DAVAO CITY — The administration’s war against drug got mixed reactions , the latest Social Weather Station Survey (SWS) result say at least 73 percent of the Filipinos believe that the number of illegal drug users have dropped since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in July 2016.
But 76 percent see many human rights abuses during the campaign against illegal drugs.
The SWS asked their respondents, “In the course of the administration’s war on illegal drugs, would you say that the number of abuses of human rights, for example the Extrajudicial Killings or EJKs, has been… (Very many, Somewhat many, Only a few, or Very few)?”
Of which 76 percent of the 1,200 respondents answered they have see many human rights abuses.
The SWS survey, conducted from December 13-16, 2019, found that around 28% of the number said the drug users have “fallen a lot” while 46% noticed the drug personalities have “fallen somewhat”.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo welcomed the recent SWS survey results as “a fact the Filipinos feel in their communities”.
“This is what matters most – a genuine and meaningful change. This is the reason why President Duterte continues to enjoy massive approval and trust from the Filipinos,” Panelo said.
Panelo also said the Palace is not surprised with the survey finding, noting that the Administration’s war on drugs has been “demonized” by the President’s critics, the political opposition, and some media outlets.
Denying that the extra-judicial killings (EJKs) were state-sponsored, Panelo said the President’s critics continued to tag them to the government’s drug-related operations.
“This constant vilification have gained an undeserved currency,” Panelo said.
The Palace official reiterated that drug-related deaths are the result of violent resistance by the suspects in buy-bust and police operations and that law enforcers simply practice self-defense.
The survey also showed that 44 percent of Filipinos believe that the President was sincere in appointing Vice President Leni Robredo as Co-Chairperson of ICAD, while 27 percent say he was insincere.
