Cabinet still gets 'slightly negative' rating - SWS
06/22/2007 | 01:17 PM
Malacañang may deny persistent reports of an impending Cabinet revamp but for the public, anyway, there’s little love lost for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s official family.
Pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) said Friday that for almost two straight years, public satisfaction with the Cabinet has been slightly negative from the third quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2007.
SWS noted that the negative satisfaction rating of the Cabinet has been the trend in all its Social Weather Surveys from the third quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2007.
"The net rating of the Cabinet, which tends to mirror that of the National Administration, had its record high of +27 in June 1997 and March 1999, and its record low of Net –16 in November 1990," the SWS said.
But it said the Cabinet's Net scores in the last three quarters were slightly better than Net –5 to –10 obtained from August 2005 to June 2006.
Still, these were lower than the Net +12 at the start of President Arroyo's second term.
The pollster noted that "clearly negative ratings" have prevailed in the justice, trade and industry, energy, finance, press, and security positions.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez got –10 in March 2006 and –2 in August 2005, then Trade Secretary Juan Santos –10 in May 2005), Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla –12 in March 2006, then Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima –14 in May 2005, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye –15 in August 2005, and National Security Council Adviser Norberto Gonzales -17 in December 2005.
Also, SWS noted the Cabinet often gets lower ratings than the key government institutions.
In the February 2007 Social Weather Survey, the Cabinet's Net Satisfaction Rating score of –2 was close to the –3 of the National Administration.
Yet it was much less than the Net +26 of the Senate, +11 of the House of Representatives, and +16 of the Supreme Court.
Officials heading the social welfare, health, education, tourism, foreign affairs, and local government departments have tended to get positive marks from the public.
SWS surveys done over 2004-07 included then Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky" Soliman (+39, August 2004), former Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit (+38, May 2005), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (+15, February 2007), Education Secretary Jesli Lapus (+13, February 2007), DOT Sec. Joseph Ace Durano (+13, September 2006), Finance Secretary Delia Albert (+12, August 2004), Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno (+11, February 2007), and Finance Secretary Alberto Romulo (+10, May 2005).
Roughly neutral public satisfaction ratings were obtained by Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes (+5, September 2006), Ombusdman Merceditas Gutierrez (+2, February 2007), former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. (Net 0, November 2006; –13, May 2005), former Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor (Net 0, March 2006), Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita (–1, November 2006), Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas (–3, December 2004; +14, August 2004), sacked Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag (–4, June 2006), and Solicitor General Eduardo Nachura (–9, November 2006).
"These single-digit figures are called 'neutral' because they are not too different from zero," SWS said.
The SWS surveys used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 voting-age adults. The samples for all surveys were divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6% for area percentages were applied. -GMANews.TV
Pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) said Friday that for almost two straight years, public satisfaction with the Cabinet has been slightly negative from the third quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2007.
SWS noted that the negative satisfaction rating of the Cabinet has been the trend in all its Social Weather Surveys from the third quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2007.
"The net rating of the Cabinet, which tends to mirror that of the National Administration, had its record high of +27 in June 1997 and March 1999, and its record low of Net –16 in November 1990," the SWS said.
But it said the Cabinet's Net scores in the last three quarters were slightly better than Net –5 to –10 obtained from August 2005 to June 2006.
Still, these were lower than the Net +12 at the start of President Arroyo's second term.
The pollster noted that "clearly negative ratings" have prevailed in the justice, trade and industry, energy, finance, press, and security positions.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez got –10 in March 2006 and –2 in August 2005, then Trade Secretary Juan Santos –10 in May 2005), Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla –12 in March 2006, then Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima –14 in May 2005, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye –15 in August 2005, and National Security Council Adviser Norberto Gonzales -17 in December 2005.
Also, SWS noted the Cabinet often gets lower ratings than the key government institutions.
In the February 2007 Social Weather Survey, the Cabinet's Net Satisfaction Rating score of –2 was close to the –3 of the National Administration.
Yet it was much less than the Net +26 of the Senate, +11 of the House of Representatives, and +16 of the Supreme Court.
Officials heading the social welfare, health, education, tourism, foreign affairs, and local government departments have tended to get positive marks from the public.
SWS surveys done over 2004-07 included then Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky" Soliman (+39, August 2004), former Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit (+38, May 2005), Health Secretary Francisco Duque III (+15, February 2007), Education Secretary Jesli Lapus (+13, February 2007), DOT Sec. Joseph Ace Durano (+13, September 2006), Finance Secretary Delia Albert (+12, August 2004), Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno (+11, February 2007), and Finance Secretary Alberto Romulo (+10, May 2005).
Roughly neutral public satisfaction ratings were obtained by Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes (+5, September 2006), Ombusdman Merceditas Gutierrez (+2, February 2007), former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. (Net 0, November 2006; –13, May 2005), former Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor (Net 0, March 2006), Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita (–1, November 2006), Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas (–3, December 2004; +14, August 2004), sacked Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag (–4, June 2006), and Solicitor General Eduardo Nachura (–9, November 2006).
"These single-digit figures are called 'neutral' because they are not too different from zero," SWS said.
The SWS surveys used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 voting-age adults. The samples for all surveys were divided into random samples of 300 each in Metro Manila, the Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6% for area percentages were applied. -GMANews.TV
