The overall trust and approval ratings of President Benigno Aquino and Vice President Jejomar Binay fell below the 50% mark in January, based on the latest Pulse Asia survey.
Although the president remains the most trusted official, Aquino’s rating dropped by six percentage points to 49% in January from 55% in December.
On the other hand, Binay’s rating declined five percentage points to 47% from December’s 52%.
Across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings, approval for the president’s work eased in Class E (-15 percentage points) while Vice President Binay’s approval scores dropped in the Visayas, Mindanao, and Class E (-11 to -12 percentage points), Pulse Asia President Ronald D Holmes said.
The result of the survey released on Friday also indicated that Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno gained majority approval from the 1,800 respondents interviewed from January 24 to 28.
However, Drilon’s rating dropped by seven percentage points to 44% in the January survey while Sereno suffered a four-percentage point cut to 25% from 29% in December and Belmonte, the “least trusted” among the five officials, got 24%, five points lower than his 29% rating in December.
By socio-economic classes, only those belonging to Class ABC gave higher approval ratings to the officials, except Sereno.
Aquino got 51% from the group, up by seven percentage points; Binay, 36% from 30%; Drilon, 57% from 45% and Belmonte, 40% from 35%.
Holmes explained that at the national level, only Binay, the United Nationalist Alliance standard bearer, had a marked improvement in terms of public indecision on performance.
From only 25%, his rating rose by eight percentage points. The same held true in Visayas, Mindanao, and Classes D and E (+6 to +15 percentage points).
The president’s trust ratings fell by 8-9 percentage points in all geographical locations. Aquino’s ratings declined by seven and 16 percentage points, respectively, among Classes D (44% from 51%) and E (64% from 48%).
Aquino’s distrust rating was highest in Metro Manila, where it rose by 14 percentage points, to a steep 41% from 27% last December.
Several issues that may have caused the drop in Aquino’s trust ratings include his veto of the bill granting a P2,000 hike in Social Security System pension and the reopening of the Mamasapano tragedy investigation on January 27.
For Binay, the conclusion of the Senate probe on various allegations of graft may have affected his standing.
Last month, the SC upheld the constitutionality of the Enhanced Defence Co-operation Agreement, causing a slide in the trust ratings of Sereno. Another issue that may have caused the dent on the officials’ grades are the disqualification cases against Sen. Grace Poe, which were largely blamed on the current administration.