8 in 10 Filipinos want Binay to face Senate probe—SWS poll

MANILA, Philippines—Majority of Filipinos want Vice President Jejomar Binay to face the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee probe, according to the results of a survey released Monday by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS).

In a nationwide survey conducted from September 26 to 29, 79 percent of 1,200 respondents, or eight in 10 Filipinos, said that Binay should attend the Senate hearing and address allegations of graft and corruption hurled against him and his family.

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Only 11 percent of respondents were undecided while 10 percent of respondents disagreed on Binay’s appearance to the Senate hearing.

The public opinion pollster said that eight in10 respondents in Metro Manila (82 percent), eight in 10 respondents in Visayas (80 percent), and seven in 10 respondents in Mindanao (73 percent) “strongly” or “somewhat” said that Binay should face the Senate.

Also, SWS noted that the clamor for Binay to attend the Senate probe spreads across all social classes.

Eight in 10 respondents (81 percent) from the class D, eight in 10 respondents of class ABC (80 percent), and seven in 10 respondents from the class E (72 percent) said that the vice president should clear his name in the Senate.

The survey also noted that 80 percent of respondents who were satisfied with the performance of the Vice President still want Binay’s testimony in the Senate.

When the results are analyzed in terms of the educational attainment of respondents, 85 percent of respondents who graduated from high school or attended college “strongly” or “somewhat agree” that Binay should face the Senate probe. Also, 83 percent of respondents who were college graduates and 74 percent of respondents who were elementary graduates all supported the calls for Binay’s appearance in the Senate. Meanwhile, 68 percent of respondents who have not attended elementary school stated that they also want Binay to clear his name by facing the senators in the blue ribbon subcommittee hearing.

Binay was invited for the second time by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee Saturday to attend its next hearing. The invitation extended by blue ribbon subcommittee chair Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to the vice president will be for the October 30 hearing.

The vice president’s camp has earlier slammed the Senate hearings as a “political circus”.

In a survey by SWS released last week, the satisfaction rating of Binay has plummeted to a record low since he assumed the vice presidency, posting only 52 percent during the third quarter of 2014.

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