MANILA, Philippines - The ongoing
Senate hearing will have little effect on Vice President Jejomar Binay’s
ratings, which apparently have already reached their lowest level since
lawmakers began investigating various corruption allegations against him last
month, a political think tank said yesterday.
Binay topped a recent presidential
survey conducted by Novo Trends PH, getting the support of 29.3 percent of
1,600 voters in Metro Manila.
The survey was conducted from Oct. 24
to 25 at the height of the Senate inquiry into the alleged overpriced Makati
City Hall Building II.
Political analyst Ramon Casiple, one of
the founders of Novo Trends PH, said the Vice President’s ratings have already
hit rock bottom.
“The Senate committee hearing is losing
its political impact,” Casiple said.
“Until the last week of October, the
ratings of Binay have not changed significantly,” he said.
Casiple said he expects the Senate
probe to have little impact on Binay’s ratings in surveys until the end of the
year.
.jpg)
“If they (senators) will continue to
reveal similar allegations against Binay, it will not significantly affect his
ratings. Unless they will reveal something significant,” he said.
Casiple said he thinks Filipinos have
accepted the fact that politicians are corrupt so they look for those who have
a performance track record.
Binay’s approval rating dropped by 10
points to 66 percent in the third quarter survey of Pulse Asia.
Meanwhile, in the Novo Trends PH’s
survey on presidential preference for 2016, President Aquino and Sen. Grace Poe
were ranked second and third with 13.1 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively.
The President has already ended
speculations that he would seek a second term.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago ranked
fourth with 7.9 percent.
Occupying the fifth to ninth slots are
Senators Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (5.1 percent); Francis Escudero (4.6 percent);
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (3.4 percent); Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas
II (3.4 percent); and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (3.4 percent).
Former senator Manuel Villar was in
10th place with 2.1 percent.
On the scheduled debate between Binay
and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Nov. 27, Casiple said Trillanes would benefit
from it.
“It is a plus factor not for the VP but
for Trillanes because he is not as popular as the Vice President,” Casiple
said.
He said the debate is not the proper
forum for the Vice President to answer the allegations against him, but the
anti-graft court.
Post a Comment