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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • APRIL 7-13, 2017
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Pulse Asia: President Duterte’s performance, trust scores drop Palace downplays ratings decline
by aJPress WHILE nearly eight out of 10 Filipinos remain appreciative of his achievements and express trust in him, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s performance and trust ratings both experienced a decline in the first quarter of 2017, according to a recent survey by Pulse Asia. Figures from the poll showed that Duterte’s performance and trust ratings dropped by five percentage points and seven percentage points, respectively. From 83 percent in December last year, Duterte’s performance rating decreased to 78 percent in March. His trust rating, meanwhile, slid from 83 percent to 78 percent in the same period. On the other hand, 15 percent and 18 percent of respondents expressed indecision towards his performance and trustworthiness respectively. “There are hardly any changes in the performance and trust rat-
ings of President Duterte during the period December 2016 to March 2017,” Pulse Asia said in its news release. “The only significant movement occurring at this time is the drop of the president’s national trust rating (-7 percentage points).” Figures revealed that Duterte scored the highest ratings — in the case of both his performance and trustworthiness — in Mindanao, earning 88 percent performance and 90 percent trust rates, followed by Visayas (86 percent and 84 percent respectively), and Metro Manila (73 percent and 74 percent respectively). In collective Luzon, meanwhile, he had an approval rating of 71 percent and trust rating of 67 percent. The poll, which was conducted from March 15 to 20 using faceto-face interviews among 1,200 adult respondents, has a marginal error of ± 3 percent and confidence level of 95 percent. Despite the drop in ratings, Malacañang said the majority of
the Filipinos “continue to embrace” Duterte’s “vision of a nation that works for the prosperity of all.” In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte’s continued high approval shows that “the majority appreciate [his] decisiveness” despite criticisms against his administration’s policies. “The people continue to embrace the president’s vision of a nation that works for the prosperity of all; a trustworthy government; and lasting peace, considering that the survey coincided with vicious noise from the president’s fiercest critics; the filing of an impeachment complaint last March 16; the Senate appearance of a self-confessed but perjured assassin; human rights reports highly critical of the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drug traffickers and violators; the internationally aired video message of Vice President Robredo,” Abella said. n
Solon warns Alvarez disbarment may lead to House, Supreme Court clash
MOVES to disbar Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez over his extramarital affair may lead to a confrontation between the Philippine House of Representatives and the Supreme Court (SC), a lawmaker warned. According to House Deputy Minority Leader and Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque, while the SC has disbarred lawyers in the past due to immoral conduct, disbarring Alvarez may result in a conflict between the two branches of the government. “It is my opinion that Speaker Alvarez should not be disbarred as this may lead the SC to a confrontation with a co-equal branch of government, which in turn may result in the possible impeachment of some of the justices,” Roque said in a statement on Sunday, April 2. Roque argued that “immoral or not,” the Office of the Speaker “still commands numbers for impeachment.”
The possible disbarment case against Alvarez surfaces following his admission last week that he has a girlfriend despite being a married man. Alvarez admitted during a phone interview on Thursday, March 30 that he is in a relationship with Jennifer Maliwanag Vicencio, amid reports that the graft case he filed against Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Floirendo Jr. stemmed from an altercation between their respective lovers. Alvarez also confirmed that he is no longer talking to his second wife, Emelita Alvarez. In a statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) that “in the event that someone should file a complaint against Congressman Alvarez, he will, of course, be granted the full measure of his right to due process but these shall be the same standards against which his actions shall be measured.” IBP reminded Alvarez to em-
body the “highest standards of morality, behavior and professionalism” as expected of lawyers. Alvarez also drew flak for supposedly criticizing Senator Leila De Lima for having an affair with her driver, Ronnie Dayan. In defense, Roque said “everyone knew in Congress” about Alvarez’s affair. “I think that the difference is there is no concealment (of his relationship with Vicencio). Everyone knew in Congress. I knew from Day 1 that they (Alvarez and wife, Emelina) were estranged. I knew at some point that he had an affair with this woman. I’ve seen her in functions so there was no attempt to conceal,” Roque explained. Alvarez earlier clarified that it was De Lima’s involvement in illegal drugs that he criticized, not her relationship. Shrugging off threats of possible disbarment case against him, Alvarez told his critics: “Go ahead, no problem with me.” (AJPress)
‘PALIT-BISE.’ Thousands of supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte demanded the resignation or impeachment of Vice President Maria Leonor ‘Leni’ Robredo during a rally at Rizal Park on Sunday, April 2, for supposedly besmirching the country’s reputation before the international community. Photo by Russell Palma / ManilaTimes
Duterte supporters call for Robredo’s removal during ‘Palit Bise’ rally by Dana
SioSon AJPress
THOUSANDS of supporters of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gathered on Sunday, April 2 at Manila’s Rizal Park calling for Vice President Leni Robredo to step down from office. The rally, dubbed as “Palit Bise” (change the vice president), was reportedly led the president’s vocal supporters, including Mocha Uson, singer Jimmy Bondoc, and lawyer Bruce Rivera. The rallyists, mostly clad in red shirts, slammed Robredo for her remarks against some of Duterte’s policies, particularly her video message sent to the United Nations last month in which she criticized the administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. They also called on the president’s critics to stop shaming him. “To us, palit bise can mean three things. Some are saying palit bise means to impeach, some people say to resign. Some people say to change VP, meaning magbago kayo VP something like that. Whatever they choose among the options, we’re all united by one fact that the Vice President has not done [her] job in strengthening the administration,” Bondoc, an official for the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Duterte, meanwhile, was tight-
lipped when asked about the rally against the vice president. “Ayaw ko mag-comment diyan, mahirap ‘yan (I do not want to comment, that is difficult),” he told reporters during a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro City. The president previously expressed his opposition to any impeachment attempt against Robredo and told her critics to “lay off.” Robredo’s camp, on the other hand, downplayed the rally. In a statement, the vice president’s legal counsel lawyer Barry Gutierrez noted that Duterte showed respect for Robredo’s mandate to serve in the country’s second-highest post. “Malinaw na batay sa huli nilang pagkikita, nakatutok ang Pangulo at Pangalawang Pangulo sa kani-kanilang trabaho. May kapwa paggalang sa mandato ng bawat isa (It was clear that based on their latest meeting, both the president and vice president are focused on their own jobs. They both respect each other’s mandate),” Gutierrez said. The country’s two top officials last met during the graduating ceremony of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on March 12 in Baguio City. “Kung sa kabila nito may iilang supporter ng Pangulo na nagpupumilit pa ring lumihis sa pasya niyang ito, siguro sa kanya sila dapat magpaliwanag (If, despite this, some of the President’s sup-
porters still insist in contradicting his stance, then maybe they should explain it to him),” Gutierrez added. Despite the criticism, Robredo said she did not regret decrying the alleged human rights abuses in Duterte’s drug war before the UN. In an earlier interview with radio DZMM on Tuesday, March 28, Robredo also said she was planning to meet with Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno after Holy Week to provide him details about “palit-ulo” or “exchange of head” scheme. Sueno, however, was removed from from his post as the DILG chief on Monday, April 3. In her video message, Robredo defined the alleged “exchange of head” as a police scheme in which “the wife, husband or relative in a so-called drug list will be taken if the person himself could not be found.” While the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed the existence of the so-called “palit-ulo” (exchange of head) scheme in the government’s war against illegal drugs, insisted that it was far different from Vice Robredo’s definition. Police Chief General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa clarified that “exchange of head” refers to a practice wherein arrested drug pushers can reveal their supplier or higher drug lords in exchange of being charged with a lighter offense. n