PNoy’s trust, approval ratings drop to lowest after Mamasapano debacle

President Benigno Aquino III received his lowest trust and approval ratings since assuming the presidency in 2010 after the bloody January 25 Mamasapano operation which left over 60 people dead, pollster Pulse Asia said Tuesday.Aquino’s approval ratings nosedived from 59 percent last November to 38 percent this March, or over a month after the deadly mission, according to Pulse Asia survey results.

The same poll also showed the President’s trust ratings crashing to 36 percent this month from 56 percent last November.

GMA News Online sought Malacañang’s reaction to these figures, but Palace spokespersons have yet to reply as of posting time.

The Pulse Asia survey, conducted on 1,200 Filipino adults from March 1 to 7, likewise revealed a significant rise in the disapproval and distrust towards Aquino.

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The number of respondents who expressed disapproval towards Aquino rose from 11 percent last November to 23 percent this month.

Those who said that they did not trust Aquino also increased to 27 percent this March from 13 percent four months ago.

This means around one in every four Filipinos “is critical of presidential performance and distrusts him,” according to Pulse Asia.

The pollster also said that the number of Filipinos who approve and are undecided about Aquino’s performance were almost the same during this period.

According to the March survey, 39 percent expressed indecision over Aquino’s performance, while 37 percent are undecided whether or not to trust the President.

The Pulse Asia poll has plus-or-minus 6 percent margin of error.

PNoy and the Mamasapano mission

On January 25, forty-four members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) were killed when an operation to arrest high-profile terrorists resulted in a clash with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

Eighteen MILF fighters and at least five civilians were also killed in the encounter.The firefight erupted despite a peace deal and a ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the Philippine government. The encounter also halted congressional deliberations on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will embody the peace agreement.

Days after the bloody incident, President Aquino admitted that he knew and he was being updated about the Mamasapano mission.

He also admitted to tapping his close pal, then-suspended PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima, to explain the intricacies of the mission.

Last week, Aquino blamed relieved PNP SAF chief Director Getulio Napeñas for the bungled mission, saying the police officer fooled him and disobeyed his instructions.

The President has yet to make a public statement on whether or not he thinks Purisima is liable for the Mamasapano operation.

Also last week, the PNP’s Board of Inquiry (PNP) which probed the controversial operation concluded that Aquino broke the police’s chain of command while the deadly mission was being planned.

Malacañang however disputed the BOI’s conclusion, and maintained that Aquino did not break any law during the Mamasapano mission.

Other events prior to the survey

Aside from the Mamasapano debacle, other significant events prior to the survey period include:

– the swirling of coup rumors against the Aquino administration;
– the ongoing all-out offensive of the military against the BIFF;
– the yet-to-be-filled vacancies in the leadership of the Commission on Elections and the Commission on Audit;
– the release of the Supreme Court’s modified ruling on the controversial disbursement acceleration program; and
– the Sandiganbayan’s order to freeze Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.’s assets in connection with his pork barrel scam cases.

Source: GMA Network