Panelo on ratings drop: Duterte unperturbed by surveys

MANILA, Philippines — Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said that President Rodrigo Duterte, whose satisfaction ratings dipped in a recent survey, is not in a "popularity contest."

"You know, the president is unperturbed by this kind of surveys," Panelo said in ANC's Early Edition.

The Social Weather Stations survey released Sunday showed that Duterte's net satisfaction rating dropped to +48 in September from +66 in June.

READ: From ‘very good’ to ‘good’: Duterte’s satisfaction rating drops 18 points

Panelo, however, admitted that the death of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos may have affected the plunge in the president's ratings.

Delos Santos was killed by policemen in an anti-illegal drugs operation in Caloocan City. Police claim the boy was a drug courier but Senate and police Internal Affairs investigations have led to murder charges being filed against officers involved in the operation.

Panelo: Duterte warned the public of drug war

Defending Duterte's so-called war on drugs, Panelo said that the president had warned the public that his presidency would be bloody if he won the May 2016 elections.

"Even at the start, if you remember, when he was campaigning for the presidency he was the only candidate who campaigned against himself," the presidential legal counsel said.

Panelo stressed that Duterte's war on drugs will continue as long as he is in office.

"In fact, during the Cabinet meeting the other day. he said that 'If they think I will withdraw from this war on drugs, then they’re guessing wrong,'" Panelo said.

During his campaign, Duterte promised that he will end the drug menace in the country within three to six months. He has been in office for more than a year but the illegal drug trade problem in the country still persists.

Panelo also admitted that Duterte's unfulfilled promises may have been a factor to the plunge in satisfaction ratings.

"He thought that the drug menace is not that great. He discovered later on that the magnitude is so much that he cannot just finish it within three or six months. He had to adjust and he said he will not end it until the end of his last day in office," Panelo said.

RELATED: Drug war deaths dragging Philippines into disrepute, HRW warns

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the survey rating is a wake-up call to the Duterte administration but it is too early to conclude anything.

"I will not pass judgment until the next one or two surveys because that will show the trend. The government better take a second look at their policies and the way they enforce their policies," he said.