MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's rating remained poor in the latest opinion survey, but her fourth quarter standing improved slightly from the previous three months, the country's leading pollster said on Monday.
In Social Weather Stations' (SWS) fourth quarter survey, 29 percent were satisfied with Arroyo's performance and 53 percent were dissatisfied, showing a net rating of negative 24 percent.
That was a slight improvement from a net rating of negative 27 percent in the third quarter survey in October. The latest survey, conducted from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1, had 1,200 respondents.
The president's rating fell to a record low of negative 38 in the second quarter this year, which made her the most unpopular president since the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Arroyo was not affected by her low performance rating, her deputy spokesman Anthony Golez said, adding the president was focused on building the country's defences against the global financial crisis.
"Our focus is on the economy, not on surveys," Golez told reporters.
The SWS survey ratings were released weeks after Arroyo survived a fourth impeachment attempt in as many years on complaints of corruption and rights abuse.
It also came three days after Arroyo's political enemies held a street protest against moves by her allies in the lower house of Congress to extend her stay in power. Her term expires in 2010 and she is not eligible to seek re-election.
Despite her poor ratings in opinion surveys, the daughter of a former president is strongly supported by the military and by many in the powerful Catholic church.
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