SWS survey: 90% want drug suspects kept alive

October 5, 2017 - 8:27 PM
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Dead drug suspect
Police investigators inspect the body of a suspected drug addict who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Quezon City. (Reuters file)

In the Second Quarter 2017 Social Weather Survey (SWS) fielded June 23-26, 2017, fully 90% of the respondents said it was important for drug suspects to be captured alive (68% very important, 22% somewhat important).

This compares to 92% (66% very important, 26% somewhat important) in March 2017. It was 94% in both the September 2016 and December 2016 surveys.

SWS servey chart keep them alive

SWS noted that about 9 out of 10 respondents in all areas, with the highest proportion coming from Metro Manila at 95% (77% very important, 18% somewhat important), followed by Visayas at 90% (68% very important, 22% somewhat important), Balance Luzon at 90% (67% very important, 22% somewhat important, correctly rounded), and Mindanao at 86% (64% very important, 22% somewhat important) saying this is important.

Follow this link to read the SWS report on this survey.

73% worry about becoming victims of EJK
The June 2017 survey also found that 73% of adult Filipinos are worried that they, or anyone they know, will be a victim of “Extrajudicial Killing or EJK.”

To the question, “Gaano po kayo nangangamba na kayo o sino mang kilala ninyo ay maging biktima ng ‘Extrajudicial Killing o EJK’? [How worried are you that you or anyone you know will be a victim of ‘ Extrajudicial Killing or EJK’?],” 41% answered talagang nangangamba (very worried), 32% answered medyo nangangamba (somewhat worried), 13% answered medyo hindi nangangamba (not too worried), and 14% answered talagang hindi nangangamba (not worried at all).

This compares to March 2017 when 37% said they were very worried, 36% somewhat worried, 14% not too worried, and 13% not worried at all.

Majorities in all areas were worried about getting victimized by EJK, with the highest proportion coming from Visayas at 77% (48% very worried, 29% somewhat worried), followed by Mindanao at 75% (46% very worried, 29% somewhat worried), Metro Manila at 73% (34% very worried, 40% somewhat worried, correctly rounded), and Balance Luzon at 70% (37% very worried, 33% somewhat worried).

63% say the administration is serious in solving the EJK problem
To the question, “Sa inyong palagay, SERYOSO ba o HINDI SERYOSO ang pamahalaan na masolusyunan ang problema ng “Extrajudicial Killing” o EJK sa bansa? [In your opinion, is the administration SERIOUS or NOT SERIOUS about solving the problem of ‘Extrajudicial Killings or EJK’ in the country?],” 33% answered talagang seryoso (very serious), 30% answered medyo seryoso (somewhat serious), 23% answered hindi tiyak kung seryoso o hindi seryoso (undecided if serious or not serious), 9% answered medyo hindi seryoso (somewhat not serious), and 5% answered talagang hindi seryoso (not serious at all).

This compares to March 2017, when 34% answered very serious, 36% somewhat serious, 22% undecided if serious or not serious, 5% somewhat not serious, and 4% not serious at all.

Belief in the Duterte administration’s seriousness to solve the EJK problem is highest in the Visayas at 68% (44% very serious, 24% somewhat serious), followed by Balance Luzon at 64% (29% very serious, 35% somewhat serious), Metro Manila at 62% (31% very serious, 31% somewhat serious), and Mindanao at 59% (34% very serious, 25% somewhat serious) [Chart 6].

Survey Background
The June 2017 Social Weather Survey was conducted from June 23-26, 2017 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide, 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao).

The area estimates were weighted by Philippine Statistics Authority medium-population projections for 2017 to obtain the national estimates.

The Social Weather Survey items on the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs and on Extrajudicial Killing or EJK, are non-commissioned. They were included on SWS’s own initiative and released as a public service.

SWS employs its own staff for questionnaire design, sampling, fieldwork, data-processing, and analysis, and does not outsource any of its survey operations.