79% of Pinoys satisfied with drug war, wake-up call to critics

Results of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that 79 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte’s war on drugs, only 15 percent were dissatisfied, and the remaining 6 percent were undecided. (Pixabay photo)

MANILA — Malacañang on Monday hailed the results of a survey which showed that majority of Filipinos are still satisfied by President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the survey results should serve as a “wake-up call” against foreign groups and personalities who spread lies to discredit his campaign against illegal drugs.

“Once again, this is a loud and clear repudiation of the rambunctious political opposition and cantankerous detractors of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his Administration,” Panelo said.

“This too shall serve as a wake-up call against foreign countries and entities to take their cue from the genuine sentiments of the Filipino people and cease from their continuous affront against our sovereign state with their pretended or feigned concern about human rights,” he added.

Results of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed that 79 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte’s war on drugs, only 15 percent were dissatisfied, and the remaining 6 percent were undecided.

This gives the President’s drug war a net satisfaction rating of +64, classified by SWS as “very good.”:

This figure is similar to the “very good” rating in September 2018 to March 2017 which ranged from +63 to +66 but 6 points below the “excellent” +70 rating in June and March 2019.

The pollster said that net satisfaction with the anti-narcotics campaign has always been either very good or excellent in the past 12 survey rounds.

The campaign recorded its highest satisfaction rating in December 2016 at excellent +77.

By area, net satisfaction with the drug war is highest in Mindanao at excellent +74, followed by very good levels in the Visayas at +69, Metro Manila at +67, and Balance Luzon at +55.

The most common reason respondents remain satisfied by the drug war is that drug suspects have lessened at 42 percent, followed by drug suspects have been arrested at 18 percent, and crime has lessened at 11 percent.

Rounding the top five reasons are: it diminished the drug trade at 8 percent, and protected the youth from drugs 6 percent.

The SWS survey, fielded from September 27-30, 2019, was done using face-to-face interviews of 1,800 adults nationwide.

Local and foreign human rights groups have condemned the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, saying it is creating atrocities and a culture of impunity.

The government has denied claims that the killings were state-sponsored and that cases are filed against police proven to be guilty of abusing their powers.