'Presidentiables' De Castro, Villar top SWS satisfaction poll

The satisfaction ratings of Vice President Noli de Castro and Senate President Manuel Villar Jr, both perceived as strong presidential contenders in 2010, rose to record levels in the Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, 2007 survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS). Results of the survey, which had 1,200 respondents, showed that De Castro 's net satisfaction rating was at 41 percent — with 64 percent of the respondents satisfied and 23 percent others dissatisfied. It was De Castro's record-high rating since he was elected three years ago, where he had been getting net ratings of over 30 from previous surveys. Meanwhile, Villar's net rating was 59 percent — with 71 percent satisfied and 13 percent dissatisfied. The Senate president's rating was also record-high. Villar was only second to former Senate President Neptali Gonzales Jr's rating in September 1992. SWS said the public remained divided on the performance of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr, and Chief Justice Reynato Puno. Both their ratings were in the single-digit level. De Venecia's net rating was 1 — with rating of 37 percent satisfied and 37 percent dissatisfied, while Puno's rating was -2 — with 32 percent satisfied and 34 percent dissatisfied. Results of the survey also showed that public satisfaction declined for the Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court, and the Cabinet as a whole. Satisfaction rating with the Senate was at 19 percent — with 47 percent satisfied and 29 percent dissatisfied. The Senate had a net rating of 32 percent last September. The net satisfaction rating of the House fell from 18 in September to 3 in December 2007. The survey found 37 percent satisfied and 32 percent dissatisfied with the Supreme Court, for a net rating of 5. Its net rating was at 24 percent in September, and had been at double-digit levels over the past four quarters. Public satisfaction with the Cabinet also went down from +1 in September to -9 in December. De Castro, in a statement, said he was “humbled" by the results of the SWS. He attributed his record-high ratings to “all my hard work and perseverance in performing my tasks as Vice President, housing chairman and presidential adviser on OFWs." “With more than two years left in my term as Vice President, I will do my best not to disappoint our people as I aim to serve them with more dedication to improve their lives," he said. Cerge Remonde, head of the Presidential Management Staff, said De Castro's high rating “is well deserved." Remonde said reports that former president Joseph Estrada was trying to convince De Castro to join the opposition in preparation for the 2010 race indicated the vice president's “growing political stock, and this is just part of the ongoing political mating game." However, Ronaldo Puno, secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, dismissed the decline in the Cabinet's net rating, saying he would rather rate the Cabinet using hard statistics on its actual performance. - GMANews.TV