FEWER Filipinos are happy about the way President Rodrigo Duterte is running the country, according to the latest survey of Pulse Asia, taken between March 15 and 20 this year.
Make no mistake about it —there is still overwhelming support. Seventy-eight percent of respondents remain satisfied with the President’s performance though this was lower than the 83 percent registered the previous quarter.
Worth noting is the jump in performance rating among the ABC group, 86 percent, up 17 percentage points from 69 percent in December.
Poorer Filipinos seem to hold a different opinion, however. The D segment gave a rating of 78 percent, down 6 percentage points from December’s 84 percent. The poorest of the poor, the E segment, gave the President a performance rating of 77 percent, down 8 percentage points from 85 percent in December.
The numbers are different but the story is similar when it comes to trust. Seventy-six percent continue to trust Mr. Duterte—fewer than the previous quarter’s 83 percent. More members of the ABC class trust him, but fewer members of the D and E do.
What do all these numbers tell us?
One can read these figures two ways. The first group can maintain honeymoon periods hardly ever last and these latest results just show Mr. Duterte is no exception. That he commands these numbers despite having won by just a plurality in itself speaks volumes about the kind of support he enjoys, owing perhaps to his promise of change, colorful language and mass appeal.
The other explanation is that support is gradually slipping. The past nine months have shown us that electing a maverick candidate as president does not guarantee a stark departure from the ways of government we have come to despise. While there may be no argument on the intention to do this country good, there are many questions on the manner in which this supposed good is brought about.
Then again, a survey is a snapshot. It is important to note the events that took place and the sentiments that prevailed at the time the survey was taken. Did the poor feel especially sidelined? Did notions of impeachment wear out the respondents?
In the end, the popularity contest was over the moment the presidency was won. What should follow in the next six years should be a series of consistent and decisive acts, not necessarily popular, that would improve the lot of Filipinos.
There will be plenty of highs and lows in the years to come, no doubt. But a performance truly worthy of applause is one that makes more people say they feel better about themselves. A leader truly worthy of trust is one who says one thing—and does not need any clarification the day after.