SWS: GMA ADMIN HITS LOWEST
RATING AT A "POOR" -23 / ERAP: IT'S MY DESTINY
MANILA,
JANUARY 13, 2010
(STAR) By Helen Flores - Public satisfaction with the
performance of the Arroyo administration fell to a “poor” -23 in the last
quarter of 2009, its lowest approval rating in nine years, a survey of the
Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.
The non-commissioned survey, conducted from Dec. 5 to 10, 2009, sampled 2,100 adults nationwide.
In the survey, 28 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the overall performance of the national administration, while 51 percent said they are dissatisfied.
In the previous quarter, President Arroyo, who took office in 2001, received a general satisfaction rating of -21, still within the “poor” bracket.
The national administration, however, obtained a “very good” net satisfaction rating of +51 on helping victims of disaster.
The administration received “moderate” ratings for preparing for natural calamities (+27), promoting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (+26), ensuring that medicine is affordable (+20), and helping the poor (+17).
It received “neutral” ratings for fighting terrorism (+4), campaigning against illegal drugs (-3), reconciliation with Muslim rebels (-4), reconciliation with communist rebels (-5), fighting crimes (-9), and fighting inflation (-9).
The administration got “poor” ratings for mitigating hunger (-15), suppressing Mindanao politicians with private armies (-17), and eradicating graft and corruption (-27).
The survey also showed that the public had mixed opinion on government efforts to resolve the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre, giving the Arroyo administration a neutral net satisfaction rating of -2 with 41 percent satisfied and 44 percent dissatisfied.
The remaining 15 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
More attuned
The survey also showed that at the time of the survey, the public was more interested in following developments on the welterweight title bout between Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican fighter Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14.
Eighty-five percent of the population followed the Pacquiao-Cotto pre-fight and post fight news. Only 75 percent followed the developments on the Maguindanao massacre.
The survey had sampling error margins of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points for national percentages, plus or minus six percentage points for Metro Manila and plus or minus four percentage points for balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
SWS defined net satisfaction ratings as follows: +50 and above, “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 or lower, “very bad.”
The net satisfaction rating is the difference between the percentage of satisfied and unsatisfied responses.
Erap on comeback: If it's destiny... By Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) Updated January 13, 2010 12:00 AM
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - Former President Joseph Estrada arrives at Malacañang to attend a
National Security Council meeting, his first visit to the Palace since he was
removed from power nine years ago. WILLY PEREZ]
MANILA, Philippines - Former President Joseph Estrada returned to Malacañang Palace for the first time since he was deposed in a bloodless coup in 2001, insisting “destiny” would make it his again.
Estrada, who is running for president in the May elections, had a chance interview with reporters at the Palace where he attended a rare meeting of the National Security Council. He sat beside President Arroyo for two and a half hours.
“That’s destiny,” Estrada replied when asked whether he expected to be back at the Palace as president.
Former presidents and leaders of Congress are invited to the meeting as members. Aside from Estrada, Fidel Ramos is the only other living president but he did not attend the meeting.
"Full of flashbacks," Estrada said of his Palace visit yesterday. "Nine years exactly. I stepped down on Jan. 21, 2001. So that's exactly nine years," Estrada told reporters from the window of his black Lincoln Navigator SUV before it entered the main Palace gate.
Estrada's calculation was incorrect; it was nine days short of nine years.
"I would say that I am glad I was invited to give my advice to help solve some of our pressing problems, especially regarding peace and order," he said. The May elections and dismantling of private armed groups topped the NSC agenda.
Estrada's candidacy is being challenged before the Supreme Court on the grounds that he is no longer eligible to run. The Sandiganbayan convicted the former leader of plunder in 2007 but he was pardoned in October.
"We respect the vision of the former president. Everybody is free to aspire for what he dreams," Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.
"Honestly, he has a winning chance," he added.
"It's the first time he came back to Malacañang after so many years and we really welcome his participation," Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.
"We saw that they (Mrs. Arroyo and Estrada) had a healthy and cordial exchange," Remonde said.
"You can see the aura. You can feel that between the President and the former president there was a very cordial atmosphere," Bello pointed out.
"In fact, I was at their back when they were whispering. I don't know what they were whispering, probably sweet nothings," he said.