SWS poll: Half of respondents doubt police claim of ‘nanlaban’

AN ESTIMATED half of respondents polled by a second-quarter survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) expressed doubt on police claims of resistance (“nanlaban”) by drug suspects, as well as on drug crimes imputed to them.

To be sure, an also considerable percentage of respondents were undecided on the survey’s test statements that many of the fatalities “did not really fight against the police” and “are not really drug dealers” and that “Many are lying and pointing to their personal enemies as drug users/pushers in order to give an excuse for these people to be killed by the police or vigilantes.”

The survey showed that conformity with these test statements was highest in the National Capital Region, but was also considerable in Mindanao, the home region of President Rodrigo R. Duterte whose anti-drug campaign is the widely acknowledged foundation of his administration.

The Second Quarter SWS survey was conducted on June 23-26 via face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide with sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

‘INCREDULITY’
According to the survey, 54% of respondents agree that those who were killed by the police in the anti-drug campaign did not really fight back, with 20% disagreeing and 25% undecided. Further broken down, 20% of those who agreed with that test statement were of strong agreement, as opposed to 34% who “somewhat agree.”

“Incredulity over the ‘nanlaban’ reason is highest in Metro Manila, where 63% of the population believe that many of those killed did not really fight back against the police,” SWS said. “It is slightly lower in the rest of Luzon at 56%, and in the Visayas and Mindanao, both at 49%.”

On the test statement that “Many of those killed by the police in the anti-drug campaign are not really drug dealers,” 49% expressed agreement (17% strongly agree, 32% somewhat agree), with 24% disagreeing (11% strongly disagree, 13% somewhat disagree) and 27% undecided.

And on the test statement that “Many are lying and pointing to their personal enemies as drug users/pushers in order to give an excuse for these people to be killed by the police or vigilantes,” 51% expressed agreement (19% strongly agree, 32% somewhat agree), with 21% disagreeing (10% strongly disagree, 11% somewhat disagree) and 28% undecided.

In terms of social class, “The very poor are more likely than the wealthy to disbelieve the ‘nanlaban’ reason for killings attributed to the police. Among those in class E, 58% agreed with the statement; in class D or the masa, it is 54%; and in class ABC, it is a much lower 40%.” SWS noted, adding:

“The social class differences are similarly present (in that) (b)elief in the innocence of those killed by police is lowest among class ABC at 38%, followed by class E at 45%, then class D at 51%.”

Critics of Mr. Duterte’s drug war have denounced this campaign as being largely anti-poor, an assertion highlighted by public outrage over the recent series of slain teenagers.

‘LEADING AND POINTED QUESTIONS’
When sought for comment, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella said the survey “contains leading and pointed questions that may have unduly influenced the answers of the respondents.”

“We expect pollsters to exercise prudence and objectivity to arrive at a closer approximation of public sentiment,” he added.

In an e-mail, Phelim Kine, Deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in part: “HRW’s research into many of these anti-drug operations clearly shows the intent of police and their agents to summarily execute the victims.” — Rosemarie A. Zamora