Manila Times/Manila

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr yesterday said no survey can hide the shortcomings of the Aquino administration.
The senator was reacting to a Malacanang statement disputing the “poor” rating he gave the government, citing separate results of recent Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations surveys, showing an increase in the performance and trust ratings of President Aquino.
In a statement sent to Manila Times, Marcos noted that opinion polls are just a reflection of people’s opinions, and not facts.
“These are the facts: MRT service breaks down practically every day; monstrous traffic jams are now the norm, not the exception; brownouts continue to plague a large part of Mindanao,” Marcos said.In rating the administration’s performance, Marcos also lamented the continuing congestion in the country’s airports and seaports that affects the business sector and the economy.
“There can be no dispute too on the fact that the country’s economic growth slowed to 5.2% in the first quarter, the lowest since 2012, as a result of the government’s underspending,” Marcos noted.
Data from the Department of Budget and Management shows the government used up only P68.5bn on infrastructure and other capital outlays during the first three months of 2015, down 11% from P77bn in the first quarter of last year.
The first-quarter infrastructure expenditures were 27.3%  lower than the P94.3bn that the government had programmed to spend between from January to March.
Had the infrastructure projects been implemented, they would have spurred the growth of the economy and generated more job opportunities for the poor, Marcos said.
Since Malacanang has cited the SWS and Pulse Asia survey results to defend its performance, Marcos said the Palace should also accept the result of the IBON survey last May, where seven out of 10 Filipinos said their family situation was poor.