In a media release Monday, Pulse Asia said Binay and Drilon experienced gains in their national approval ratings and overall trust ratings.
A survey conducted from March 19-26, 2014 showed Binay’s approval rating went up by seven percentage points from 80 percent in December to 87 percent in March while his trust rating went up by nine percentage points from 77 percent in December to 86 percent in March.
On the other hand, after a big dip in his ratings last year, Senate President Franklin Drilon came back with a 15-percentage-point increase in both his approval and trust ratings.
Drilon’s approval rating went up from 43 percent in December to 58 percent in March while his trust rating rose from 40 percent in December to 55 percent in March.
In September last year, Drilon’s ratings were pulled down by the pork barrel scam which hounded the Senate.
Drilon was dragged into the controversy after he admitted meeting businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the scam, at a party. He denied having any transactions with her.
His approval rating further went down to 43 percent in December from September’s 50 percent, while his trust ratings plunged from 46 percent in September to 40 percent in December.
President Aquino’s ratings
Survey results released earlier this month showed a slight dip in the President’s ratings despite high-profile arrests and the conclusion of a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Pulse Asia said there is nothing wrong with the decline in the President’s approval and trust ratings as it is still within the ± 3 percent error margin.
“Filipinos’ views regarding presidential performance and trustworthiness remain constant during the period December 2013 to March 2014,” it said.
“The movements in President Aquino’s ratings at the national level and across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings are not considered significant as they fall within the relevant error margins,” it added.
In the December survey of Pulse Asia, the President ‘s approval rating went down from 79 percent in September to 73 percent in December, while his trust rating plunged from 76 percent in September to 74 percent in December.
Binay, on the other hand, got an approval rating of 80 percent in December, which was up three notches from 77 percent in September. His trust rating also went up to 77 percent in December from 74 percent in September.
Belmonte, Sereno
The approval and trust ratings of House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno went down in March.
“Approval for and trust in House Speaker Belmonte ease during this period (both at -7 percentage points),” Pulse Asia said.
Sereno got 40 percent approval rating in March which is four percentage points down from December and a 36 percent trust rating in March which is five percentage points down from December.
In March 2014, only the Supreme Court succeeded in scoring a majority approval rating with 53 percent or one percentage point up from December, while the Senate and House got 41 percent and 38 percent, respectively, or four percentage points down from December.
A total of 1,200 adults were interviewed all over the country for the survey.
Among the local and international developments in March were the investigation on the pork barrel scam, the arrest of Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee, the power crisis in Mindanao, the conclusion of the peace negotiations between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the arrest of two key leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370. —Amita O. Legaspi/KG, GMA News
