OFFICIAL StratPOLLS STATEMENT TO THE MEDIA

President Aquino gets +62.4%, Binay +45.2%; top-performing cabinet member is De Lima of Justice
while top-performing senators are Revilla, Legarda, Marcos and Escudero

                The people have spoken: 8 out of 10 Filipinos give the thumbs up sign to the president.

                In a nationwide survey by StratPOLLS right at the end of the first one hundred days in office of the new government last October 8, Pres. Benigno Aquino III was given by the people a net performance rating of +62.4% with 81.2% satisfied with his performance in office and 18.8% dissatisfied.

                “This is a very good benchmark grade for the president and from the layman’s point of view, everything is coming up roses notwithstanding the botched hostage crisis and all the labor pains of birth for the new government,” said  Prof. Alfredo Sureta, executive director of StratPOLLS.

                Among the so-called super regions of the country, Aquino’s performance ratings are as follows: NCR with 70.5% satisfied against 29.5% dissatisfied for a net of +41%; Balance Luzon with 83.1% satisfied and 16.9% dissatisfied for a net of  +66.2%; Visayas with 92.2% satisfied and 7.8% dissatisfied for a net of +84.4%;  and Mindanao with 79.9% satisfied and 20.9% dissatisfied for a net of +58.2%. (Refer to Table 1 this report.)

                Aquino scored the highest net performance rating in the Visayas with +84.4% as compared to NCR where he earned a net performance rating of +41%.

                Performance in office of the other top officials of the land was also covered in the nationwide survey on the first 100 days of the Aquino presidency which included Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay, Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.

                It will be recalled that StratPOLLS predicted with fair accuracy the outcome of the 2009 to 2010 presidential campaign that showed Aquino winning overwhelmingly over former Pres. Joseph Estrada who overtook NP bet Sen. Manuel Villar for second place in the homestretch.

                Binay earned a nationwide rating of 72.6% satisfied and 27.4% dissatisfied for a net of +45.2%.

                Enrile has 61.1% satisfied and 38.9% dissatisfied for a net of +22.2%.

                Belmonte earned 42% satisfied and 58% dissatisfied for a net of -16%.

Corona has 45.1% satisfied and 54.9% dissatisfied for a net of  -9.8%.

                “Aquino, Binay and Enrile all earned surplus net ratings as they were among the top players in the last media-driven election campaign as subjects of daily but catchy commercial advertisements mostly on television,” said Sureta.

                “Conversely, Belmonte and Corona were not exposed to or did not get that much exposure to the public through the media during the same period.

                “The residual effects of those high-profile exposures by Aquino,  Binay and Enrile still linger in the subconscious mind of the public, unlike Belmonte who assumed his position as Speaker only last July 24, when congress was convened, and Corona who was named  Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 12, two days after the elections.

Aquino’s grades on 15 national issues: from “fight vs. corruption”
to the subject of “marriage” for the bachelor president

                When asked to give grades to President Aquino on how he is facing up to task insofar as fifteen major issues are concerned, the top three are: ---as measured from scale one to five with 1 as the lowest--- “fight against corruption” with an average score of four (4); “rising cost of basic goods and services” four (4); “overall improvement of the economy” four (4); 

                However, and as perceived by the people, President Aquino scored poorly in addressing the following issues, at least during the first 100 days in office: “Agrarian Reform” (Hacienda Luisita) two (2); “environmental protection, one (1); “solution to power shortage in Mindanao” one (1). (Refer to Table 2 this report.)

                The survey also included the topic on President Aquino’s marital status where he scored a one (1) or a failing grade, meaning most of those polled want Aquino to settle down in marriage, although it wasn’t clear when the people want this to happen, at the immediate future or within his term of office.

Justice Secretary De Lima is the top-performing cabinet member in NCR

                Among members of the Aquino cabinet, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima was rated the highest with 59.2% satisfied and 40.8% dissatisfied for a net of +18.4% at least in NCR followed by DILG Sec. Jesus Robredo with 54.3% satisfied and 45.7% dissatisfied for a net of +8% and third is Education Sec.  Armin Luistro 53% satisfied and 47% dissatisfied for a net of +6%.

                Sureta explained that unlike those of the top five officials of the land from President Aquino to Chief Justice Corona, the results of the performance ratings of members of the cabinet and the senate are confined to the National Capital Region (NCR) as yet even as data and statistical reports covering Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are still being completed and will be released as soon as these are available.

                Sureta attributed the high mark earned by De Lima in NCR to her public exposure through the media during preliminary investigations last year of the high-profile crime dubbed as the “Maguindanao Massacre” and the marathon hearings conducted by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC), of which she was the chairperson,  on the botched hostage crisis of August 23 which gave her an “extra mileage” in the media.

Senators Revilla, Legarda, Marcos and Escudero are tops

                Among the members of the senate, the top four in performance the past 100 days are Senators Bong Revilla with a net satisfaction rating of +55%, Loren Legarda +44%, Bongbong Marcos +41% and Chiz Escudero +38%.

                Others are: Senators Pia Cayetano +35%, Jinggoy Estrada +29%, Vicente Sotto +27%, Miriam Santiago and Ralph Recto +23% each, Allan Peter Caytetano +21%, Kiko Pangilinan +20% and Lito Lapid +4%. Sureta explained that the senatorial results are confined to NCR as yet while the results in Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are still being processed and would be released next week.

                The poll interviewed 1,210 adult respondents in 32 key cities of the country, between October 9 to 13  using randomized and stratified methods.

                The same survey by StratPOLLS also measured public opinion about the economy, self-rated economic wellbeing and a few questions on access to the computer and membership in social networks the data of which are now being processed and will be released as soon as these are available.