Filipinos’ satisfaction rating on war on drugs slightly drops

An alleged drug dealer is captured by policemen after a drug buy-bust operation on a slum area in Manila on September 28, 2017.
AFP FILE PHOTO

Filipinos’ net satisfaction rating on the government’s war on drugs slightly fell based on the recent survey done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

This year’s third quarter survey, which was conducted among 1,500 adults on September 23 to 27, found a net satisfaction rating of +63, classified as “very good” by SWS. This was two points below June’s +65 net satisfaction rating, the survey posted on Monday showed.

The SWS said the two-point decline was due to decreased support in Metro Manila and Balance Luzon, offset by an increased support in Mindanao and in the Visayas.

The respondents were responding to the question: “Maaari po bang pakisabi ninyo kung gaano kayo nasisiyahan o hindi nasisiyahan sa kasalukuyang kampanya ng administration laban sa illegal na droga. Kayo ba ay… Lubos na nasisiyahan, medyo nasisiyahan, hindi tiyak kung nasisiyahan o lubos na hindi nasisiyahan?”

(Please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are with the performance of the administration in its campaign against illegal drugs. Are you very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, undecided, or very dissatisfied?)

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

Despite the slight drop, the survey showed that 77 percent of the respondents remained satisfied with the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs while 14 percent were dissatisfied.

The survey also showed that 71 percent of the respondents believed there were less drug addicts in their area compared to six months ago. While 9 percent said there were more drug addicts in their places, 12 percent said the number was the same.

The respondents were asked: ”Kung ikukumpara ang kasalukuyang dami ng mga drug addict sa inyong lugar sa nakaraang 6 na buwan, masasabi ba ninyo na ang dami ng drug addict sa inyong lugar ay… mas madami ngayon kaysa noon, kapareho ng dati o mas kaunti ngayon kaysa noon?”

(Comparing the current number of drug addicts in your locality to how it was 6 months ago, would you say that the number of drug addicts in your locality is more now than before, same as before or less now than before?)

Respondents’ net satisfaction with the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte was also higher among those satisfied with the campaign against illegal drugs. The net satisfaction was at a “very good” while those who were “moderately satisfied” was at +23, SWS added.

Pulse Asia earlier released its own survey showing that 73 percent of the 1,200 surveyed respondents believed that extrajudicial killings (EJKs) exist in the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs but 88 percent of them still support it. /jpv

READ: 88% of Pinoys support war on drugs; 73% say EJKs happen—survey