Vox populi is an ages-old maxim which means “voice of the people.” The longer term would be vox populi vox dei which means “the voice of the people is the voice of God.”
Indeed, if you ask the man on the streets if he is happy with the government’s performance under President Rodrigo Duterte and he tells you he is happy, that is a classic manifestation of the Latin maxim. It is quite a reflection of the people’s voice when the recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showed President Rodrigo Duterte’s net satisfaction rating soaring to new record high with four of five Filipinos saying they are contented with his work. That means, 80 percent of Pinoys are happy with his administration.
The SWS survey was conducted on June 22-26 and the results showed 80 percent of adult Filipinos are satisfied, 9 percent undecided, and 12 percent dissatisfied with the performance of President Duterte. This despite the storm of controversies whipped by his critics and the opposition. The rating of 80 percent actually showed a one percent increase from the previous survey which means that despite all those impeachment talks and criticisms on President Duterte’s foreign policy with China and his response to the sinking of the fishing boat by a Chinese vessel, his satisfaction rating was not dented. The SWS survey on March 2019 yielded a gross satisfaction of 79 percent. Significantly, the gross dissatisfaction also fell by one point from 13 percent. In sum, the President earned a net satisfaction rating of +68 (percent satisfied minus percent dissatisfied).
Overall, the SWS classified this as “very good.” Which, if we go down to its real significance of these numbers, is the voice of the people that are satisfied and happy.
