82% of Pinoys satisfied with drug war — SWS

MANILA, Philippines — Eight in 10 Filipino adults remain satisfied with President Duterte’s war on drugs, according to results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. 

The poll, fielded from June 22 to 26, found 82 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs while 12 percent were dissatisfied, resulting in a net satisfaction score of “excellent” +70. 

The remaining six percent of respondents were undecided on the matter.

The June 2019 net satisfaction rating of the campaign against illegal drugs matched the “excellent” +70 in March 2019, the SWS said. 

Net satisfaction with the government’s campaign against illegal drugs was highest in Mindanao, Duterte’s home region, at excellent +84, followed by very good levels in balance Luzon at +69, Metro Manila at +64, and the Visayas at +60. 

Since it was first surveyed in September 2016, net satisfaction with the anti-illegal drugs campaign has been excellent in Mindanao, except for the very good +66 in June 2017, according to SWS.

It went up seven points in balance Luzon from +62 in March 2019 to +69 in June 2019, both classified as very good. 

Net satisfaction with the government’s drug war, however, fell by one grade from excellent +72 in March to very good +64 in Metro Manila. 

It stayed very good in the Visayas despite dropping nine points from +69 in March to +60 in June. 

Net satisfaction with the campaign has always been either very good (+50 to +69) or excellent (+70 and above) in the past 11 survey rounds, SWS said. 

The campaign recorded its highest satisfaction rating in December 2016 at excellent +77. 

“Drug suspects have lessened” remained the top reason for being satisfied with the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, the pollster said. It was cited by 42 percent in Mindanao, 41 percent in balance Luzon, 38 percent in Metro Manila, and 37 percent in the Visayas. 

The second most common reason for being satisfied was “drug suspects have been arrested.” This was cited by 21 percent in balance Luzon, followed by the Visayas (21 percent). In Mindanao, the second most common reason was “lessened crime.” 

“Drug suspects have been arrested” and “lessened crime” were equally the second most common reasons for being satisfied with the anti-illegal drugs campaign in Metro Manila, both at 14 percent. 

Meanwhile, the prevalence of drug trade/drug suspects was the most common reason for being dissatisfied with the anti-illegal drugs campaign, the SWS said.

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults, 18 years old and above, nationwide.