Survey: Pay hike, curbing drugs 2 top priorities of next President

Increasing the pay of workers and curbing the sale and use of illegal drugs were the two top priorities that the country’s next President must address immediately, the latest Pulse Asia survey indicated.

The results of the Jan. 24-28 poll released on Friday also found that nearly a third of Filipinos will vote for presidential candidates with an “untarnished” reputation.

Pulse Asia asked 1,800 respondents to pick three among 16 national concerns that needed immediate response from their preferred candidate if elected President.

Nationwide, 38 percent of respondents chose improving or increasing workers’ salary, while 36 percent picked the issue of curbing the widespread sale and use of illegal drugs.

The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points, also ranked the other urgent issues as follows:  controlling inflation (30 percent); fighting graft and corruption (30 percent); reducing poverty (29 percent); creating more jobs (26 percent); fighting criminality (24 percent); applying the law equally (20 percent); increasing peace (12 percent); curbing illegal gambling like “jueteng” (11 percent), and stopping the destruction and abuse of the environment (10 percent).

Considered of lower priority were: defending the integrity of Philippine territory against foreigners (8 percent); preparing for disasters (8 percent); protecting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (7 percent); responding quickly to casualties of disasters or calamities (6 percent), and preparing against terrorism (4 percent).

Increasing wages was most urgent among those from the Visayas region (47 percent) and the rest of Luzon (35 percent), while the issue of illegal drugs was the top pick in Metro Manila (42 percent) and Mindanao (41 percent).

Fighting graft and corruption was a top priority among the Class ABC (37 percent), while increasing the salary of workers was cited as a national concern among Classes D and E (39 percent).

Meanwhile, of the 17 cited qualities of the next President, having an untarnished reputation was the top choice of 28 percent of the respondents across regions and classes, ranging from 27 percent in Mindanao to 32 percent in Metro Manila, and from 22 percent among Class ABC, to 29 percent among Class D.

Other cited considerations were the candidate’s clear program or platform of action (14 percent) and extensive experience in governance (12 percent).

The other qualities cited were: being knowledgeable in the management of government (9 percent); God-loving or religious (6 percent); helpful (6 percent); propoor (5 percent); approachable (4 percent); courageous (3 percent); intelligent (3 percent) and industrious (2 percent).

Respondents also looked into the presidential candidate’s winnability (2 percent); endorsement by a respected person or leader (2 percent); party affiliation (1 percent); non-involvement in political dynasty (1 percent); nonviolence (1 percent), and nationalism by not leaving the country (0.4 percent).

The issues that dominated the news during the survey period were: the series of oral arguments about the citizenship and residency of Sen. Grace Poe before the Supreme Court; the reopening of the Senate inquiry into the Mamasapano operation; the SSS pension veto, and the 50-centavo slash in jeepney fares because of reduced oil prices. Inquirer Research

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