Palace not concerned with rise in VP Binay’s ratings

Malacañang on Monday said it is not concerned with the rise in the satisfaction ratings of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is eyeing the presidency in the 2016 polls.

During a media briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that throughout the years, the vice president’s ratings are almost always higher than those of other officials, including the president.

“Historical iyan. If you look at the surveys of the president and the vice president, historical na mas mataas ang vice president. We’ve asked also the survey experts. They said it is historical, save for some exceptions,” Lacierda said.

He also said that the 2016 elections is not the administration’s priority as of now.

“We are all working hard for this government. 2016 may be around the corner, but we are not focused on 2016. We are focused on governance. We certainly welcome the numbers of Vice President Binay,” Lacierda said.

In its latest survey released Monday, Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported that Binay’s satisfaction ratings improved from +62 last December to an “excellent” +73 in March. Meanwhile, the satisfaction ratings of Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., both administration allies, dropped.

Last April, the SWS also reported that President Benigno Aquino III’s public satisfaction ratings dipped from +48 last December to +45 in March.

Grateful

Binay’s spokesman, Joey Salgado, meanwhile said that the vice president is “grateful to the people for their trust and confidence.”

“With two years left to his term, Vice President Binay will remain focused on his work, particularly assisting OFWs [overseas Filipino workers], housing, and providing help to our kababayans in need.” Salgado said in a statement.

Salgado added that Binay “will not be distracted by crude attempts of political detractors to malign his name and raise false and baseless allegations against him.”

Binay has earlier expressed intention to be the opposition coalition’s standard-bearer in the 2016 polls.

Aquino, meanwhile, has been silent on who will represent the ruling Liberal Party (LP) in the upcoming presidential race.

Last March, Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, LP’s acting president, said Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas II is the administration party’s only choice for standard-bearer in 2016. —KBK, GMA News