MANILA – A survey conducted last month by members of the Makati Business Club (MBC) shows that the overall satisfaction ratings of both the Senate and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), as well as the nation’s Administrative Offices, plummeted as a result of the public outcry against the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Both the PDAF (a discretionary fund for lawmakers, from which many receive kickbacks) and the DAP (Pres. Aquino’s highly controversial economic stimulus program), have been declared unconstitutional, whether in whole or in part, by the Supreme Court (SC).
Likewise, the offices of the President and the Vice-President suffered blows in ratings; with both taking a nosedive.
According to the survey, Senate ratings dropped 48 places from 14th place to 62nd place, the bottom of the barrel; while the DBM plunged 46 notches from 4th to 50th place.
The House of Representatives came in second to the last, falling to 61st place.
Other agencies to suffer marked drops were: the Department of Agriculture (18th to 60th), Department of Energy (24th to 53rd), House of Representatives (37th to 61st) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (21st to 43rd).
The Office of the President plunged 22 places from 14th to 36th, and the Office of the Vice President fell 25 notches from a previous ranking of 8th to 33rd.
Respondents, business leaders in their fields, were asked to give positive net satisfaction ratings to 43 out of 62 national agencies and offices.
Survey period was from July 1-25; during which time, the SC ruled the DAP partly unconstitutional, issues surrounding rice smuggling and hoarding came into focus, PDAF scam related matters continued to play out, typhoon Rammasun brought the power crisis to the forefront, rumours of a coup flew, among other things.