Estrada gets 21% in Pulse Asia poll

After bouncing back in a survey just days ago, President Estrada scored a much higher net approval rating of 21 percent in another poll, conducted by Pulse Asia Inc.

Of 1,200 respondents from across the country, 49 percent said they were satisfied with Mr. Estrada's performance; 28 percent said they were not.

The poll was taken from March 15-29.

Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as usual, got a high approval rating of 77 percent.

Pulse Asia, headed by Professor Felipe Miranda, will formally announce this week the survey results, which come on the heels of the poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations Inc. (SWS) wherein Mr. Estrada scored a five- percent net approval rating.

Mr. Estrada's latest Pulse Asia rating is higher than the last one conducted in the fourth quarter of 1999 wherein he garnered an 18 percent rating.

The slight improvement could have been due to several developments in the first three months of the year. These include the recall of priest-killer Norberto Manero's pardon, the President's meeting with oil company executives asking them for lower fuel prices, his meeting with jeepney drivers and operators asking them not to raise transport fares, and changes in the Cabinet.

As in the SWS survey, Mr. Estrada, in the Pulse Asia poll, scored very low in Metro Manila, traditionally the center of criticism against the presidency. He received a negative six percent job approval rating among respondents in the metropolis.

Outside Metro Manila, on a per region basis, Mr. Estrada got a 28 percent rating in the Visayas, and 25 percent in Mindanao.

The President got better reception from respondents in rural areas with 33 percent compared to 13 percent from those in urban centers.

Like the SWS survey, Mr. Estrada fared better among the lower-income classes, the people who, he says, were the ones who voted for him. He got a 24 percent performance rating from the D class; 31 percent from the E class.

As Mr. Estrada had already expected, he scored low among the higher-income classes -- A, B and C -- which gave him a negative six percent performance rating.

The STAR got a sneak peek into the Pulse Asia first quarter survey results, a copy of which was furnished Mr. Estrada last Friday.

With satisfaction, the President said the Pulse Asia survey indicated the success of his efforts to explain to people, particularly in far-flung areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, about his administration's programs to improve the lot of the poor.

Although claiming he no longer cared what the surveys say, Mr. Estrada, however, couldn't hide his frustration with the negative media reports against his administration. He blamed the press for dragging his popularity ratings down.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the Pulse Asia survey explained one thing: "I think the Pulse Asia survey indicated the general feeling and perception of the people that their lives have indeed improved under the Estrada administration."

"I think also the provincial trips of the President helped a lot when he was able to explain directly to the people the various programs and projects of the government for them," he said.

Diokno received a 21 percent approval rating in the survey. Among the Cabinet members, Interior Secretary Alfredo Lim got the highest with 70 percent.

Explaining his performance rating, Lim told The STAR: "I think credit should go to the appointing authority, President Estrada, because he has been very supportive of my programs for the (Department of Interior and Local Government), for the peace and order campaign of the administration."

Lim's partner in the government's law and order campaign, Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson, garnered a 56 percent approval rating.

Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado got 57 percent. President Estrada's former running mate, Agriculture Secretary Edgardo Angara scored 49 percent. Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora drew 17 percent.

The goat was Energy Secretary Mario Tiaoqui who got zero percent for being associated with the series of gasoline price increases. -