MAJORITY OF respondents in a new survey support President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s drug war despite their belief that extrajudicial killings (EJKs) are also committed in the course of that campaign.

Pulse Asia’s latest Ulat ng Bayan national survey, conducted Sept. 24-30, showed that only 20% of Filipinos do “not believe” that EJKs do not happen in the course of the drug war, whereas 73% “believe” otherwise.

The polling group said “agreement with this view becomes slightly more pronounced” by 6 percentage points compared with the 67% in Pulse Asia’s survey last June, while “disagreement eases markedly” by 9 percentage points. Around 7% “refused to answer” on this matter, compared with 4% last June.

Despite that, 88% support the drug war — with 41% saying they “truly support” it while 47% said they “support” the campaign.

“Basically the same levels of support obtain[ed] across geographic areas and socioeconomic groupings (84% to 94% and 80% to 89%, respectively),” Pulse Asia said. Alongside this support, the view affirming EJKs is “echoed by majorities in all areas and classes (67% to 78% and 70% to 77%, respectively).

KIAN DELOS SANTOS
Awareness of the drug war is 100% across all areas and classes as of September, compared with June when awareness ranged between 98% (Luzon, classes ABC and E), 99% (Class D), and 100% (Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region [NCR]).

Awareness regarding Kian delos Santos — the teenager whose Aug. 16 murder in the hands of Caloocan City police marked a turn in the drug war — had a somewhat broader range of 90% in Mindanao and among Class E, to 91% in the Visayas, 94% among Class D, 96% in Luzon, 97% among Classes ABC, and 98% in NCR.

On the face of respondents’ majority support for the drug war, 76% nationwide are worried (with 43% very worried and 34% somewhat worried) that “what happened to Kian delos Santos and others similar to him may happen to you, any member of your family, your relatives or acquaintances because of the operations against illegal drugs….”

In terms of class, respondents who are worried ranged from 71% among Class E to 77% among Class D and 81% among Classes ABC.

“A huge majority of Filipinos (77%) know of anti-illegal drugs operations in their barangay conducted by the police or local government authorities in the previous year,” Pulse Asia said. This awareness, in terms of social class, is at 81% among both Classes ABC and E.

Nationwide, 86% of respondents say the anti-drug operations in their barangays had been “orderly,” whereas 11% say these incidents were violent.

Asked regarding the role of the Catholic Church in the antidrug campaign that it had been vocal about, 58% of respondents nationwide agree that the Church should help the campaign “with rehabilitation of drug addicts.”

“This is the preferred action of most Filipinos across areas and classes (53% to 64% and 54% to 60%, respectively),” said the Pulse Asia poll wherein 46% agree the Church should “observe or monitor the campaign against drugs” while 40% said the Church should “release statements expressing concern about the deaths associated with the campaign.

Other respondents (28% and 11%, respectively) believe the Catholic Church leaders should “assist in litigation against alleged abusive law enforcers” and conduct an “international campaign to pressure the Duterte administration to suspend Oplan Tokhang,” as the drug war is also known.

On the other hand, 13% said the Church “should not interfere with the government’s program.”

‘MIXED REACTION’
The survey was conducted among 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above, with a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas have a ± 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level.

Sought for comment, University of Sto. Tomas political science professor Edmund S. Tayao noted the “mixed reaction” among the public.

“In other words, the general public now supports the war against drugs but looks at it as a campaign that requires recalibration, or at the very least an assessment where this (should be) right now or (how) it’s been proceeding.”

Also sought for comment, Executive Director Ramon C. Casiple of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform said “many people knew the technical meaning of EJK, but the figures are consistent with past figures on killings.”

“The reason why people support the campaign is they recognize the gravity of the problem and the peace the campaign brought to many communities,” He said, while also noting that “many don’t believe killings are necessary and that innocents may become victims.” — Arjay L. Balinbin with Rosemarie A. Zamora

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