By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Malacañang welcomed the result of the recent Pulse Asia survey showing that almost 9 of 10 Filipinos approved of the performance of President Duterte, saying the unprecedented figure repudiated the lies being spread by his critics.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo (PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after the Pulse Asia December 2019 survey result showed that Duterte received an approval rating of 87 percent, a figure nine percent higher than the rating he got in September this year.
In a statement, Panelo said the rating meant that Filipinos are ignoring what critics were saying about the President and that the public was united in cementing their support to Duterte.
He added that the public was in agreement with government programs geared toward uplifting the social and economic condition of the masses.
"This latest approval rating is a clear repudiation of the fabricated tale and the false narratives of the haters of the President including the foreign entities that have joined the fray with blinders in their eyes," Panelo said Saturday.
Change has come
According to Panelo, the high number of Filipinos who approve of the President’s performance meant that Duterte was successful in fulfilling his promises to the public.
"This recent survey mirrors and measures the performance of this Administration," he said.
"It signifies that almost all Filipinos - with more than 8 out of 10 of them - feel that there has been a genuine, meaningful and positive change in almost every aspect of society, as solemnly committed by PRRD during the campaign in 2016," he added.
Among the promises Duterte made during the 2016 presidential elections were to rid the country of illegal drugs, corruption, and crime in three to six months.
Unprecedented
Panelo, likewise, said it was the first time a Philippine president got such high ratings even after three years in office.
"History tells us that no President has passed the midpoint of his presidential term with such a high approval rating," he said.
"It has always been a downtrend. President Duterte overcame this trajectory. The disapproval rating has been reduced to a measly five percent," he added.
Despite this, Panelo said Duterte will continue to work hard to fulfill his constitutional mandate of serving and protecting the Filipino people.
"President Duterte, with the entire Executive Department, will continue to work, unmindful of the laurels he is reaping in terms of the people’s acceptance, until his last day in office to serve and protect the interest and welfare of the Filipino people," he said.