Majority of Filipinos remained satisfied with President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance, despite his many controversial pronouncements, the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed on Friday, only three days to 2019.
According to SWS, seven out of 10 Filipino adults were satisfied with the Chief Executive’s performance.
The pollster recorded that 74 percent of Filipinos were satisfied, 11 percent of them undecided, while the remaining 15 percent expressed dissatisfaction over Duterte’s performance as the President.
Compared to September 2018, Duterte’s gross satisfaction also rose by four points from 70 percent, gross undecided fell by three points from 14 percent, and gross dissatisfaction fell by a point from 16 percent, the SWS noted.
“This gives a net satisfaction rating of +60, classified by SWS as very good. This is up by six points from the very good +54 in September 2018,” the pollster explained in its report.
“This brings President Duterte’s 2018 annual average net satisfaction score to a very good +54, 5 points below the very good average net +59 in 2017,” it added.
The SWS mentioned that the 6-point rise in Duterte’s net satisfaction rating from September 2018 to December 2018 was because of the increases of 22 points in Metro Manila, 13 points in the Visayas, and three points in Balance Luzon, joined with a 4-point decline in Mindanao.
The President’s net satisfaction rating rose by one grade from good to very good in Metro Manila, at +58 in December 2018, up by 22 points from the previous +36 in September 2018.
In the Visayas, it rose from good to very good at +62 in December, up by 13 points from +49 back in September.
It also rose from good to very good in Balance Luzon, at +52 this December, up by three points from +49 in September.
However, it decreased by four points in Mindanao at +73 in December from the previous +77 in September but still managed to stay in the excellent category, nonetheless.
Satisfaction with Duterte is also up across all socio-economic classes, the SWS said.
The 73-year-old President received +62 or “very good” in class ABC, which was up by 21 points from +41, +65 or “very good” in class E, which was up by 20 points from +45, and +58 or “very good” in class D, which was up by two points from +56.
The SWS also found out that city dwellers are more satisfied with the President’s performance.
Duterte’s urban net satisfaction ratings went up by 22 points to +64 from +42, while his satisfaction rating went down by five points to +57 from +62 in rural areas.
The said survey, conducted from December 16 to 19, used face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults.
It has a margin of error of ±2.6 percent for national percentages and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Some of Duterte’s recent controversial remarks from the past two months are his statement on establishing his own “Duterte Death Squad” to quell communist rebels, his continuous criticisms against the Catholic Church and its teaching, and his encouragement to kill useless bishops and priests, lambasting them for their alleged homosexual acts.
