SWS: Cory RP's most important postwar president

Pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) extended its condolences to the family of the late former President Corazon Aquino, who it called the country's most important postwar president. "Cory Aquino was the Philippines' most important president of the postwar period, for having restored our democracy," SWS, in a letter addressed to Mrs. Aquino's son Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III, said. "The Filipino people expressed their appreciation amply by making her our most popular president, based on public satisfaction with her performance while in office, and public trust in her afterwards," it added. Mrs. Aquino was credited for restoring democracy to the Philippines in 1986, after a bloodless EDSA-1 revolution toppled the Marcos dictatorship. The SWS said that without freedom of expression, it would have been impossible for open opinion polling to grow and mature. "What is most significant for SWS is the political environment favorable for nurturing the means for scientific articulation of the people's collective will," it said. "SWS will forever honor the memory of Cory Aquino by remaining committed to our common democratic ideals, consistently applying best practices in its opinion research, and courageously reporting the truth," it added. Signing the letter were SWS president Mahar Mangahas, vice president/COO Linda Luz Guerrero, secretary Jasmin Acuña, treasurer Eduardo Roberto, and directors Felipe Medalla, Antonio La Viña, and Jorge Tigno. The ratings The SWS cited its first quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey where three out of five adult Filipinos have much trust in Cory Aquino. It said the survey from February 20 to 23 found that 60 percent of adult Filipinos have much trust and 21 percent have little trust in former Mrs. Aquino, for a good net trust rating of +38 (% much trust minus % little trust, correctly rounded). "Former President Aquino's net trust rating has been traditionally very positive, ranging from moderate +14 to very good +50 from September 1989 to September 2000," it said. It became mostly neutral between November 2000 and November 2002 before recovering to moderate +22 in March 2003. Her net trust ratings had since been at level +20s and above, ranging from moderate +20 in November 2003 to her highest rating of very good +51 in March 2008. Public trust in former President Aquino tend to be highest in Mindanao, at good net +49 (68% much trust, 19% little trust), followed by the Visayas, at good +37 (62% much trust, 25% little trust), Balance Luzon, at good +34 (55% much trust, 21% little trust), and Metro Manila, at good +34 (55% much trust, 21% little trust). Former President Aquino's net trust rating is highest among the upper-middle class ABC, at good +49 (62% much trust, 13% little trust), followed by class D or the masa, at good +38 (60% much trust, 21% little trust, correctly rounded), and class E, at good +35 (59% much trust, 24% little trust). Public trust in former President Aquino is higher among women, at good net +43 (62% much trust, 19% little trust), compared to men, at good +33 (57% much trust, 24% little trust). By age group, trust in former President Aquino is stronger among 25-34, at good +46 (64% much trust, 18% little trust), 18-24, at good +45 (64% much trust, 19% little trust), and 35-44, at good +40 (60% much trust, 20% little trust), compared to 45-54, at good +31 (55% much trust, 25% little trust, correctly rounded), and 55 and above, at good +30 (55% much trust, 25% little trust). The First Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey was conducted over February 20 to 23, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, ±6% for area percentages applied to the survey. On the other hand, Mangahas said in his column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer last July 11 that it was through Mrs. Aquino's leadership that the country got out from under the authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos, and democracy was restored. "Survey data on Cory Aquino go back to the July 1985 socio-political opinion poll by the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference, which looked into the popularity of potential opponents to Marcos in the next presidential election, then scheduled for 1987. Cory was not at the top of the list at that time, but somewhere in the middle. I recall that Salvador “Doy" Laurel, Jovito Salonga and Agapito “Butz" Aquino were more popular than she was," he said. - GMANews.TV