Of surveys and truth on the ground
The "very good" human rights rating of President Duterte in the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations has drawn the ire of human rights groups. One human rights group official said surveys are just surveys and do not necessarily reflect the real situation on the ground. So what then is the human rights official reacting to? Why is the official dignifying the survey with a reaction if it does not reflect the truth on the ground?
Maybe the official is confused and mistakes the truth it claims to see on the ground with the people's reaction to it as reflected in the surveys. It is entirely possible that while there may be human rights violations committed in the relentless war on illegal drugs that the Duterte government is waging, people prefer to look the other way, hence the favorable survey results.
The matter might best be understood in the case of Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido. Espenido first burst onto the national consciousness when he was the chief of police in Albuera, Leyte, who arrested the town's mayor, Rolando Espinosa, on suspicion of involvement in illegal drugs. Espinosa was later killed inside his cell in Baybay City by other police officers.
Shortly thereafter, Espenido was transferred to Ozamiz City where he promptly neutralized the powerful Parojinog clan led by the city's mayor. With that feat under his belt, a clamor went up to assign Espenido next to Iloilo City, where the mayor was someone Duterte himself said was on his list of narcotics suspects. News flew that he was to be assigned there, only to be recalled later on account of Espenido being not ranked high enough to qualify for the post.
Why the clamor for Espenido to be assigned anywhere at all? No scientific attempt has been made to try and understand why. But it is easy to assume it could have something to do with what happens to suspected drug lords in areas where he gets to be assigned. It is a clamor based on tacit approval of the consequences. It is perhaps the reason why the approval ratings of Duterte remain high, alleged human rights violations notwithstanding.
People do not exactly jump up and down when the government scores in its anti-illegal drug campaign, especially when the circumstances of the victory leave something to be desired. But there is no mistaking the trees for the forest. Overall, the people agree with the campaign, and when the opportunity arises where their voices are heard, in unison or in anonymity, they stand up to be counted. Surveys may just be surveys. But sometimes they speak a much larger truth.