SWS: Pinoys less hopeful of peace deal under Noy

MANILA, Philippines - Even before the standoff in Zamboanga City, fewer Filipinos believed that a peace agreement between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would be concluded during President Aquino’s term, according to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The number of Filipinos who believed that a peace accord would be signed under the Aquino administration went down from 49 percent in March to 35 percent in June.

The survey was conducted from June 28 to 30, before the Zamboanga crisis and the attack by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao.

The same survey, however, showed that a majority of Filipinos remained hopeful of a peace deal between the government and Moro rebels.

Seven in 10 Filipinos expect that a peace deal with the MILF would be signed. It was down from 79 percent recorded in the previous survey.

The 70 percent optimistic of a peace deal were comprised of 28 percent “very hopeful” and 42 percent “somewhat hopeful.”

Ten percent of respondents expect the peace deal to be signed this year; 25 percent chose 2014-2016; 28 percent chose 2016-2020; and 34 percent said “not ever.”

Respondents from Mindanao remained the most optimistic with 34 percent very hopeful of a peace pact, compared to 30 percent in the Visayas, 27 percent in Metro Manila and 24 percent in Luzon.

Twenty-three percent of Mindanaoans also expect a peace deal to be signed this year, compared to nine percent in balance Luzon, four percent in Metro Manila and three percent in the Visayas.

Hope for a peace agreement was highest among Muslims (59 percent very hopeful) followed by non-Catholic Christians (29 percent) and Catholics (27 percent).

The SWS second quarter survey involved face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide. It has error margins of plus or minus three percentage points for national and plus or minus six percentage points for area percentages.