By ELLALYN DE VERA-RUIZ
About six in 10 Filipinos have expressed approval of the reimposition of death penalty in the country, based on the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results.
In the nationwide survey conducted last March 25-28 among 1,200 respondents, SWS found that 36 percent of Filipinos “strongly approve” of the proposed law that will reimpose death penalty on heinous crimes related to illegal drugs, while 24 percent “somewhat approve” of the proposal.
About 16 percent of Filipinos expressed indecision whether they approve or disapprove, while 7 percent “somewhat disapprove” and 16 percent “strongly disapprove” of the proposal.
This translates to a net approval score of +38 (61 percent strongly/somewhat approve minus 23 percent somewhat/strongly disapprove), classified by SWS as “good.”
SWS terminology for net satisfaction ratings are translated as follows: +70 and above as “excellent;” +50 to +69 “very good;” +30 to +49 “good;” +10 to +29 “moderate;” +9 to –9 “neutral;” -10 to –29 “poor;” -30 to –49 “bad;” -50 to –69 “very bad;” and -70 and below “execrable.”
SWS also found that the net approval of the proposal to reimpose death penalty was highest among those with extensive knowledge about it at +59 (78 percent approve, 19 percent disapprove), followed by those with partial but sufficient knowledge, at +51 (70 percent approve, 18 percent disapprove), those with only a little knowledge, at +30 (54 percent approve, 25 percent disapprove), and those with almost no knowledge, at zero (33 percent approve, 34 percent disapprove).
There was stronger support for the proposal from Metro Manila and upper-to-middle class ABC, it added.
The net approval was highest in Metro Manila, +58 (75 percent approve, 17 percent disapprove), followed by rest of Luzon at +39 (63 percent approve, 24 percent disapprove), Mindanao at +35 (53 percent approve, 17 percent disapprove), and Visayas at +25 (56 percent approve, 31 percent disapprove).
By class, net approval of the proposal was highest in class ABC at +62 (76 percent approve, 14 percent disapprove), followed by class D or the “masa” at +40 (62 percent approve, 22 percent disapprove), and poorest class E at +21 (50 percent approve, 29 percent disapprove).
The survey found that 48 percent of Filipinos have either extensive or partial but sufficient knowledge about the proposal to reimpose death penalty, while 52 percent have either only a little or almost no knowledge about it.
The proportion of those with either extensive knowledge or partial but sufficient knowledge of the proposal to reimpose the death penalty was highest in Metro Manila at 54 percent, followed by the rest of Luzon at 51 percent, Visayas at 49 percent, and Mindanao at 37 percent.
Meanwhile, those with either only a little knowledge or almost no knowledge at all about the proposal was highest in Mindanao at 63 percent, followed by Visayas at 51 percent, rest of Luzon at 49 percent, and Metro Manila at 46 percent.
