Public satisfaction with Duterte peaks

By Raynan F. Javil, Reporter

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte (PRRD) marked his first year in office with a fresh personal record-high net satisfaction rating, buoyed by increases in the Visayas and Luzon areas outside Metro Manila that offset a sharp drop in his bailiwick, Mindanao, which nevertheless kept the best score, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

Results of the survey — conducted on June 23-26 via face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide and with sampling error margins of ±3 points for national percentages, as well as ±6 points each for Metro Manila, “Balance Luzon,” the Visayas and Mindanao — found 78% satisfied, 10% undecided and 12% dissatisfied with Mr. Duterte’s performance in the second quarter.

That yielded a net satisfaction rating of +66 (% satisfied minus % dissatisfied), classified as “very good” and marking a new personal record high though just three points more than the March survey’s +63 (75% satisfied against 12% dissatisfied).

SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of at least +70 as “excellent”; +50 to +69 as “very good”; +30 to +49, “good”; +10 to +29, “moderate”; +9 to -9, “neutral”; -10 to -29, “poor”; -30 to -49, “bad”; -50 to -69, “very bad”; and -70 and below as “execrable.”

Mr. Duterte’s net satisfaction rating rose by one grade and 11 points to an “excellent” +73 (83% satisfied, 10% dissatisfied) in the Visayas from +62 (75% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied, rounded off) in the March survey.

It stayed “very good” in “Balance Luzon”, rising seven points to +58 (73% satisfied, 15% dissatisfied) from +51 (68% satisfied, 17% dissatisfied).

Net rating in Mindanao dropped 12 points — although it stayed “excellent” — to +75 (83% satisfied, 8% dissatisfied) from +87 (89% satisfied, 3% dissatisfied, rounded off).

It stayed “very good” in Metro Manila, “hardly moving” at +63 (77% satisfied, 13% dissatisfied, rounded off) from +64 (76% satisfied, 12% dissatisfied).

It also remained “very good” across socioeconomic classes. It was highest among class E respondents at +67, up seven points from the first quarter’s +60; +59 among ABC respondents, edging up just three points from +56 and +66 in class D from +64.

Net rating similarly stayed “very good” for both genders, though it was up eight points to +69 from +61 among women and hardly changed at +63 from +65 among men.

Net public satisfaction rating stayed “excellent” among respondents who were college graduates, flat at +76 for both comparative quarters, and “very good” for those with less education: up eight points to +68 from +60 among those that did not graduate from elementary level, and hardly changed at +66 from +64 among elementary school graduates and at +62 from +60 among high school graduates.

MARTIAL LAW SUPPORTED
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella noted in a statement that “[c]onducted last June 23-26 — or a month after PRRD placed martial law on the whole island of Mindanao — the finding shows tacit public support for the President’s action following the rebellion in Marawi.”

Fighting in Marawi City between government forces and militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State has dragged for more than a month since May 23.

University of Santo Tomas political science professor Edmund S. Tayao said separately that survey results were a “reflection of how the public responded to the declaration of martial law.”

“The variation of support from the different main islands suggests that there’s general support for martial law, or at least in many parts of the country, including Luzon and the Visayas,” Mr. Tayao said.

“The 12% drop [in Mindanao] could be a mixed reaction, not only to the declaration of martial law but also to how the President has been expected to bring so many of his promises in Mindanao,” he added.

“Those in Mindanao expect more from the President,” he noted, “compared to those in Luzon and Visayas.”