April 15, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in the Philippines express little confidence in their president, according to a poll by Pulse Asia. Only 25 per cent of respondents say they trust Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a lot, while 41 per cent say they do not trust her much.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in the Philippines express little confidence in their president, according to a poll by Pulse Asia. Only 25 per cent of respondents say they trust Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a lot, while 41 per cent say they do not trust her much.

The best-ranked public figure on the list is Senate president Manuel D. Villar Jr.—who is seeking re-election in next month's ballot—with 55 per cent, followed by current vice-president Noli de Castro with 44 per cent, and Supreme Court chief justice Reynato Puno with 19 per cent.

Arroyo took over as president in January 2001, following the resignation of Joseph Estrada. She 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 House of Representatives voted 173-32 to dismiss the impeachment complaint. The Constitution establishes that only one bid to oust the head of state can be filed each year.

Earlier this month, Arroyo's son and congressman Juan Miguel Arroyo urged opposition lawmakers to refrain from launching a new attempt to impeach the president, saying, "I appeal to our colleagues in the opposition to think of the gains we've had in the economic front. Investors are now buzzing about our country's prospects as an investment haven. We should not lose this golden opportunity by creating political noise out of nothing."

Voters in the Philippines will renew the House of Representatives and one-half of the Senate on May 14.

Polling Data

How much do you trust the following public figures?

	A lot	Undecided	Not much
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo	25%	33%	41%
Vice-president Noli de Castro	44%	31%	25%
Senate president Manuel D. Villar Jr.	55%	30%	15%
Supreme Court chief justice Reynato Puno	19%	42%	36%

Source: Pulse Asia
Methodology: Interviews with 1,800 Filipino adults, conducted from Apr. 3 to Apr. 5, 2007. Margin of error is 2 per cent.