Former President Fidel V. Ramos on Thursday reminded President Rodrigo R. Duterte of the recent decline in his trust ratings, following the latter's latest outburst against European diplomats.
"The declines in Presidential trust and credibility are sharper than before," he told reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN Leadership Forum in Makati City.
Ramos was asked to comment on the recent remarks of Duterte against the European Union, threatening its diplomats to leave the Philippines within 24 hours. He did not elaborate.
The latest tirade comes after a seven-member delegation of the Progressive Alliance and Party of European Socialists, who warned that the Philippines' Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus(GSP+) may be affected should killings in the country persist.
The GSP+, currently under review by the EU, is a tariff mechanism that gives developing countries — including the Philippines — the privilege of exporting zero-duty merchandise to EU member states.
It requires the Philippine ratification of 27 international conventions that cater to human and labor rights, environmental protection, and good governance, among others.
According to results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS)n survey released on Sunday, Duterte's net satisfaction slid by 18 points to the "good level" in the third quarter.
This translates to a +48 score, the lowest the President has received so far during his term, and the first time his score fell below +60.
Earlier in the forum, Ramos said he was "authorized" by Duterte to be his "fiscalizer."
Ramos said he was only "playing [his] role as an older brother in (the) family."
"I am free to fiscalize him but anyone out there, please don't try to do what I'm doing because you might be put into jail," he said. — BAP, GMA News
000
