Palace vows ‘bolder’ reforms after PRRD’s trust ratings soar

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in Manila on December 20, 2019. REY BANIQUET/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — Malacañang on Monday vowed to undertake “bolder reforms” after a survey showed that President Rodrigo Duterte’s trust and approval ratings soared this month.

The Pulse Asia Survey, conducted from Dec. 3 to 8, showed that 87 percent of respondents approved of the President’s performance while 83 percent of respondents trusted him.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said these results showed that Duterte “inspires confidence and support from the Filipino people.”

“We are thankful for our people’s continuing trust and assure everyone that – regardless of the survey numbers -there is no room for complacency in this branch of the government,” Panelo said in a statement.

“We will continue to persevere to undertake bolder reforms to make the bureaucracy more efficient and responsive to the needs of our people and push this country to the heights heretofore not reached,” he added.

Panelo stressed that “a good leader is measured by the trust reposed on him by the people he serves.”

He pointed out that since assuming as President, Duterte has maintained his trust rating at the top, which he said is a walking testament that he is a leader that Filipinos continue to “rely on.”

While 87 percent of respondents expressed approval of the President’s performance, 5 percent expressed disapproval, and 8 percent were undecided.

The 87 percent approval rating is 9 percentage points higher from his September rating.

Duterte, who hails from southern Philippines, received the highest approval rating from respondents in Mindanao (98 percent), followed by Visayas (93 percent), and Luzon (83 percent).

On the other hand, 83 percent of respondents showed that they had “big trust” in the President, 6 percent had “small or no trust”, and 10 percent were “undecided.”

The 83 percent trust rating is also an improvement of 9 percentage points from his 74 percent grade in September.

Nearly 100 percent of respondents from Mindanao said they trusted the President.

He acquired an 89 percent trust rating in Visayas, 78 percent in the national capital region, and 75 percent in Luzon.