gma7-Binay rating up 17% - SWS

Binay rating up 17% - SWS
By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) Updated April 02, 2011 12:00 AM Comments (51) View comments

MANILA, Philippines - As public satisfaction with President Aquino dropped in the last three months, the other top government officials garnered improvements in their satisfaction ratings in the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The highest improvement was noted in the scores of Vice President Jejomar Binay who received a net rating of “excellent” 74 (81 percent satisfied, seven percent dissatisfied) in March from a “very good” 57 (69 percent satisfied, 13 percent dissatisfied) in November last year.

SWS president Mahar Mangahas said the surge in the ratings of Binay in the SWS’ First Quarter Social Weather Survey, published in the newspaper BusinessWorld yesterday, is the result of the vice president’s efforts to save the lives of three Filipino drug mules in China.

Last February, Binay went to China to make a last-ditch appeal for clemency for drug convicts Sally Villanueva, Elizabeth Batain and Ramon Credo, who were all executed last March 30.

“People were happy with what he has achieved in China. I think the postponement of the execution of the three drug convicts after Binay’s humanitarian visit has contributed to the improvement of his ratings,” Mangahas said in a television interview.

In addition to this, Mangahas said, is the fact that Binay has been a national figure, having served as mayor of Makati, the country’s financial district, and an opposition leader during the previous administration.

An SWS March 2011 survey, released last Monday, showed a 13-point drop in Aquino’s net satisfaction rating from 64 in November to 51 this March.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, on the other hand, obtained a net rating of “good” 43 (62 percent satisfied, 18 percent dissatisfied) this time from a “good” 34 (55 percent satisfied, 21 percent dissatisfied) previously.