Rody on big ratings dip: ‘It doesn’t really matter to me’

The president said that he is not bothered if the ratings make him unpopular because it is nonsense. (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

President Rodrigo Duterte is unfazed of the big drop in his trust and net satisfaction ratings in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The drop is said to be Duterte’s biggest dip in ratings since he became the President.

“It does not really matter to me. Kasi ‘yung lahat na ginagawa ko [Because all of the things I’m doing], those were exactly the words that I used during the campaign,” the president said in an interview over state-run PTV-4.

The Third Quarter of 2017 SWS Survey conducted from September 23-27 showed that with Duterte’s performance, 67% of adult Filipinos are satisfied, 14% are undecided, and 19% are dissatisfied.

The gross satisfaction fell by 11 points from 78% in June with the gross undecided increasing by four points from 10%, and gross dissatisfaction rising by seven points from 12%.

[Read: SWS: Rody’s satisfaction, trust ratings drop]

“Yung ratings, maski mag-abot ako ng zero. Wala ‘yun… May trabaho ako [The ratings, even if I get zero, it’s nothing. I have a job], zero, zero, plus. Ganon pa rin, mag-trabaho ako kasi pinangako ko [It’s just the same, I have to do my job because it’s my promise],” Duterte said.

“I have to honor but I promised because that is my covenant with the people,” he added.

The president said that he is not bothered if the ratings make him unpopular because it is nonsense.

“Kung ako’y makulong at mamatay dahil diyan, pasensya [If I will be jailed or killed because of that, I’m sorry]. At ako nama’y lumigaya at nagawa ko lahat ng pinangako ko sa Pilipinas [I am happy because I have done what I have promised for the Philippines], that is my personal satisfaction,” Duterte said.

“Kung hindi ninyo nagustuhan noon o ngayon, o ngayon lang ang ginagawa ko, eh pasensya na po [If you don’t like what I’m doing even before, or just now, I’m sorry]. I am not hungry for statistics. Tapos na po ‘yan. ‘Yung 16 million po, ‘yun na ‘yung statistics ko. Ngayon, dumating ang panahon na hindi niyo kayang lunukin ‘yung sinabi ko. Problema ninyo ‘yan, hindi ko problema ‘yan [That’s already done. The 16 million is my statistics. Now, the time has come when you can’t swallow what I say. It’s your problem, not mine],” Duterte added.

Duterte reiterated his loyalty to the country, even using the same principle from former President Manuel L. Quezon.

“To be truthful. Maghiram na lang ako ng [I will just borrow]— I think it’s the words of President Quezon when he said, ‘My loyalty to the party ends where my loyalty to my country begins,’” Duterte said.

“Ibahin ko lang ho [I just changed it a bit]. The human rights of the criminals end where the survival of my country begins.

Simple as that,” he added.