Pulse Asia: VP Binay still more trusted than PNoy

Vice President Jejomar Binay remains the most appreciated and trusted top national government official, scoring more than even President Benigno Aquino III in the recent survey by pollster Pulse Asia. Pulse Asia said its survey, conducted Aug. 20 to Sept. 2, showed Binay with an 85 percent approval rating as compared to Aquino's 75 percent. Binay, who has expressed his intention to run for president in 2016, also enjoyed an 86-percent trust rating compared to Aquino's 75 percent. In the last survey conducted May 21 to June 4, Binay got an approval rating of 83 percent and a trust rating of 81 percent, compared to Aquino's 71 percent (approval and trust). Other officials Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile got 65 percent approval rating, the latest survey showed. All three officials also register single-digit overall disapproval ratings, from 3 to 9 percent.

Levels of indecision toward their performance range from 12 percent for Binay to 26 percent for Enrile, according to the survey. On the other hand, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Chief Justice Renato Corona got practically the same approval and indecision ratings (45 percent versus 41 percent, and 37 percent versus 41 percent respectively). "Around the same percentages of Filipinos are critical of the work done by these two officials (13 percent for the House Speaker and 19 percent for the Supreme Court Chief Justice)," it said. Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, majority approval ratings are enjoyed by Aquino (68 to 86 percent), Binay (78 to 90 percent), and Enrile (59 to 72 percent). Belmonte posts majority approval ratings only in Class ABC (51 percent) and Metro Manila (57 percent) while Corona failed to score a majority rating in any of these survey sub-groupings. Disapproval Single-digit disapproval ratings are recorded by Aquino (1 to 7 percent) and Binay (1 to 5 percent) in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes. Enrile got single-digit disapproval ratings (8 to 9 percent) in all sub-groupings except Visayas (12 percent). Belmonte and Corona posted double-digit disapproval ratings in most/all of these sub-groupings (10 to 16 percent and 15 to 20 percent, respectively), with Belmonte getting single-digit figures in Classes ABC and E. "As for indecision, the figures recorded by each of these officials are generally consistent with their respective national ratings," Pulse Asia said. Trust ratings Majority trust ratings were enjoyed by Aquino (75 percent), Binay (86 percent) and Enrile (59 percent) at the national level. Essentially, the same trust and indecision ratings are scored by Belmonte (41 versus 43 percent) while ambivalence regarding his trustworthiness is the plurality sentiment toward Corona (45 percent). Lowest trust rating Corona also registered the lowest trust rating (31 percent). With respect to distrust ratings, figures vary from 3 percent for Binay to 21 percent for Corona. Indecision is most pronounced toward Belmonte (43 percent) and Corona (45 percent) and least manifest toward Binay (11 percent). Trust in geographic areas Aquino (64 to 82 percent), Binay (76 to 91 percent) and Enrile (50 to 70 percent) post majority trust ratings in virtually all geographic areas and socio-economic classes. But the only majority trust rating of Belmonte is granted by Metro Manilans (55 percent) while Corona’s highest trust rating, 37 percent, is recorded in Mindanao. Single-digit distrust ratings are registered by Binay (1 to 5 percent) in every geographic area and socio-economic grouping, while Aquino registers single distrust ratings (2 to 6 percent) in all sub-groupings except Class ABC (11 percent). Enrile has single-digit distrust ratings in Metro Manila, Mindanao and Class E (7 to 9 percent). Belmonte and Corona record double-digit distrust ratings in most/all of these survey sub-groupings (10 to 19 percent and 16 to 24 percent, respectively). "The indecision figures obtained by the country’s leading government officials across geographic areas and socio-economic classes do not vary significantly from their respective overall levels," Pulse Asia said. Enrile, Corona enjoy gains The survey showed Enrile and Corona enjoyed gains in approval and trust between May and August 2011. It also said trust in Belmonte also became more pronounced during this period. At the national level, Enrile (+8 percentage points) and Corona (+9 percentage points) experience significant improvements in their approval ratings between May and August 2011. Lost ground Across geographic areas, Aquino recovered lost ground in Metro Manila (+15 percentage points) and the Visayas (+12 percentage points). Enrile also gained in approval in Metro Manila (+12 percentage points) while Corona’s performance is more appreciated in the Visayas in August 2011 than three months ago (+12 percentage points). Across socio-economic classes, approval for Enrile’s performance improves in Class E (+11 percentage points) while Corona gains in approval in Class D (+9 percentage points). With respect to indecision and disapproval ratings, all changes occurring between May and August 2011 for all five national government officials are marginal at best. Trust ratings Between May and August 2011, trust in Enrile, Belmonte and Corona becomes more pronounced at the national level (+8 to +10 percentage points). Across geographic areas, the trust rating of Aquino increases significantly in Metro Manila (+18 percentage points) while the trust ratings of Enrile improve markedly in Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao (+13 to +21 percentage points). Belmonte also enjoys improvements in his trust ratings in Metro Manila and Mindanao (+12 to +16 percentage points). Across socio-economic classes, Enrile’s trust rating goes up in Class E (+12 percentage points). Indecision at the national level becomes less manifest in the case of Enrile (-8 percentage points) due largely to declines in indecision in Metro Manila and Mindanao (-17 to -18 percentage points). On overall distrust ratings, no significant changes occur between May and August 2011. However, distrust toward Belmonte becomes less marked in Mindanao (-12 percentage points) while distrust