Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – President Benigno Aquino III is the only top government official who enjoyed the trust of majority of Filipinos in the last quarter of 2015, a new Pulse Asia survey showed.
The survey, conducted from December 4 to 11, showed a 53 percent trust rating for Aquino, which is up by four points from September’s 49 percent.
He obtained the highest trust rating from people in the Visayas (64 percent) and Mindanao (61 percent), and among those in income classes D (51 percent) and E (64 percent). Nearly half (42 percent) of Filipinos in Metro Manila and Luzon (48 percent) also gave their trust to Aquino.
Although they did not get the trust of the majority, Aquino is closely followed by Vice President Jejomar Binay with 49 percent and Senate President Franklin Drilon with 47 percent.
Far behind are the trust ratings of House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte with 24 percent and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno with 25 percent.
A total of 1,800 respondents were interviewed for the survey which claims a margin of error of ± 2 percent and a confidence level of 95 percent.
The question asked was: “Nais sana naming tanungin kayo tungkol sa pagtitiwala ninyo sa ilang mga tao sa ating lipunan. Sa pamamagitan po ng board na ito, maaari bang pakisabi ninyo kung gaano kalaki o kaliit ang inyong pagtitiwala kay [Personality]? Masasabi ba ninyo na ito ay (Show and read rating board)?”
[Translation: “We would like to ask you about your trust in several people in our society. Through this board, kindly say how big or small your trust is in [Personality]? Would you say that it is (Show and read rating board)?”]
Respondents were shown a board with the choices: big trust (from very big trust to big trust) or small trust (from very small trust to small trust).
“In keeping with our academic nature, no religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes,” the Pulse Asia Research said in a news release.
High performance rating
With regard to performance, Aquino also got the biggest approval rating with 55 percent, followed by Binay with 52 percent, Drilon and Belmonte both with 51 percent and Sereno with 47 percent.
Respondents were asked if they approve or disapprove of the government officials’ performance of their duties.
Aquino’s performance rating is also the highest in the Visayas, Mindanao, and classes D and E.
Meanwhile, not one of the key government institutions obtained a majority approval rating. Only 47 percent approved of the performance of the Senate, the Supreme Court received 45 percent, and the House of Representatives got 40 percent.
Aquino, Binay vow to continue reforms
The two highest government officials welcomed the increase in their trust and performance ratings.
Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the president is “humbled by the show of support and trust” of the public.
He added Aquino vows to deliver “vital social reform and development programs in the remaining months of the administration.”
Meanwhile, Binay’s spokesman Atty. Rico Quicho said Binay will continue his “pro-poor agenda.”
Binay’s ratings surged in the recent Pulse Asia survey. His performance rating went up by nine points from the 43 percent he got in September to 52 in December, while his trust rating went up 10 points from 39 in September to 49 in December.
“This improvement in the Vice President’s ratings demonstrates that our people are responding to the clear message of the Vice President and empathizes with the challenges that he is facing to serve and uplift their lives,” Quicho said.
