FIVE out of 10 Filipinos believe some of those who were killed by police during anti-illegal drug operations did not fight authorities while almost the same number doubt whether those who were killed were really drug peddlers, the second quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from June 23 to 26 showed.
The survey, which involved 1,200 adult respondents nationwide, said 54 percent agree with the statement that “Many of those killed by the police in the anti-drug campaign did not really fight the police (20 percent strongly agree, 34 percent somewhat agree).”
It said 20 percent disagree (8 percent strongly disagree, 12 percent somewhat disagree) while 25 percent were undecided.
The survey also found that 49 percent agree with the statement, “Many of those killed by the police in the anti-drug campaign are not really drug pushers” (17 percent strongly agree, 32 percent somewhat agree), 24 percent disagree (11 percent strongly disagree, 13 percent somewhat disagree). Twenty-seven percent were undecided.
The SWS also said 51 percent of respondents agree that “Many are lying and pointing to their personal enemies as drug users or pushers in order to give an excuse for these people to be killed by police of vigilantes” (19 percent strongly agree, 32 percent somewhat disagree), while 21 percent disagree (10 percent strongly disagree, 11 percent somewhat disagree).
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the latest SWS survey, however, contained “leading and pointed questions that may have unduly influenced the answers of respondents.”
“We expect pollsters to exercise prudence and objectivity to arrive at a closer approximation of public sentiment,” Abella said.
The SWS results also showed that majority of those from Metro Manila (64 percent), Luzon (56 percent) and Visayas (50 percent) do not believe that those killed in the drug campaign fought the police. Close to a majority from Mindanao (49 percent) agreed.
Across socio-economic classes, majority from classes D (54 percent) and E (57 percent) agreed while only 40 percent from class A agreed.
The survey also found that majority from Metro Manila (58 percent) and Visayas (52 percent) and close to a majority from Luzon (47 percent) and Mindanao (45 percent) agreed that many of those killed are not really drug pushers.
Across socio-economic classes, majority from Class D (51 percent) along with 45 percent from Class E and 38 percent from Class ABC agreed with the statement.
The SWS also said majority of respondents from Metro Manila (63 percent), Luzon (50 percent) and Mindanao (51 percent) agreed that many are lying and only claimed that their personal enemies were drug users or pushers to get them killed. Forty-two percent from the Visayas agreed .
JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR. Malaya