Malacañang on Thursday described President Rodrigo Duterte’s four years in office as “great” considering the many challenges the administration had faced, such as the fight against illegal drugs and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said that, with two more years in office, Duterte was doing great and cited his 80-percent approval ratings in the recent surveys.
“As far as the approval rating of the President is concerned, that does not drop to 80 percent, so the people approve of what the President is doing. That includes the drug campaign,” Roque said in a televised public press briefing.
“Although we’ve been hit by the pandemic, the overwhelming majority of our people support the President’s actions.”
Roque said the economy had been affected by the COVID-19 crisis, but the Philippines continued to maintain its good economic standing amid the pandemic.
“We averaged 6.5-percent growth annually in the past four years, inflation is under control, interest rates are low,” Roque said.
“We had a record credit rating attesting to the fact that the creditors believe that our policies are right. So it was actually a great performance as far as the economy is concerned.”
Roque said the administration remained focused on the campaign against illegal drugs, anti-corruption and poverty alleviation as among the cornerstones of the Duterte administration.
He said the four years of the Duterte administration had been generally fruitful.
“Much has been accomplished but much more needs to be done,” Roque said.
“It is a continuous work in progress in achieving and actualizing the promise of genuine and meaningful change for the Filipino people.”
