MANILA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella shrugged off on Monday results of a latest survey showing a dip in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's net satisfaction and net trust ratings, saying in jest that Filipinos still "love" Duterte.
Abella told a news conference that Filipinos "are still, in general, satisfied," with the president, adding "public satisfaction remains good and public trust remains very good," despite the drop in Duterte's ratings.
The third quarter survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS), a local social research institution, saw Duterte satisfaction rating at 67 percent and trust rating at 73 percent.
Abella said the change in Duterte's satisfaction rating, from 78 percent in June to 67 percent in September, and trust rating, from 82 percent in June to 73 percent in September, "is expected given the fact that people start measuring their expectations usually after the honeymoon period, or after a year in office."
"I don't think it's a question of disappointment. It's a question of managing expectations. It's not a question of not believing," he said, adding that he believes that Filipinos continue to trust Duterte. "The love is still there."
"It is worth noting that surveys are snapshots of the public mood at a given time and the SWS survey was conducted between Sept. 23 to 27, just two days after the National Day of Protest - the bold (Duterte) initiative allowing citizens to freely vent their grievances about the excesses and shortcomings of the government - and some sentiments may have spilled over," Abella said.
But given the trust and confidence of a large majority, he said the administration will continue to work harder to address the public's urgent needs in order to bring a comfortable life for all.
"We enjoin everyone to set aside self-interest and together build a nation worthy of the next generation," Abella said.
