SWS says almost half of Pinoys expect Duterte to fulfill promises

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over the Joint Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP) Command Conference at the Malacañan Palace on January 15, 2019. ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

A latest survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that almost half, or 48 percent, of adult Filipinos expect President Rodrigo Duterte to fulfill most, if not all, of his promises.

The pollster asked its 1,440 survey respondents, “Sa inyong palagay, ilan sa mga pangako ni Pang. Rody Duterte ang posibleng matutupad [Lahat o halos lahat sa mga pangako, karamihan sa mga pangako, mga ilan sa mga pangako, halos o wala sa mga pangako] (In your opinion, how many of the promises of Pres. Rody Duterte can be fulfilled? [All or nearly all of the promises, Most of the promises, A few of the promises, Almost none or none of the promises])?”

Responding to this, 13 percent of Filipinos said Duterte can fulfill “all or nearly all,” while 35 percent said he can fulfill “most” of his promises.

On the other hand, 46 percent of the respondents believe that the President can fulfill only “a few,” while six percent think he will fulfill “none or almost none.”

“The December 2018 proportion of those expecting most, if not all, of Pres. Duterte’s promises to be fulfilled rose by two points from 46% (14% all or nearly all, 32% most) in March 2018,” the pollster noted.

The SWS also reported that Duterte recovered from his personal record-low of 35 percent which was recorded in September 2017, after his one-year mark in office.

The two-point increase on those who believe that Duterte can fulfill “all or nearly all” of his promises was because of the rise in Visayas and Balance Luzon, combined with a decline in Mindanao and a slight decline in Metro Manila.

It is in Visayas where more Filipinos believe that Duterte will be able to do his promises as the number of those optimistic increased by eight points from the 38 percent recorded in March 2018.

The pollster also noted the five-point increase in Balance Luzon, which is at 38 percent in December from 44 percent in March.

While the optimism in Visayas and Balance Luzon increased, it, however, declined by 10 points in the home region. From the 60 percent in March, Duterte, in December, only has 50 percent of Filipinos in Mindanao who still believe he can do what he had vowed to do.

Apart from Mindanao, there is also a slight decline in Metro Manila, moving from 42 percent to 41 percent.

By gender, those who expect that the Chief Executive can fulfill, if not all, his promises jumped to 48 percent from 46 percent in March among women.

However, it hardly changed among men, which is only at 48 percent from 47 percent in March.

The latest survey also showed that most or 56 percent of adult Filipinos living in urban areas believe in Duterte’s capabilities of fulfilling his promises, while only 45 percent of respondents in rural areas shared the same optimism.

In terms of educational levels, expectations rise among college graduates, non-elementary graduates, elementary school graduates, and high school graduates by four points, two points, one point, and also one point, respectively.

The Fourth Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey was conducted by the pollster from December 16 to 19 last year, using face-to-face interviews of its respondents nationwide.