The antagonism and enmity thrown by the liberal media towards the current political head bannered by headlines heralding the political demise of President Rodrigo Duterte prove only to be distracting tactics to take away the people’s attention from what the majority of the masses understand by heart, according to Eurasia Future.
Based on a survey by Pulse Asia, which had been conducted from June 15 to 21, results reveal that the Filipino president has a solid 88% overall approval rating while a strong 87% of Filipinos continue to place their personal trust on the 73-year-old President’s leadership. Furthermore, the survey showed that the President has garnered majority approval rating across geographic locations in the country.
Pres. Duterte Soars High in Nationwide Surveys
Only 3 per cent of the 1,800 respondents surveyed nationwide expressed disapproval of the President’s leadership, while 10 per cent were left undecided on their stand regarding the matter.
In an earlier poll from March 2018, President Duterte’s approval rating was at 80%, while his trust rating was only a point lower (79%). While the Filipino President’s overall ratings have rarely hit any lower figures, the poll results from last June have shown an upward trend in the President’s popularity despite the endless hate campaigns launched by his detractors in liberal mainstream media.
President Duterte’s sustained (and even rising) popularity is anchored on the fact that his war against narco-terrorism has had crime rates all over the country take a significant plunge for the better, not to mention his stellar commitment to drive economic growth, bannered by long-term infrastructural building projects, which has further commanded respect from the public. The President’s push for tax reforms, his disapproval to both political and financial monopolies, as well as his straightforward and clear outlook on foreign policies all add up to his surging popularity.
Beyond the figures and his performance conversion, there are many non-quantifiable aspects through which the President’s approval and trust ratings are driven to a consistent high. It can be said that among the many contemporary leaders in the Philippines, only few have become inspirational figureheads, and even fewer can be considered sincere beyond doubt. President Duterte naturally exemplifies both of these qualities as a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and a man who addresses neither above nor below, but straight and directly to his own people.
This is the very type of leadership which can instill a true sense of pride in what a solid nation stands for, even among those who want the President to swear less, but who, all the same, appreciate the fact that President Duterte can say before the cameras what most people could only utter in private. This type of ‘brutal honesty’ is what people from all over the world tend to appreciate in a leader.
And while directly-elected personalities of the wider ‘global east,’ which include Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continue to receive favour in elections and maintain their high level of popularity, President Duterte’s latest approval ratings are by far higher than the consistent strong numbers of both renowned country heads as of late.
If we throw in major North American and European leaders in the bunch, a comparison cannot be even drawn. At present, Donald Trump’s approval rating in the United States is at 47%, while in Europe, Theresa May of Britain and Angela Merkel of Germany are currently faced with open rebellions within their regimes. May, specifically, might soon be ousted from office whereas the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has recently earned an approval rating of 40%.
Most world leaders could only hope to achieve numbers which can be considered close to what President Duterte consistently receives, but as it is, many still fall short of this feat because of misplaced priorities that focus on the dishonest and deceptive politics that have been cultured in the past, instead of striving for a future-centred approach to popular engagement.
If anything, President Duterte deeply understands what is wrong with his country in terms of its present state of political and socio-economic affairs, and has not failed to address them directly and in great detail. Duterte’s proposals and call to action, which can be considered timely and reformist, have only proven his solid political will and have brought to light his progressive and nationalistic character.
President Duterte’s popularity cannot be caused to be a symptom of vanity, but a powerful symbol of national revitalization across all levels, as far as governmental rule is concerned. While some leaders outright fail at the attempt to transform the minds of even their most loyal of supporters after so many years in leadership, President Duterte has already transformed the way of thinking of his own nation after only having served two years in office, and his constitutional reforms are still well on its way to revolutionize the very fabric of political autonomy in the Philippines in the years to come.