Majority of Pinoys support drug war — Pulse Asia
MANILA — An overwhelming majority of Filipinos support the government's campaign against illegal drugs despite their belief that extrajudicial killings happen, the latest Pulse Asia survey suggested on Monday.
Out of the 1,200 respondents in Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan survey, 88 percent of respondents expressed their support for the administration’s war on drugs. The high level of support for the campaign against illegal drugs was recorded across all areas and socio-economic groupings.
Only two percent are not supportive of the campaign while nine percent were unable to say if they support President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called drug war or not. Less than one percent were unable to state their positions on the matter.
The same survey revealed that 73 percent of Filipinos believe that extrajudicial killings are taking place in the course of the war on drugs—rising by six points from 67 percent in June.
This view was echoed by majorities in all areas and classes.
Despite the increase in the percentage of people who believe EJKs are occurring, the figure is insignificant at it falls within the ± six percent margin of error, the pollster said.
On the other hand, 20 percent of Filipinos do not believe EJKs are happening in the implementation of the antinarcotics campaign — a ninepoint decline from 29 percent in June.
In a separate survey conducted by pollster Social Weather Stations, 90 percent of Filipinos think it is vital that authorities capture drug suspects alive. Only 11 percent do not mind if drug suspects are killed in police operations.
SWS also found that more than half of Filipinos (54 percent) doubted the claims of cops that slain suspects fought back during drug operations.
The Palace and the Philippine National Police have maintained the position that there have been no extrajudicial killings based on criteria established by Administrative Order 35. The order created an interagency council to investigate extrajudicial killings and lists the criteria for cases that the new body was supposed to focus on.