Most Pinoys see fewer drug users

MANILA, Philippines — Six in every 10 Filipinos said that the number of illegal drug users in their areas decreased over the past year, according to a recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey, conducted from Dec. 16 to 19 and the results released yesterday, revealed that 66 percent of the 1,440 respondents noticed a decrease in the prevalence of illegal drug users in their communities.

Fourteen percent said it has increased and seven percent said it remained the same.

By area, the proportion of people who say there are less drug addicts in their areas compared to last year was highest in Mindanao with 83 percent, followed by the Visayas with 71 percent, Metro Manila, 67 percent and the rest of Luzon, 54 percent.

The number of those who said that illegal drug users in their areas increased is highest in Metro Manila with 22 percent, followed by the rest of Luzon with 18 percent, the Visayas 11 percent and Mindanao, six percent.

In the same survey, 95 percent of respondents said it is important for them that the illegal drug suspects are captured alive. The rest said it is not important.

This is similar to the figures obtained when the question was first surveyed in June 2018, according to SWS.

Meanwhile, 87 percent expressed belief that the police consider it important to capture illegal drug trade suspects alive, while 13 percent said the police do not consider it as important.

In the June 2018 survey, 86 percent believed that the police consider it important to capture illegal drug trade suspects alive, while 14 percent said the police do not.

The survey had a margin of error of +/-2.6 percent for national scores.

Welcomed

Malacañang yesterday welcomed the survey result, saying President Duterte will remain persistent and strong in the campaign against illegal drugs until the end of his term.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the survey validated the success of the administration’s anti-drug war campaign. “Even as our people acknowledge the administration’s efforts to bring down the number of drug personalities, our focus and drive remain unwavering in destroying the drug apparatus and putting behind bars the drug pushers, with strict observance to operational protocols, until the last day of the President’s term of office in 2022,” Panelo said.

“It is a major campaign platform of President Duterte and remains a centerpiece program of his administration, notwithstanding the harshest criticisms, brickbats and pressures the current government is receiving here and abroad,” he added.

He said the survey result disproves claims by the opposition and Duterte’s critics who have been vocal in using the drug war to vilify the President and his administration. He denounced them for raising the issue before the International Criminal Court.  

“They remain skeptical, unimpressed and indifferent of the significant strides made by our authorities in relation to prohibited narcotics, even pointing out there remains demand and supply on illegal drugs,” Panelo said.

“We ask them to stop playing blind and dumb and instead listen to the people,” he added. – With Christina Mendez