Pulse Asia: 6 out of 10 Filipinos oppose charter change

MANILA, Philippines — There are more Filipinos expressing opposition on the proposed move to amend the 1987 Constitution, according to the latest survey conducted by Pulse Asia.  

The poll, conducted from March 23 to 28, showed that 64 percent of Filipinos do not want charter change.

Of this, 32 percent expressed openness to altering the Constitution sometime in the future but not at the present, while the other 32 percent said that charter change should not be done now or in the future.

Opposition to charter change increased by 20 percentage points from 44 percent in July 2016.

This is due to the rise of opposition in Metro Manila (59 percent), Balance Luzon (71 percent), Mindanao (58 percent). There was also opposition from class ABC (61 percent) and Class D (48 percent).

About one of four Filipinos (23 percent), on the other hand, is supportive of amending the Constitution now.

However, the public support for charter change declined by 14 percentage points from 37 percent in July 2016.

Only 13 percent are ambivalent on the matter.

The number of Filipinos aware of proposals to change the Constitution, moreover, increased to 49 percent from 41 percent in July 2016.

Federalism?

The same survey showed that a big majority (71 percent) of Filipinos know little/almost none/nothing at all about the proposed federal system of government.

Of this figure, 43 percent have little knowledge, while 27 percent have almost no/no knowledge at all about federalism.

“Lack or absence of awareness is reported by most Filipinos across geographic areas and socio-economic classes (62 percent to 79 percent and 64 percent to 75 percent, respectively),” the polling firm noted.

Only 29 percent of Filipinos said they have a great deal or sufficient amount of knowledge about the issue.

Of this, 7 percent said they have a great deal of knowledge on federalism, while 22 percent have sufficient knowledge on the matter.

Despite having a big proportion of Filipinos who said they know little to nothing about federalism, 66 percent of Filipinos are against the proposed shift to a federal form of government from the present unitary system.

Thirty-six percent of Filipinos expressed opposition on the altering of the system of government regardless of the timing of such change, while 30 percent are opposed to it now but may be open to changing to a federal government in the future.

Only 27 percent are supportive of the change to a federal system, while 6 percent are ambivalent on the matter.

During the campaign, President Rodrigo Duterte promised a federal government as one of his key platforms.

The survey was conducted by interviewing 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level.