(11/22/08) -

Paltry Rating for Arroyo in the Philippines

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Only one-in-four adults in the Philippines are content with the way Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has done her job, according to a poll by Pulse Asia. 24 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the president’s performance, up two points since July.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Only one-in-four adults in the Philippines are content with the way Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has done her job, according to a poll by Pulse Asia. 24 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the president’s performance, up two points since July.

Arroyo took over as president in January 2001, following the resignation of Joseph Estrada. Arroyo won a six-year term in the June 2004 presidential election, garnering 39.99 per cent of all cast ballots.

In 2006, seven impeachment complaints filed against Arroyo were dismissed by a congressional committee, but one was deemed "sufficient in form." The document accused Arroyo of vote-rigging, corruption, condoning political killings and violating the constitution to repress dissent. In August 2006, the impeachment complaint was dismissed. The Constitution establishes that only one bid to oust the head of state can be filed each year.

In May 2007, voters in the Philippines renewed the House of Representatives and one half of the Senate. Final results gave seven of the 12 upper house seats at stake to Genuine Opposition (GO) candidates, followed by the pro-government Team Unity (TU) with three, and two independents.

Earlier this month, the Management Association of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club and the Coalition for National Transformation purchased a newspaper ad to express concerns about the state of the country. The groups called on Arroyo, lawmakers and all political leaders "to demonstrate their patriotism and have the courage to use the remaining 18 months of their term to do what is right for our country and our people, to put country above self," adding, "The world has not been oblivious to the culture of corruption in our government that is thriving with near-total impunity as surveys by reputable international agencies have shown."

The next election is tentatively scheduled for June 2010. Arroyo is ineligible for a consecutive term in office.

Polling Data

Do you approve or disapprove of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s performance as president?

Source: Pulse Asia
Methodology: Interviews with 1,200 Filipino adults, conducted from Oct. 14 to Oct. 27, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.