62 percent of Filipinos oppose martial law extension, SWS survey says

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte will end 2017 with a "very good" net satisfaction rating, bouncing back from an 18-point drop in the previous quarter, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed Friday.

The survey showed that 71 percent of Filipinos are satisfied with Duterte's performance, a 5-point rise from the 67 percent he got last September, 13 percent said they are dissatisfied, 6 points fewer from the last survey, and 15 percent said they are undecided.

The President maintained his "very good" rating in Mindanao (+80), and achieved a "good" to "very good" rating in Metro Manila (+55), Balance Luzon (+50), and Visayas (+53).

Duterte's net satisfaction rating among Classes A, B, and C, also remained "very good" at +66, a 9-point increase from September's +59.

Meanwhile, it rose from "good" to "very good" in class D or masa (+57) and E (+65).

Malacañang meanwhile welcomed the improvement in the President's satisfaction ratings, saying it would serve as a "source of inspiration" for Duterte.

"We are entering 2018 with high public confidence from all across geographical areas, in both urban and rural areas, in all socioeconomic classes, among both men and women, and all educational levels," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement Saturday.

"We, therefore, assure everyone that this public sentiment, classified by Social Weather Stations (SWS) as very good, would be a source of inspiration for the President and his team to continuously work hard to bring a comfortable life for all Filipinos under a trustworthy government," he added.

The 4th quarter poll, conducted after conflict-stricken Marawi City was liberated from Islamic State-inspired terrorists, also revealed that 62 percent of the respondents oppose the martial law extension in Mindanao.

• READ: Congress extends Mindanao martial law until end of 2018

Twelve percent of respondents were undecided, while 26 percent disagreed.

Metro Manila recorded the highest opposition to martial law extension at 67 percent, followed by Balance Luzon (63 percent), Mindanao (62 percent), and Visayas (55 percent).

Metro Manila recorded the highest opposition to martial law extension at 67%, followed by Balance Luzon (63%), Mindanao (62%), and Visayas (55%).

More than half or 66 percent of the respondents also agreed that the military can defeat Islamic State-inspired terrorists even without military rule.

"The December 2017 proportion of those who agree that the AFP can suppress the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf even without Martial Law is 12 points above the 54 percent in September 2017. It was at 57 percent in June 2017, when SWS first asked the question," SWS noted.

Roque said although the government understands the public's sentiments on the extension of martial law in Mindanao anew, there is a need to inform the public of the supposed positive effect of military rule.

"We have to engage our people and make them aware that it is precisely because of martial law that there is a seemingly peaceful environment that is prevalent now in Mindanao, thus, they have this perception of 'tapos na ang giyera'," Roque said.

"If martial law had not been implemented, the current situation in the communities in Mindanao would have been vastly different," he added.

Roque explained that with the implementation of military rule, law enforcers can better protect citizens and help ensure that rehabilitation plans are carried out.

"...Martial law will also aid our defenders in securing Task Force Bangon Marawi agencies that are carrying out the rehabilitation of Marawi City," he said.

The latest SWS survey had 1,200 adult respondents who were interviewed between Dec. 8 and 16. It had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.