Pinoys split on Iraq pullout — survey

Filipinos are split almost evenly on whether the country’s humanitarian contingent should be pulled out of Iraq or not, a regular Malacañang opinion survey showed yesterday.

The survey conducted by Harris & Black Associations (HB&A) revealed that 49 percent of the respondents said the Philippine government should yield to the demand of Iraqi militants for troop withdrawal to save the life of Filipino hostage Angelo de la Cruz.

On the other hand, a nearly equal 46 percent said the government should "refuse or deny tactfully" the demand and "plead for the life of De la Cruz."

Only four percent said the demand should be refused outright "based on principles."

The survey — done in Filipino — was taken from July 10 to 12 with 300 respondents using random sampling population in Metro Manila.

HB&A managing director Anthony Abaya told The STAR yesterday that the public’s response on how President Arroyo was handling the hostage crisis was almost divided.

The survey results, he said, were submitted to the President who has imposed a news blackout since Friday as the Philippine government tries to keep hostage takers from executing the hapless 46-year-old father of eight from Mexico, Pampanga. It has been a week since De la Cruz was snatched by insurgents calling their group the Khaled Ibn al-Walid Brigade, or the Islamic Army of Iraq.

The Philippine government has initially refused the militants’ demand for troop pullout, but later took on a softer stance as a slow withdrawal of forces started taking place yesterday amid negotiations.

A high 93 percent of the total respondents in the HB&A survey were well aware of the hostage crisis situation, which also involves two Bulgarian truck drivers abducted last Thursday.

The crisis has seen this predominantly Catholic nation united in prayer for the safe release of De la Cruz, one of the millions of Filipinos who chose to work overseas in order to provide for their families back home.

On the question of general opinion which they think closely hews to their personal views on the issue, 50 percent of the respondents said Arroyo administration "should save the life of De la Cruz even if it means a high price to pay for the government."

On the other hand, 43 percent said the government "should refuse and deny tactfully" the demand of the hostage-takers.

Only five percent said "political will" should be exercised by the Arroyo administration and "stick to its commitment" to United States and its allies in the coalition of the willing "for the sake of the country."

The same survey also asked the respondents on the President’s decision to continue to impose the ban on the deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to Iraq while the situation there is risky.

Of the total respondents, 78 percent said Mrs. Arroyo’s decision was "justified" while only 19 percent said it was not.

On the question of what to do with the 4,200 OFWs still working in war-torn Iraq, 72 percent said those who would like to stay on should be allowed to do so but that the Philippine government should be ready to assist them, if needed, for immediate repatriation.