Most Filipinos support Duterte's war on drugs: survey

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines

Around 80 percent of Filipinos support President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs but also fear that someone they know will become a victim of extrajudicial killings under the drive that has left thousands dead, according to a survey published Monday.

Independent research institute Social Weather Survey released its fourth quarter 2016 findings showing that 85 percent of the 1,500 adults interviewed nationwide said they were satisfied with the Duterte government’s performance in the anti-drug drive.

Of them, 53 percent were “very satisfied” and 32 “somewhat satisfied”.

Around 78 percent of respondents, however, said they feared that someone from their families would become a victim of extrajudicial killings -- 45 percent of them “very worried” and 33 percent “somewhat worried”.

Since July 1, more than 6,000 people have been killed over suspected drug links -- with around two-thirds of the deaths attributed to “vigilante-style killings” and the remainder to police operations, according to national police data cited by Rappler.

According to the survey results published Monday, trust remained low among respondents about whether police were telling the truth in claiming that the suspects who had been killed by officers were those who resisted arrest.

While only 28 percent said they believed the police where telling the truth, 29 percent did not believe the police and 42 percent remained undecided.

Of the 28 percent who believed the police, nine percent said police claims were “definitely the truth” and 19 percent “probably the truth”.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of respondents -- 94 percent -- believed in the importance of keeping drug suspects alive, while 69 percent said the problem of extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s administration was serious.

Of those concerned about extrajudicial killings, 39 percent considered the problem “very serious” and 30 percent “somewhat serious”, while 22 percent of respondents remained undecided.

Rights groups, the United Nations and the United States have expressed concern over alleged extrajudicial killings under the campaign, resulting in expletive-laden responses from Duterte.