Pulse Asia Research, Inc. is pleased to share with you some findings on the Trust Ratings of the Top 3 Philippine Government Officials and Filipinos’ Expectations of the New Administration from the July 2016 Ulat ng Bayan national survey. We request you to assist us in informing the public by disseminating this information.
The survey fieldwork was conducted from July 2 to 8, 2016 using face-to-face interviews.
The following news developments preoccupied Filipinos immediately before and during the conduct of the interviews for this nationwide survey:
(1) The oath-taking of President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo on 30 June 2016;
(2) The appointment of Vice-President Robredo as Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairperson, former National Food Authority (NFA) Chief Angelito Banayo as Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Managing Director and Resident Representative, and former Gabriela Party List Representative Liza Maza as National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Lead Convenor;
(3) The filing of cases against former President Benigno S. Aquino III in connection with his administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the Mamasapano encounter on 25 January 2015 which resulted in the death of 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF);
(4) The bills filed by Senator Franklin M. Drilon granting emergency powers to President Duterte to enable him to address the traffic crisis in Metro Manila and other key cities across the country, by Negros Occidental Representative Alfredo Benitez calling on Congress to sit as a constituent assembly to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution for the purpose of changing the country’s form of government to a federal form, and by Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez and Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro reimposing the death penalty through lethal injection;
(5) The spate of drug-related killings in various parts of the country and calls for a congressional investigation into the matter; President Duterte’s naming of five (5) former and incumbent police officials as drug lord coddlers, an accusation which these officers denied;
(6) The decision of President Duterte’s economic managers to reduce the national growth targets for 2016 and 2017;
(7) The impending implementation of the executive order on freedom of information (FOI) to be issued by President Duterte in mid-July 2016;
(8) The expression of willingness by President Duterte to engage in bilateral talks and joint exploration with China in disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea; and
(9) The increase in the electricity bills to be paid by Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) customers in July 2016 by 29 centavos per kilowatt-hour due to higher generation charges.
As in our previous Ulat ng Bayan surveys, this nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level. Those interested in further technical details concerning the survey’s questionnaire and sampling design may request Pulse Asia Research in writing for fuller details, including copies of the pre-tested questions actually used.
Pulse Asia Research’s pool of academic fellows takes full responsibility for the design and conduct of the survey, as well as for analyses it makes based on the survey data. In keeping with our academic nature, no religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes. Pulse Asia Research undertakes Ulat ng Bayan surveys on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort.
For any clarification or questions, kindly contact Dr. Ana Maria Tabunda, Research Director of Pulse Asia Research at 09189436816 or Ronald D. Holmes, Pulse Asia Research President at 09189335497 or via email (ronald.holmes@gmail.com).
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Nearly all Filipinos (91%) express trust in President Rodrigo R. Duterte; Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo is also trusted by most Filipinos (62%) while Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno registers a big plurality indecision figure (42%)
President Rodrigo R. Duterte begins his stint as the country’s 16th president with an overwhelming majority of his constituents expressing trust in him (91%) and practically no one distrusting him (0.2%). The rest of Filipinos (8%) cannot say if they trust or distrust President Duterte. The latter records majority trust ratings in every geographic area (89% to 97%) and socio-economic grouping (89% to 92%). (Please refer to Tables 1 and 2.)
A sizeable majority of Filipinos (62%) trust Vice-President Maria Leonor G. Robredo while a little over one (1) in 10 Filipinos distrust her outright (11%). More than a quarter of Filipinos (27%) are ambivalent on the matter of trusting or distrusting the Vice-President. Most Filipinos – regardless of geographic location and socio-economic status – say they trust Vice-President Robredo (58% to 72% and 53% to 64%, respectively).
In the case of Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno, the plurality sentiment toward her trustworthiness is one of indecision (42%). Trust in the latter is more manifest than distrust (35% versus 19%). Big plurality indecision figures are posted by the Supreme Court Chief Justice in the Visayas (43%) and Class E (46%). On the other hand, the latter receives practically the same trust and indecision ratings in Metro Manila (40% versus 37%), the rest of Luzon (36% versus 46%), Mindanao (38% versus 36%), Class ABC (37% versus 50%), and Class D (38% versus 39%).
Economic concerns top Filipinos’ list of issues which should be addressed immediately by the Duterte administration – inflation (68%), employment (56%), and pro-poor programs (55%)
For most Filipinos, the new administration must prioritize three (3) economic issues – controlling increases in prices (68%), creating employment opportunities (56%), and crafting new pro-poor programs (55%) – in its first six (6) months in office. A near majority of Filipinos (48%) would like the Duterte administration to immediately address the problem of criminality in the country. A third cluster of issues cited by Filipinos includes the granting of loans to small entrepreneurs and the self-employed (23%), the preparation of a program addressing the government’s debt problem (17%), and the continued pursuit of peace negotiations with different armed groups (17%). Less than one (1) in 10 Filipinos says the current dispensation should give priority to efforts to forge a government of national unity (9%) and to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution (7%). (Please refer to Table 3.)
The primary first-mentioned issue to be prioritized by the Duterte administration is controlling inflation (30%). In terms of second-mentioned issues, the top responses are controlling inflation (23%) and creating new pro-poor programs (20%). As far as third-mentioned issues are concerned, the leading ones are creating new pro-poor programs (20%), generating employment (17%), reducing criminality (17%), and controlling inflation (16%).
Majorities in Metro Manila (54% to 60%), the Visayas (56% to 70%), Class ABC (55% to 61%), and Class D (57% to 69%) are of the view that the new administration should immediately take steps to control inflation, generate employment, and create new pro-poor programs. Most Metro Manilans (54%) would also like the Duterte administration to prioritize the issue of criminality. In the rest of Luzon, sizeable to big majorities (61% to 70%) say the national administration must give priority to controlling inflation and generating employment. Among Mindanaoans, the majority responses are controlling inflation (70%), creating new pro-poor programs (59%), and reducing criminality (51%). And in Class E, the only issue cited by a majority is inflation (70%). (Please refer to Table 4.)
With regard to first-mentioned issues, the primary response in Classes D and E is inflation (31% and 29%, respectively). In Class ABC, the leading answers are inflation (25%), employment (24%), criminality (22%), and pro-poor programs (14%). Among Metro Manilans, the most often cited first-mentioned responses are criminality (23%), inflation (22%), employment (20%), and pro-poor programs (19%). Those in the rest of Luzon and the Visayas are most inclined to cite inflation (33% and 31%, respectively) and employment (both at 24%) as the first-mentioned issues to be addressed immediately by the present administration. And in Mindanao, the top first-mentioned issues are inflation (28%) and criminality (20%). (Please refer to Table 5.)