toward Corona eases in Metro Manila (-13 percentage points). Trust in Senate, SC, House Majority of Filipinos expressed approval for and trust in the Senate and Supreme Court while approval and trust are the plurality sentiments toward the House of Representatives. "All three government institutions post gains in approval and trust between May and August 2011," Pulse Asia said. The Senate and Supreme Court score the same overall approval ratings in August 2011 (55 percent) while a near majority of Filipinos (48 percent) is appreciative of the work done by the House of Representatives. Disapproval for the performance of these institutions is expressed by 10 to 14 percent of Filipinos while about the same percentages of Filipinos (32 to 38 percent) are ambivalent as regards the work they have done. Majority approval ratings are enjoyed by the Senate (52 to 59 percent) in all geographic areas and socio-economic classes, while the Supreme Court obtains near-majority to majority approval (48 to 61 percent) in all sub-groupings. Majority ratings are recorded by the House of Representatives in the Visayas and Mindanao (54 to 55 percent). "With regard to indecision and disapproval ratings, the figures registered by each of these government institutions across survey sub-groupings do not vary in any significant way from their respective national ratings," Pulse Asia said. Meanwhile, significant improvements in their overall approval ratings are enjoyed by the Senate, House of Representatives and Supreme Court (+7 to +16 percentage points) between May and August 2011. The approval ratings of the Senate and Supreme Court in nearly every/every geographic area and socio-economic class increase markedly during this period (+10 to +20 percentage points for the Senate and +15 to +23 percentage points for the Supreme Court). As for the House of Representatives, it registers a 19-percentage point gain in its approval rating in Mindanao. Between May and August 2011, indecision toward the Supreme Court’s performance becomes less pronounced at the national level (-8 percentage points), with ambivalence toward its performance easing in Mindanao and Class E (-13 to -14 percentage points). The Senate also registers a decline in its indecision rating in the Visayas (-13 percentage points). As for disapproval scores, the only significant change is recorded in Mindanao where the Senate enjoys a 12-percentage point decrease in its disapproval rating. Most Filipinos trust Senate Most Filipinos trust the Senate (53 percent) and Supreme Court (54 percent) while a near majority expresses the same sentiment toward the House of Representatives (47 percent). "Basically the same distrust ratings are obtained by these government institutions (8 to 12 percent) while their indecision ratings range from 33 percent for the Supreme Court to 41 percent for the House of Representatives," Pulse Asia said. The Senate and Supreme Court enjoy majority trust ratings in almost all geographic areas and socio-economic classes (51 to 58 percent and 51 to 65 percent, respectively). As for the House of Representatives, it records majority trust ratings in the Visayas, Mindanao and Class E (51 to 55 percent). "The indecision and distrust ratings posted by these government institutions across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings are basically consistent with their respective overall figures," Pulse Asia said. Trust gains The national trust ratings of these government institutions improve significantly between May and August 2011 – House of Representatives (+11 percentage points), Senate (+12 percentage points) and Supreme Court (+16 percentage points). The Supreme Court posts significant gains in its trust ratings in every geographic area and socio-economic grouping (+14 to +21 percentage points). Meanwhile, the trust ratings of the House of Representatives increase in the Visayas and Mindanao, as well as in all socio-economic classes (+9 to +22 percentage points) and those of the Senate improve in the Visayas, Mindanao and Classes D and E (+9 to +19 percentage points). As regards indecision, it eases in the case of the Supreme Court during the period May to August 2011 not only at the national level (-9 percentage points) but also in Mindanao and Class E (-14 to -15 percentage points). The House of Representatives also experiences a decline in its indecision rating in Mindanao (-12 percentage points). "Meanwhile, the only notable change in these government institutions’ distrust ratings between May and August 2011 is the 14-percentage point decline in the distrust rating of the Supreme Court among Metro Manilans," Pulse Asia said. The survey fieldwork was conducted from August 20 to September 2, using face-to-face interviews. It used a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Sub-national estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level. Among the developments that dominated the news headlines immediately prior to and during the conduct of the survey interviews are: (1) President Aquino’s Second State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered before Congress on July 25; (2) Congressional investigation into the purchase of used helicopters by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2009 and the alleged involvement of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo in the transaction; (3) Medical condition of former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo and her husband; (4) Claims made by several witnesses as regards fraud in the 2004 and 2007 elections; (5) Talks held by President Aquino with the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); (6) Resignation of former Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and the removal from office of Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez; (7) Continuing discussions on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill; (8) Increase in dengue cases in Metro Manila and other parts of the country; (9) Death and destruction caused by typhoon Mina; (10) Evacuation of Filipinos in Syria and Libya; (11) President Aquino’s visit to China; (12) The appreciation of the local currency vis-à-vis the American dollar, the increase in power rates and the rollback in pump prices. — KBK, GMA News