Palace: With media ‘help,’ opposition demonizes Arroyo with surveys

Recent surveys showing poor ratings of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are part of the opposition’s campaign - with media’s “help" - to “demonize" her, Malacañang said Thursday. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said that the results of recent polls by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) are far from reality, citing the study showing President Arroyo got a –31 satisfaction rating. He also downplayed another SWS survey showing the administration’s prospective presidential bet fell from being a consistent first to 4th pick of respondents among possible aspirants. "Ang survey is based on perceptions. Ang perception kasi… is not necessarily the reality. Ang masasabi ko lang is that, a lie repeated a hundred times will assume a substance of truth. Mas malakas ang propaganda ng opposition dahil habang busy ang administration running the country, ang mga kritiko walang ibang ginagawa kundi ang mambatikos," Remonde said in an interview on dzXL radio. (A survey is based on perceptions and not necessarily on reality. But then, I say, a lie repeated a hundred times will assume a substance of truth. The opposition’s propaganda is strong because political adversaries seem to be doing nothing but criticize the administration, which is busy running the affairs of the country.) He also blamed media for “entertaining" criticisms by the opposition. "We have definitely a very healthy press and media that entertain lahat ng mga batikos sa Pangulo galing sa opposition (We have definitely a very healthy press and media that entertain the opposition’s criticisms against the President)," he added. He said chuckling: "It is a very sad admission coming from a press secretary." On July 15, the SWS said its June 19 to 22 survey showed Mrs. Arroyo’s satisfaction rating at –31, with dissatisfaction lessening in the Visayas and Mindanao, but increasing in Luzon. On July 17, the pollster released results of the June 19 to 22 survey showing 70 percent of Filipinos oppose efforts for Charter change to let Mrs. Arroyo stay beyond 2010, with 55 percent suspecting the President was behind such moves. Last Wednesday, the SWS released results of the same June 19 to 22 where Vice President Manuel “Noli" de Castro Jr., a prospective administration presidential bet, fell to fourth place from first, based on the question “Who is the best to replace Mrs. Arroyo?" De Castro (19%) fell behind Sen. Manuel Villar (33%), former President Joseph Estrada (25%), and Senators Francis Escudero and Manuel Roxas II (20%). Remonde dismissed De Castro’s fall from the top spot in the list of possible presidential candidates as part of the run-up towards the 2010 elections. "The standings of candidates change every once in a while," he said. For his part, De Castro said he was not affected by his fall from the top spot in the roster of possible presidential aspirants. "Hindi naman (ako apektado). As long as ako ay isang kabayan na naglilingkod sa kababayan, happy na ako doon (I’m not affected. As long as I serve our countrymen I am happy)," De Castro said in an interview on dzXL. Besides, he said, he had not announced his plans to run for president. - GMANews.TV