MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Vice President Leni Robredo saw a decline in their respective net satisfaction ratings at the end of 2018, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

According to the 4th Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey released on Tuesday, January 15, the Speaker’s net satisfaction rating declined by 17 points, causing her rating to dip from a “neutral” -4 neutral to a “poor” -21 satisfaction rating in December 2018. 

SWS said Arroyo’s steep decline was mostly due to Visayas, where her rating decreased by 23 points from +8 in September to -15 in December. Her net satisfaction rating also fell in all other major geographical areas from September to December: From “neutral” -3 to “poor” -22 in Mindanao, from “neutral” -4 to “poor” -17 in Balance Luzon, and from “poor” -25 to “bad” -36 in Metro Manila.

To dertermine the net satisfaction rating, the SWS computes percentage of satisfied minus percentage of dissatisfied. 

The Vice President’s 7-point decline in her overall net satisfaction rating, meanwhile, was attributed to decreases of 15 points in Balance Luzon, 7 points in Metro Manila, and 3 points in Mindanao. Robredo’s net satisfaction rating in Visayas, however, increased by 9 points.  

Robredo’s net satisfaction rating previously fell by two points in the 3rd Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey.

The survey was conducted from December 16 to 19, 2018 using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults aged 18 years old and above nationwide.

SWS released the results of its survey 4 days after a Pulse Asia survey showed that, with the exception of Arroyo, Philippine leaders enjoy the approval and trust of a majority of Filipinos.

Sotto stays ‘very good,’ Bersamin with ‘moderate’

While two of the most high ranking lady politicians in the country saw declines in their satisfaction rating, Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s rating went by 6 points 

From +55 in September 2018, Sotto’s net satisfaction rating went up to +61 in December, staying at “very good.” 

SWS said the rise of Sotto’s satisfaction ratings is because his rating in Metro Manila went up by 15 points, plus a 14-point increase in Mindanao and 11-point increase in the Visayas. Sotto, however, saw a two-point decline in his satisfaction rating in Balance Luzon.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin was included in the SWS survey for the first time. He received an overall net satisfaction rating of a “moderate” +11.

Satisfaction of Bersamin was at the highest in Balance Luzon with a “moderate” +17, followed by the Visayas with “moderate” +12, Metro Manila with “neutral” +9, and Mindanao with “neutral” +3. 

The SWS uses the terms “excellent” for +70 and above, “very good” for +50 to +69, “good” for +30 to +49, “moderate” for +10 to +29, “neutral” for +9 to -9, “poor” for -10 to -29, “bad” for -30 to -49, “very bad” for -50 to -69, and “execrable” for -70 and below. 

Among the issues at the time of the survey were the delay in the passage of the proposed P3.757-trillion budget for 2019, lawmakers’ string of corruption accusations against Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Arroyo’s acquittal from electoral sabotage charges, and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr’s acquittal from plunder over the pork barrel scam. – Rappler.com