Nearly half of Pinoys trust Sereno, says survey

MANILA, Philippines - Nearly half of Filipinos trust Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, a nationwide poll of an independent survey outfit showed yesterday.

The non-commissioned “Pulso ng Pilipino” third quarter survey conducted by The Issues and Advocacy Center from Aug. 24 to 30 showed that 49 percent of those polled “trust” Sereno, while 34 percent “don’t trust” and 17 percent “don’t know,” giving her a net trust rating of 15 percent.

The survey also indicated that nearly half or 48 percent favor the appointment of the first woman chief justice, while 39 percent are not in favor.

Those polled on the issue of trust and gender were those aware of Sereno’s appointment, The Center said.

“Hence, new Chief Justice Sereno will becoming into the Supreme Court with a +15 percent trust rating which she can parlay into an advantage to complement her primary goal of restoring the people’s trust and confidence in the High Tribunal,” Ed Malay, head of the outfit, said.

The third quarter survey also showed high satisfaction ratings for the country’s top four officials, namely, President Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Sixty-eight percent of Filipinos are satisfied with the performance of Aquino while 23 percent are not, giving him a net satisfaction rating of 45 percent.

Binay obtained a net satisfaction rating of 61 percent from 73 percent of the respondents satisfied and 12 percent not satisfied.

Enrile got a 41 percent net satisfaction rating out of 60 percent satisfied minus 19 percent of the respondents not satisfied with his performance.

Forty-two percent of those polled were satisfied with the performance of Belmonte while 23 percent were not, resulting in a net satisfaction rating of 19 percent.

The survey was done through face-to-face interviews of 1,200 respondents divided equally among registered voters between 18 to 65 years of age from four social classes in Mega Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao. The poll carried a margin of error of +/-3.5 percent.

Meanwhile, six in 10 Filipinos favor allowing former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad, the same survey showed.

The non-commissioned survey showed that 61 percent of those polled were in favor of letting Arroyo seek medical treatment abroad to repair a dislodged metal implant in her neck while 39 percent were not in favor.

The question asked was: “Are you in favor or are you not in favor of plans by former President and currently Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek permission of the courts to allow her to leave the country to seek medical treatment abroad?”

Those polled were 91 percent of 1,200 respondents who said they were aware of the issue.

Majority of the respondents or 69 percent also agreed with the move of the Pasay City regional trial court to grant her bail, while 31 percent disagreed.

The 65-year-old Arroyo on Thursday tweeted that she is getting another medical opinion from a foreign specialist to repair a dislodged titanium implant in her neck that is progressively blocking her esophagus and airway.

The lawmaker underwent three surgeries on her neck in July and August last year to relieve pressure on a pinched nerve in her spine prior to her being detained at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City on election sabotage charges.

The implants, however, have been sliding towards her esophagus and airways that already triggered a few choking episodes. Her doctors have repeatedly warned that she risks “sudden death” if not treated.

“There are, however, some issues that create an impact when the subject of Mrs. Arroyo’s condition is raised. While there is no denying the fact that the Aquino administration has all the right to charge Mrs. Arroyo before the judicial courts relative to several cases of impropriety she was alleged to have committed during her tenure as President, the manner by which the government may have overstepped its authority in dealing with the former President…has come to fore,” Malay said.

“Regardless of whether there is truth in the cases for which Mrs. Arroyo is being charged, the sensitivity of her medical condition and the manner by which she is being treated come into play and this will almost always influence the people’s perception to veer in favor of the former President.”     

Escudero top choice

Sen. Francis Escudero remains the top choice of voters for the 2013 senatorial elections, according to the Pulso ng Pilipino survey.

The survey showed that 66 percent of the 1,200 voters polled chose Escudero.

Sen. Loren Legarda came in second with 59.3 percent, followed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Cagayan Rep. Juan “Jack” Ponce Enrile were tied at fourth and fifth places, garnering 46.6 percent each.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan ranked sixth with 43 percent, while TV personality and presidential sister Kris Aquino followed with 39.8 percent.

San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito placed eighth with 37.3 percent, followed by former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, who obtained 35 percent of the votes.

Former senators Richard Gordon and Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV shared the 10th to 12th spots with 30.2 percent each.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon and Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara both scored 27 percent, sharing the 13th to 14th slots.

Former senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. placed 15th with 23 percent.

Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay, and businessman Jose de Venecia III ranked 16th to 18th place with 20.2 percent each.

Other personalities included in the survey were Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III (18 percent); former lawmaker Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel (17.3 percent); former Senate president Ernesto Maceda (17.3 percent); Customs Commissioner Rozzano Biazon (17.3 percent); Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia (14.1 percent); and Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño (14.1 percent).