One in four adult Filipinos said they know someone who had been summoned by the Philippine National Police (PNP) under its Oplan Tokhang antidrug campaign, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
The results of the Sept. 23-27 poll also showed that almost half of those who knew someone summoned by the police say none or not all of them are drug addicts or pushers.
Oplan Tokhang is the police door-to-door campaign urging drug users and pushers to surrender and undergo rehabilitation. But the campaign has seen not a few deaths by people who allegedly resist arrest.
On Oct. 10, President Duterte demoted the police’s role in the administration’s antidrug campaign and transferred the mandate to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as the “sole agency” responsible for the drug war.
Fold operations
The move, which came after the decline of Mr. Duterte’s public satisfaction and trust ratings, prompted PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, to fold Oplan Tokhang and “Project Double Barrel” on Oct. 12.
Of the 1,500 survey respondents nationwide, 25 percent said they know someone summoned under Oplan Tokhang.
The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
In Metro Manila, 31 percent said they have personal knowledge of someone summoned under Oplan Tokhang, the highest percentage by area, followed by Balance Luzon and Mindanao, both at 25 percent and the Visayas, with 22 percent.
The SWS further asked respondents if the persons they know that were summoned by the police are: drug addicts and pushers; not all are drug addicts and pushers; none are drug addicts and pushers; don’t know if there are drug addicts and pushers.
47 percent
To this question, 47 percent answered “not all are drug addicts and pushers”; 2 percent answered “none are drug addicts and pushers”; and 36 percent answered “all are drug addicts and pushers.” The other 14 percent said they don’t know and 0.6 percent did not give an answer.
The percentage of those who said the persons summoned are not all drug addicts and pushers was highest in Metro Manila (50 percent), followed by Balance Luzon (49 percent), Visayas (48 percent) and Mindanao (41 percent).
The survey showed that Mr. Duterte got a lower net satisfaction rating (+37) among those who said not all persons summoned are drug addicts and pushers compared to the (+73) net satisfaction among those who said the persons summoned are all drug addicts and pushers. —INQUIRER RESEARCH