Forty per cent of Filipinos do not expect Philippine
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to tell the truth in a key speech in Congress
next week, a nationwide survey showed on Friday.
Pulse Asia Inc, which conducted the poll, said there was an 11-point increase
in the proportion of people anticipating Arroyo's State of the Nation Address
(SONA) on Monday to be untruthful.
Only 14 per cent of 1,200 respondents nationwide expected Arroyo to be truthful
in her annual speech, during which aides said she will highlight the
government's social welfare programmes.
Forty-six per cent were not sure whether the president would be truthful or
not, the survey said.
Pulse Asia said public skepticism over Arroyo's truthfulness would make it
"difficult for her to maximize her forthcoming SONA's political
value."
Last week, a separate public opinion survey showed that 60 per cent of
Filipinos are dissatisfied with Arroyo's performance amid skyrocketing food and
fuel prices.
The president's aides urged critics to listen first to the SONA before making a
judgement.
"The president will do what she thinks she needs to do, irrespective of
what the skeptics say," Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said.
Thousands of policemen and soldiers are expected to be deployed around Manila
on Monday, when various organizations have planned to hold street
demonstrations coinciding with the SONA.
Major General Arsenio Arugay, chief of military forces in Manila, warned
earlier in the week that intelligence reports showed that communist rebels have
dispatched assassins in the capital ahead of the speech.
"We have received reports that they are going to conduct some liquidation
activities in metro Manila," he said, adding that the targets allegedly
include military and police officials.
Arugay, however said there was "no specific information" on a threat
against Arroyo's life. Authorities have in the past warned that
the rebels were targeting the president for assassination, dpa reported.
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