(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most people in the Philippines are unhappy with Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, according to a poll by Social Weather Stations. 60 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with their president’s performance, up six points since March.

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.

Arroyo is due to deliver her yearly state of the nation address on Jul. 28. Earlier this month, the anti-poverty advocacy group Social Watch Philippines (SWP) urged the president to give an honest account of the actual state of affairs in the Philippines rather that highlight what her government has done. The SWP’s Leonor Briones declared: "The power of poor people’s money to buy food diminishes as inflation continues to rise and cause the swelling prices of rice, food items and oil. President Arroyo can begin effective economic management by starting with being truthful on the state of the Philippine economy and the plight of the Filipino people."

Polling Data

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the performance of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as president?

Source: Social Weather Stations
Methodology: Face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Filipino adults, conducted from Jun. 27 to Jun. 30, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.

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