By: Ellalyn V. Ruiz
Five out of 10 Filipinos support the proposal to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year, a Social Weather Stations survey said.
The nationwide survey conducted last Sept. 23 to 27 with 1,500 respondents found out that 54 percent agree (31 percent strongly agree, 22 percent somewhat agree) and 30 percent disagree (12 percent somewhat disagree, 18 percent strongly disagree) with President Duterte’s proposal to Congress to extend martial law in Mindanao until Dec. 31 for a net agreement score (percent agree minus percent disagree) of +24, classified by SWS as “moderately strong.”
Net agreement with Duterte’s decision to extend martial law until the end of 2017 was highest in Mindanao at +41 (64 percent agree, 23 percent disagree), followed by Visayas at +22 (54 percent agree, 32 percent disagree), rest of Luzon also at +18 (49 percent agree, 31 percent disagree), and Metro Manila at +16 (52 percent agree, 36 percent disagree).
It noted that support for the President’s move to extend martial law in Mindanao was stronger among upper-to-middle class ABC (+51) compared to “masa” or Class D (+26) and poorest Class E (+4). It was stronger among men (+34) compared to women (+13).
Support for Duterte’s move hardly varied across age groups. It was stronger among those with more years of formal schooling: +47 among college graduates, compared to moderately strong levels of +26, +17, and +11 among high school graduates, elementary school graduates, and non-elementary school graduates, respectively.
The SWS also found that 54 percent agree (30 percent strongly agree, 23 percent somewhat agree) and 28 percent disagree (12 percent somewhat disagree, 17 percent strongly disagree) with Congress’ decision last July to approve Duterte’s proposal to extend martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2017 for a net agreement score of +25.
SWS defines terminologies for net agreement as +50 and above, extremely strong; +30 to +49, very strong; 10 to +29, moderately strong; +9 to -9, neutral; -10 to -29, moderately weak; -30 to -49, very weak; and -50 and below, extremely weak.