Pinoys distrust Esperon, FVR, Mrs Arroyo - survey

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, former President Fidel Ramos and Armed Forces chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr were among those who recorded the highest levels of distrust in a Pulse Asia survey released Wednesday. In its pre-election survey conducted April 3 to 5, Pulse Asia said "big pluralities", 41 percent of those surveyed, distrust Mrs Arroyo, Ramos and Esperon. They were among 26 public figures selected by Pulse Asia "gauged" in the survey. Public vacillation or indecision predominates towards trusting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and poll watchdog National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), which will play a key role in the May 14 polls. Ramos, who was President in 1992-98, is also chairman emeritus of the Lakas-CMD party, a major part of the administration coalition. Only two out of ten respondents said they Esperon, with the rest saying they either distrust him or cannot say whether they do or not. Esperon, appointed AFP Chief of Staff by Mrs Arroyo in July 2006, was among the generals mentioned in the "Hello, Garci" wiretapped conversations and tagged by government critics as supposedly involved in rigging the 2001 presidential elections. He has denied the accusation. Team Unity senatorial bet Tessie Aquino-Oreta, who bolted the opposition to join the administration's Team Unity slate, recorded the highest level of distrust at 43 percent. She recently apologized in television advertisements for "dancing" at the Senate floor in January 2001 to celebrate the non-opening of an envelope considered critical evidence in the impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada. On the other hand, only five public figures enjoy majority trust ratings, meaning higher than 50 percent. These are Sen. Manuel Roxas II (52 percent), House Minority Leader Francis Escudero (53 percent), Sen. Francis Pangilinan (54 percent), Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. (55 percent), and former Sen. Loren Legarda (63 percent). "These personalities – with the exception of Senator Roxas – are all running for senator as opposition candidates in the May 2007 elections," Pulse Asia said. Fairly big pluralities of Filipinos trust former President Joseph Estrada (38 percent), former Sen. Gregorio Honasan (38 percent), former President Corazon Aquino (41 percent), Vice-President Manuel "Noli" de Castro Jr. (44 percent), senators Joker Arroyo (44 percent), Panfilo Lacson (45 percent), Edgardo Angara (45 percent), Ralph Recto (45 percent), and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano (47 percent). Former Sen. Vicente Sotto III, nearly the same percentages of Filipinos either trust him or are ambivalent on the matter (37 percent versus 35 percent) while Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos registers almost the same indecision and distrust ratings (39 percent versus zero). The survey also showed that between March and April 2007, the overall trust ratings of Lacson and Oreta declined by 9 percentage points while their distrust ratings increased by 10 and 15 points, respectively. Overall distrust ratings of Chief Justice Puno, Abalos and Esperon likewise increased (by 11 to 15 points) as do the distrust ratings of other TU senatorial candidates, including Angara, Recto, Arroyo, Sotto, Prospero Pichay and Michael Defensor (by 7 to 11 points). Distrust for Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, another senatorial candidate, and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay increased by 9 points. On the other hand, public ambivalence on the matter of trusting or distrusting Puno, Pichay, Defensor, Abalos, and Esperon becomes less pronounced (-7 to -9 percentage points) during this period. Both groups trust-rated in this survey, Comelec and Namfrel, scored big plurality indecision ratings with 40 percent to 44 percent of Filipinos unable to say whether they trust or distrust these entities. While those who trust Namfrel outnumber those who distrust the poll watchdog (31 percent versus 24 percent), the Comelec records almost the same trust and distrust ratings (32 percent versus 28 percent). "The overall ratings of both groups are practically unchanged between March and April 2007," Pulse Asia said. The Pulse Asia survey used a multistage probability sample of 1,800 representative adults 18 years old and above. It said its survey has a +/- 2.3 percentage points error margin at the 95 percent confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have error margins at 95 percent confidence level of +/- 6 percent for each of Metro Manila, Northern Luzon and Southern Luzon; +/- 8 percent for each of Western Visayas, Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas; +/- 6 percent for Mindanao without ARMM and +/- 8 percent for ARMM. -GMANews.TV