Drilon sees Pulse Asia survey to boost Aquino’s endorsement power

President Benigno S. Aquino III is shown with House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Senate President Franklin Drilon, before delivering his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA) during the Joint Session of the 16th Congress at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on July 28. (Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacanang Photo Bureau)

MANILA – Senate President Franklin Drilon on Monday said the improved trust ratings of President Benigno Aquino III will boost the President’s endorsement value in the 2016 elections.

”He has big endorsement value because the President regained the trust of the people,” Drilon said in a radio dzRH interview.

Based on the Pulse Asia survey held from March 30 to June 5, the President’s performance rating improved to 54 percent from 38 percent last March while his trust approval rating increase to 50% from record-low 36 percent.

”If we will look at history of the trust ratings, perhaps this is the highest trust rating on the last year of the incumbent presidency,” Drilon said.

”This showed that the President has regained the trust of the people since the Mamasapano incident,” he added.

Drilon acknowledged that the President has mishandled the Mamasapano incident when he allowed then suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima to participate in the operation to get international terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir or alias Marwan.

”But by and large, I think, the President’s ‘daang matuwid’ policy has contributed a lot of benefits for our countrymen,” Drilon said.

Drilon hopes that President Aquino will endorse Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as standard bearer of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) in the 2016 national elections.

Drilon is the third most trusted government official with 45 percent behind Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is the most trusted, and President Aquino.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte is in fourth with 28 percent followed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno got 27 percent, according to the survey.