THE most unpopular president of all time is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s (PGMA) official tag in the annals of Philippine history. The second quarter survey this year of the Social Weather Station (SWS) reveals dissatisfaction with the President hit a record breaking negative 38 percent, the lowest a leader got in the post-dictatorship era.

In the said survey, only 22 percent of the respondents were satisfied with PGMA and 60 percent registered dissatisfaction. Taking the net rating of the President between those who are satisfied and dissatisfied, the result was negative (-) 38, indicating deep dissatisfaction.

Going into details, it is astonishing to find dissatisfaction with PGMA exceeded majority levels in all areas and across all economic brackets. In Metro Manila, those who were dissatisfied comprise 63 percent, in Luzon the figure is 60 percent, in Mindanao, dissatisfaction reached 62 percent and in the Visayas, where the President used to draw strong support, dissatisfaction is at 56 percent.

Across all the economic classes, dissatisfaction with the President drastically increased. Among the ABC classes – rich and middle classes, the rating of PGMA increased from negative 23 percent in the first quarter survey to negative 37 percent. In the D or the “masa” group, the President got a negative 35 percent rating, upped from negative 24 percent in the previous poll. Highest negative rating for PGMA is among the E class where figure increased from negative 37 percent to an astounding negative 45 percent.

Looking at the results of the survey among urban and rural residents, the rating of PGMA is still at record breaking high. Among urban residents, the President’s rating increased from negative 27 percent to negative 37 percent. Those who reside in rural areas gave PGMA a rating of negative 37 percent, a considerable increase from the previous negative 26 percent.

Since June 2007, this is the fourth consecutive drop of the President’s estimation in the eyes of the people. For the record, PGMA is the only leader of the country who got a negative rating since 1986.

The regime’s phlegmatic response to the findings, it is the people not surveys who will judge PGMA. Here, again, the administration feigned ignorance. It deliberately ignored the fact that it is the people who were surveyed and the results reflect the sentiment of the people. Survey result is already the judgment of the people of PGMA, their indictment of her leadership.

On Monday, the President will deliver her second to the last State of the Nation Address (SONA). Reinforcing the result of negative satisfaction rating of PGMA, another recent survey of SWS reveals only a measly 14 percent think PGMA has been truthful with her statements. A whooping 40 percent said the President is not truthful and 46 percent were undecided. This is how low the credibility of PGMA is in the eyes of the people.

Results of the surveys baffled the administration. The President is a workaholic, has been doing everything she could to serve the people. She has given out more than Php 8 billion subsidies in various forms to the poorest section of the population. Why, administration officials desperately asked, PGMA remains reviled and loathed by the Filipino people?

Answer is simple. Unlike administration officials who are sycophants and bootlickers, the people are intelligent and cannot be fooled anymore. The legitimacy of PGMA’s presidency remains in doubt. People are unsure if she really won the 2004 election and the refusal of the President to take on the question head-on by hiding behind legal hocus-pocus reinforces the widely held belief she cheated her way to power.

The people have also seen through the motives behind generous distribution of subsidies. It is nothing but a cheap gimmick of PGMA to buy the trust, respect and love of the people. But trust, respect and love have to be earned and cannot be bought.

On the contrary, despite the projected image of a hard-working leader, the Filipino people know actions speak louder than words. Sickening are the endless scandals of graft and corruption engulfing the administration. The only significant achievement of PGMA’s administration is to make the Philippines the most corrupt country in Southeast Asia.

This is the price PGMA has to pay with her obsession of power and the insatiable greed of her administration. Everything she does is all designed not to serve the people but secure power and hold on to it. Power, power, power, this is all that matters to PGMA. The price of her obsession – universal revulsion and abhorrence of the people, loss of respect and an ignominious place in Philippine history plus future prosecution for high crimes.

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