THE latest poll surveys from both Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia indicate the high approval ratings of President Duterte one hundred days into his administration.
The SWS poll undertaken last September 24-27 places Duterte’s trust rating at +76 percent, a figure which rounds out the responses of those who expressed much trust at 83 percent versus those who reported they have little trust with the president at 8 percent.
The SWS results which cover more or less the first three months of the new administration is not altogether different from the findings of Pulse Asia that places Duterte’s trust rating at 83 percent given both polls’ shared plus minus 3 percent margins of error. The Pulse Asia study was conducted from September 25 to October 1.
These figures mean that approximately, eight out of ten Filipinos still place their trust on the president even after the rising body count blamed on his drug war, his administration’s much publicized tiff with Senator de Lima through the congressional and senate hearings, and the various diplomatic faux pas incurred by Duterte during this period.
In the recent Philippine Sociological Society National Conference in Davao City, SWS fellow Gerardo Sandoval, apart from sharing the most recent trust rating poll survey, also shared some highlights of their 2016 pre-election surveys that I believe provide explanation to the high trust ratings that Duterte still enjoys.
A few days before the May elections, the poll outfit had Duterte failing to dislodge the lead of Poe and Roxas in Luzon and Visayas respectively, but overwhelmingly commanded the votes in his bailiwick of Mindanao and even NCR. The margins were, however, small, allowing the candidate from Mindanao to take over the lead in other demographics apart from region.
What was surprising for many was his commanding lead across all social classes A,B,C, D and E and especially among those with higher educational attainment. Duterte was the preference of voters who had college degrees and higher postgraduate education, if I am not mistaken.
These pre-elections poll figures indicate the clear mandate that Duterte had across a wide demographic even convincing the traditional conservative bailiwicks of the educated set and the A and B classes in the run-up towards the elections.
By the looks of it, this set placed him in office and the various issues thrown against him in the first few months of his administration failed to erode his wide base of public support.
The first three months of an administration are considered well within the honeymoon period between a new president and the public as the SWS figures of presidential trust ratings across the decades show.
The high trust ratings are a reflection of the optimism people have of the new administration and at +76 percent, it seems that great expectations and hope are placed on Duterte’s government to deliver.
By all indications, the public has given wide latitude for his much vaunted “change” to take place in due time that is why despite the orchestrated efforts to undermine his administration, the electorate who placed him in office remain solidly behind him.
Duterte enjoys the public’s trust with ratings that is said to be highest among previous presidents in the first three months in office. His predecessor, like him, enjoyed very high trust ratings before the start of his term. Both PNoy and Duterte garnered plus 79 to 83 trust ratings a month before they assumed office. But after his first three months, Aquino's trust rating went down to 67 percent. Duterte’s high trust rating is holding within that same period.
It is, therefore, a big wonder why Duterte and his administration seem overly sensitive with every criticism and issue thrown their way. The mandate and the public clamor for change are unequivocal and clear. Yet Duterte seems to wobble and seethe with rage when issues, that should be par for the course, are raised against him. Instead of capitalizing on the goodwill and hope that the electorate placed on him when he got elected office, the new president seems unsure of his power and regularly reminds the public that he might not last long in office.
I would like to think that these are just growing pains of a new administration that is still coming to terms with the breadth and scope of political power that the electorate has accorded them.
The knee-jerk reactions and undue attention given to every little anecdote and accusation thrown against Duterte are taking away vital political energy from other things that should merit his and his government’s attention.
Duterte should be reminded, that in the final analysis, the same electorate that placed him in office is his strongest base of defense and support.
It is about time that he converses with his wide support base not just about his and his administration’s enemies but most importantly their hopes and dreams for themselves, their families, and the nation.