SWS: 83% of Filipinos say Duterte’s ‘stupid God’ remark was vulgar

President Rodrigo Duterte. RENE LUMAWAG / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Majority of Filipino adults said President Rodrigo Duterte’s remark that “God is stupid” was vulgar, a result from the third quarter of the September 2018 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed on Saturday.

About 83 percent of Filipinos found Duterte’s statement as vulgar or “bastos.” About 14 percent said it was not vulgar while 3 percent said they did not know.

In a speech last June 22, Duterte raised a lot of eyebrows when he insulted God for the concept of original sin. He was also unapologetic for the statement, saying he had freedom to choose not to believe in God.

READ: Duterte unapologetic over ‘stupid God’ remark

Aside from the “God is stupid” statement, most Filipinos also found Duterte’s remark on the rape cases in Davao City as vulgar.

About 63 percent of Filipinos said it was vulgar, 33 percent said it was not vulgar while 5 percent admitted that they did not know.

Duterte said there were many rape cases in Davao City, his hometown, because there are many beautiful women. During his visit in Israel last Sept. 3, he said it was a “freedom of expression.”

READ: Duterte defends rape remark as freedom of expression

SWS survey said Duterte’s net satisfaction rating was “good” at +47 with 66 percent satisfied and 19 percent dissatisfied among those who said “God is stupid” remark was vulgar.

This was lower than those who found the remark as not vulgar with an excellent satisfaction rating at +85 with 88 percent satisfied and 3 percent dissatisfied.

For those who found the rape remark as vulgar, Duterte’s net satisfaction rating was “good” at +45 with 65 percent satisfied and 20 percent satisfied.

Meanwhile, for those who did not find the remark as vulgar, satisfaction rating was very good at +68 with 78 percent satisfied and 10 percent dissatisfied.

In a survey conducted from Sept. 15 to 23, there were 1,500 adults of 18 years old and above who were interviewed. About 600 of them were from Balance Luzon and 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao.

The survey had a sampling error margins of of ±3% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao. /jpv