PNoy popularity

Manila, Philippines – Despite a slow economy and some controversies regarding his administration, President Aquino continues to enjoy the trust and approval of most Filipinos nationwide and across socio-economic classes, results of the latest Pulse Asia survey revealed.

However, the survey conducted from November 10 to 23 among 1,200 respondents across the country showed that his performance rating was 8 percentage points down in Metro Manila from 72 to 64 percent, and 10 percentage points down in Mindanao from 81 to 71 percent.

By classes, the President’s performance rating among those in Class E dropped 11 percentage points from 86 to 75 percent.

During the survey period, the Aquino administration was knee-deep in the controversy surrounding its defiance of the Supreme Court’s temporary restraining order on the watchlist order against former President Arroyo. The former president was subsequently arrested during the same period.

The other raging issues of the day included the still-unresolved Ampatuan massacre, and the murder of actor Ramgen Bautista (aka Revilla).

The results, released to media yesterday, showed Aquino maintaining a high 72-percent satisfaction rating and a 74-percent trust rating.

Pulse Asia said results of the recent survey “hardly differ” from its August survey.

The same survey showed Aquino gaining a five-percentage-point increase in disapproval rating and four-percentage-point increase in distrust rating, but Pulse Asia said this has hardly any significance given the survey’s margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

The President’s trust rating went up 13 percentage points in the Visayas from 74 to 87 percent but went down almost an equivalent number of 12 percentage points in Mindanao from 82 to 70 percent.

Although the Aquino administration also fared well in its performance, the Pulse Asia survey found that disapproval ratings registered in Aquino’s work on seven issues: efforts to equally enforce the law on all Filipinos, create more jobs, strengthen public trust in government and its officials, increase the pay of workers, control population growth, control the increasing prices of commodities, and reduce poverty. (InterAksyon.com)

AQUINO LIKENED TO FIDEL CASTRO
Chief Justice Renato Corona, recently on the receiving end of President Aquino’s tirades, found yesterday an ally in Fr. Joaquin Bernas, an influential Jesuit priest and noted constitutional lawyer who also likened Aquino to Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.

In an interview over GMA News TV’s “Dobol B sa News TV”, Bernas openly expressed his admiration to Corona for keeping his calm while Aquino, in a speech at a Supreme Court-organized event on Monday, questioned the chief justice’s impartiality.

“I admire Corona,” Bernas said. “He does not go down to the level of the President’s ranting… Walang ibang masabi.”

Bernas also supported the statement of Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, who is also the Supreme Court’s spokesperson, that Aquino’s tirade against the high court is “disturbing”. (GMA News)