By Junex Doronio

COULD THE UNFULFILLED P20 PER KILO OF RICE and confidential funds cause the tumbling down of approval ratings of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte?

In the latest survey conducted by Pulse Asia in September this year, it can be noticed that from 80 percent in the June survey, Marcos’ approval rating fell to 65 percent, while Duterte’s dropped from 84 percent to 73 percent in the same period.

“Although the President and the Vice-President continue to enjoy majority approval scores at the national level and across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, both experience significant erosions in their respective approval ratings during the period June 2023 to September 2023,” Pulse Asia said in its report.

The President’s approval rating of 65 percent – just 15 months into his six-year term – is only one percentage point away from the lowest approval score that former president Rodrigo Duterte got in a Pulse Asia survey.

It can also be noted that FPRRD got an approval grade of 64 percent in the polling firm’s September 2021 census, and it was Rodrigo Duterte’s lowest rating as president of the country.

“Ang tinatahak na landas ni PBBM ay taliwas sa inaasahan ng mayoryang nagluklok sa kanya. Ang bigas na pangunahing pagkain na mahalaga sa mamamayan ang naging batayan ng pagboto sa kasalukuyang administrasyon. Ang pangakong gawing 20 pesos ang kilo ng bigas at di nya kayang pangatawanan ang siyang magiging daan upang masiphayo ang mga umaasa  sa kanya. Ito rin ang magiging daan upang dumausdos ang kanyang popularidad,” socialist-leaning Sanlakas -Cebu secretary general Teodorico “Ka Teody” Duran Navea told Maharlika Nu Media in an exclusive interview.

On the other hand, believed to be aiming for the 2028 presidency, VP and concurrent Education Secretary Sara’s popularity was dented during that period when the controversy about the Department of Education’s memorandum revising the “diktadurang Marcos” (Marcos dictatorship) term to simply “diktadura” (dictatorship) in the Araling Panlipunan subject stirred controversy.

The P125-million confidential funds may also have affected Inday Sara’s popularity.

Pulse Asia, however, said the latest appraisal of PBBM and VP Sara still means Filipinos appreciate their work performance.

In Publicus Asia’s PAHAYAG 2023 Third Quarter survey which was released on September 28, the results also showed a similar decline in the proportion of Pro-Administration sentiment, and an increase in Anti-Administration sentiments although the pollster claimed “these shifts do not appear to have an observable impact on the leanings towards opposition.”

Pro-administration support decreased and experienced a notable decline.

Specifically, the proportion of respondents who expressed Pro-Administration sentiments dropped from 48% in Q2 to 43% in Q3.

This decrease indicates that fewer individuals are aligned with the current administration as well as its priorities compared to the previous quarter, Publicus said. (ai/mnm)