By Roy Pelovello

Surveys showing a drop in President Arroyo’s satisfaction rating do not reflect her true performance as the country’s Chief Executive, lawmakers said yesterday.

House Deputy Speaker Simeon Datumanong and Reps. Monico Puentebella and Danilo Suarez issued a joint statement rejecting the results of a Social Weather Stations survey as unrealistic as it wrongly equates popularity with performance.

Another state official, Rey Aquino of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., said the surveys missed certain specifics in state governance like the President’s good performance in delivering health and hospital care to the indigents.

The SWS survey of February 20 to 23 showed Mrs. Arroyo’s net satisfaction rating dropping to -32 from -24 in December last year.

The lawmakers said the survey failed to appreciate the crucial decisions President Arroyo has to make in these delicate times. “There are decisions that might be unpopular in the midst of global financial crisis but should be implemented with reasonable dispatch for the benefits of majority of the people.”

For his part, Aquino, president and chief executive of PhilHealth, pointed out that close to 70 million Filipinos appreciate the healthcare benefits they are receiving from PhilHealth, courtesy of President Arroyo’s support.

For 2009, Malacañang allocated P5 billion as counterpart fund for the country’s LGUs’ support for about 4.7 million indigent Filipino families, Aquino disclosed.