The fall in President Duterte's net satisfaction rating as shown in the latest SWS survey reflects the people’s continuing struggle in coping with the challenges of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Vice President Leni Robredo's camp said on Sunday, Oct. 31.
Lawyer Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesman, noted how other countries have already lifted their "face mask mandate" after successfully controlling the number of their COVID-19 cases.
This was in response to a question during Robredo’s Sunday radio show regarding the decline in Duterte’s net satisfaction rating from 62 percent in June to 52 percent in September.
The SWS survey results show that while Duterte still has a “very good” rating, it is a far cry from the 62 percent net satisfaction rating he garnered in June. It was also his lowest since the 45 percent net rating he had in June 2018.
The survey results were released on Friday, Oct. 29.
READ: Duterte's net satisfaction rating drops to its lowest since 2018 but still 'very good' — SWS poll
“Pagod na ang mga tao, halos dalawang taon na parang nandito pa rin tayo (The people are tired because it’s been almost two years and we are still here),” Gutierrez said.
The spokesman noted that other countries have not only crossed over to the so-called new normal; their citizens have also gone back to their jobs.
“Tapos dito tayo, ‘di lang naka-mask, naka-face shield ka pa (But over here, not only do we need to wear a mask, we’re required to wear a face shield, too),” he added.
“Feeling ko madami nang nabibigatan, madami nang napapagod dito sa paulit-ulit na. Syempre ang hindi natin maiwasan dito ‘yung pangamba pa. Parang iyong iniisip mo pa, ‘tapos na nga ba ito?,’ ‘gaano pa katagal kaya ‘to magtutuloy?’ (I feel that it’s such a burden, many are already tired because it’s a cycle. Of course, we cannot avoid the fear. You keep on thinking, ‘Is it over?’ ‘How much longer is it going to be like this?’),” he said.
It’s not just about the possibility of getting sick that's been worrying Filipinos, Gutierrez stressed. It’s about the risk of losing one’s job and source of livelihood.
This notwithstanding, the Robredo mouthpiece remained optimistic as the number of daily new COVID-19 cases continued to drop across the country.
READ: Metro Manila's COVID positivity rate reaches WHO acceptable limit — OCTA
He said that the government should now prepare for the roll out of booster shots, which were recently approved for health care workers and senior citizens.
On Saturday, Oct. 30, the Philippines "only" logged 4,008 new cases as four laboratories were unable to submit data. The positivity rate is at 7.8 percent, whicn is nearing the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of less than five percent.
The total COVID-19 cases in the country is 2,783,896, with 43,044 deaths.