Majority of Filipinos mistakenly believe that selling of illegal drugs is punishable by death. Nearly half also believe drug use is punishable by death.
These were among the findings of a noncommissioned survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from June 23 to 26 among 1,200 adults nationwide and part of the series of special reports of the polling firm related to the campaign against illegal drugs.
Death penalty for any criminal offense is not allowed in the country.
But the results released on Tuesday showed that 59 percent believe that selling of drugs is punishable by death.
Forty-seven percent also believe that use of illegal drugs is punishable by death penalty, while 53 percent correctly responded that it is not true.
The survey, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, showed that 3 out of 5 Filipinos agree that only poor drug pushers were killed. Sixty percent of the respondents agreed to the statement that “rich drug pushers are not killed; only the poor ones are killed.”
The highest proportion of those who agreed came from Metro Manila, with 75 percent, followed by Mindanao with 59 percent.
Most of the reported killings in the war on drugs happened in Metro Manila, with critics pointing out that most of the victims were poor.
Results also showed that 74 percent or 3 out of 4 want President Duterte to reveal his list of drug personalities and charge them in court. Agreement to this statement is high in all areas with 82 percent in Metro Manila, 75 percent in rest of Luzon, 71 percent in Mindanao, and 69 percent in Visayas.