By Argyll Cyrus Geducos  Malacañang welcomed the high trust rating President Rodrigo Duterte received in the December 2019 Pulse Asia survey, saying it means the Chief Executive is loved by an overwhelming majority of the Filipino people. Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo
(OPS / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after Duterte emerged as the most trusted top national official in the country, with 83 percent of Filipinos saying they trust the President. "A good leader is measured by the trust reposed in him by the people he serves. The Palace considers the latest survey finding as an eloquent proof that he inspires confidence and support from the Filipino people," he said in his Monday press briefing. Panelo noted that since his assumption of the presidency, Duterte has maintained his trust rating near the top, saying this is a testament to the fact that he is someone Filipinos can rely on. The Palace official credited the rating to Duterte's "decisive leadership and genuine empathy to the interest and welfare of the Filipinos." "We are thankful for our people’s continuing trust and assure everyone that, regardless of the survey numbers, there is no room for complacency in this branch of the government," Panelo said. "We will continue to persevere to undertake bolder reforms to make the bureaucracy more efficient and responsive to the needs of our people and push this country to the heights heretofore not reached." Drug war satisfaction Panelo also welcomed the results of the third-quarter 2019 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which showed that 79 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with the drug war and that only 15 percent were against it. "Our people have spoken of their satisfaction, and this was based on the following incontrovertible realities on the ground which they themselves expressed: drug suspects have lessened at 42 percent; drug suspects have been arrested at 18 percent; lessened crime at 11 percent; it diminished the drug trade at eight percent; protected the youth from drugs at six percent; and improved peace and order at five percent," he said. He added that given the result of the SWS survey, foreign countries and entities should now take their cue from the sentiments of the Filipino people and cease their "continuous affront against our sovereign state" with their feigned concern about human rights. Wake up! Panelo also said the recent findings are a wake-up call to Duterte's critics that Filipinos love the President. "It’s a complete repudiation of the rambunctious politicians and the cantankerous critics and detractors. It’s about time that they accept their fate," he said. "It is about time they accept the fact that this President is loved by an overwhelming majority of the Filipino people, that this President is trusted by them. In fact, they are inspired by this President, as this President is inspired by them.” Panelo said Duterte was the first president to have maintained a high trust rating even after his third year in office. "There is no President in the history of this country during his midterm that the rating went up except for this President, the trajectory is always downtrend. It’s unpredecented it’s record-breaking rating," he said.