percent) followed by Vice President Noli de Castro (55 percent).
Filipinos are mostly undecided about Chief Justice Reynato Puno (43 percent) and House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (39 percent).
Distrust in President Arroyo also rose from 37 percent in July to 46 percent in October.
Arroyo’s net trust rating dropped from -12 (25 percent trust v. 37 percent distrust) in July to -23 (24 percent trust v. 48 percent distrust) in October.
Less than a quarter (23 percent) of Filipinos trust the President while about one in three (31 percent) cannot say if they trust or distrust her.
Arroyo got the highest distrust rating of 54 percent in Metro Manila and the lowest of 41 percent in the Visayas.
Between July and October 2007, levels of distrust increases by double-digit margins (+11 to +19 percentage points) in Metro Manila and the Visayas as well as in Classes ABC and E with the most notable rise occurring in the Visayas. (JMR/Sunnex)
