PNOY gets its lowest SWS Survey rating

By Oliver Palileo

In a recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS), the net satisfaction rating of President Aquino reaches to its all-time low of +11 points compare to previous surveys conducted by the research institute. In a statement, the survey was conducted from March 20-23, 2015 with they interviewed 1,200 respondents nationwide.

Figure 1 Source: Social Weather Stations’ website
http://www.sws.org.ph

It is said that 47% of the respondents are still satisfied in the performance of the President while 36% of them says that they are not satisfied with the President and 17% are undecided.

It is a big difference compared to the result of December 2014 survey where 63% are satisfied with the President, 24% are dissatisfied and 14% are undecided, and it has a +39 overall net satisfaction rating.

It is confirmed by Malacanang that the sudden fall of the satisfaction rating of the President is because of the unfortunate death of 44 PNP-Special Action Force troops in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

But, Secretary Sonny Coloma assure the public the president, together with his cabinet are determined to fully implement the reforms and development projects to attain inclusive growth and further improve the lives of the Filipinos.

“Transparent and responsive governance along the righteous path will be pursued, so that public institutions may be strengthened, the transformation process may be sustained and that the concrete gains achieved will become permanent,” he added.

SWS Survey, an overlook

In over 30 years, SWS conduct surveys to look at the perceptions of the Filipino people regarding government.

Although President Benigno Aquino got his highest net satisfaction rating of +67 points last August 2012, it is his mother; former president Corazon Aquino has the highest net satisfaction rating. It was a +72 net satisfaction rating which dated back October of 1986.

Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the only president with the negative net satisfaction rating. It was recorded last November of 2003 with -3 points. It was increased in January 2004 where she received +8 points. She again received a negative point during the October 2004 survey wherein she has a -6 net satisfaction rating and it didn’t even rise again from the negative points up until she finished her term with a -17 net satisfaction rating. She also has the lowest net satisfaction rating of -50 which it was dated back July 2008.

Massacre or a ‘mere misencounter?’

NEARLY two and a half months after the clash of the Special Action Force (SAF) and the combined force of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) that led to the death of 60 people in a gruesome bloodbath in Mamasapano, Magunidanao, one big question is in the minds of most Filipinos: was the incident really a ‘massacre’ or was it just a ‘mere encounter?’

To add to the drama, the leaders of the Senate committees, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) are also debating about it.

CHR chairperson Loreta Ann Rosales found the response of Senator Grace Poe, regarding the senators’ final report on the incident, were too rash that Poe “easily jumped to conclusions” in stating that it was indeed a “massacre” instead of it being a “mere encounter.”

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, on the other hand, “insisted” that what happened in Mamasapano “was a massacre and not simply a misencounter,” according to ABS-CBN News.

According to Secretary Leila De Lima, the evidence that the National Bureau of Investigation-National Prosecution Service (NBI-NPS) has gathered so far showed that it was just “an encounter and not a massacre.” They are also looking if the 44 SAF members were killed for a “justifiable act of self-defence,” which was claimed by the MILF, or if it was “an act of unlawful violence.”

This debate has been showing up in the news for over a week and there is still a big hole wherein we can’t give justice to the families, friends, and loved ones as to how a simple operation to target two of the world’s most wanted terrorists lead to a gruesome death of 44 of the SAF troopers.

This doesn’t just concern the families of the SAF troops, but also the ones of the MILF. All who were killed were humans and right now, debating whether the incident was a massacre or a misencounter is not really the most important thing right now. Yes, it may clear up the issue a bit but it will only spark more disagreement within the government instead of carefully investigating the situations that happened last January 25.

If only the bodies can talk, they might be able to give their families a peace of heart, but what they do know is that they were all brutally killed. But they can’t talk anymore, they just can’t.