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Thursday, July 27, 2006
More than half of Pinoys junk Charter change: survey
MAJORITY or 60 percent of Filipinos believe that Charter change is not urgent and that 38 percent would not vote if a plebiscite were held today, the June 24-July 8 Pulse Asia survey showed.
The survey, which had 1,200 respondents, showed that while 40 percent would likely vote if a plebiscite is held now, those who would not vote (38 percent) and those undecided about voting (22 percent) still account for majority or 60 percent of respondents.
The pattern holds for the country's geographic areas and socioeconomic classes, except for the poorest Class E where 49 percent said they are likely to vote if a plebiscite is held now.
The survey also showed that those in favor of changing the Constitution now (40 percent) are almost equal to those who do not favor (38 percent). There were 21 percent undecided.
Most of those who favor Charter change came from Luzon (43 percent), Mindanao (41 percent), and Class E (47 percent). Those rejecting constitutional amendments mostly came from Metro Manila (45 percent) and the Visayas (42 percent) and Class D (41 percent).
Almost half or 48 percent consider the people's initiative (PI) as the best way of amending the Constitution, while 28 percent prefer the Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), and 23 percent endorsed the Constitutional Convention (Con-con).
From March to July, those who consider the PI as the best method for Charter change rose from 40 percent to 48 percent.
Although almost seven of 10 Filipinos (67 percent) are aware of the signature drive done by local officials and Charter change advocates in March and April 2006, a considerable majority or 65 percent (almost 21 million Filipino adults) do not favor the way the signatures were gathered across the country.
The aversion for the way the signature campaign was conducted was expressed by 59 percent in Metro Manila to as high as 70 percent in Luzon.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the survey shows that more people are becoming aware of Charter change as an issue. He said the 38 percent who are undecided on whether they should vote in favor of Charter change or not should be the subject of the government's advocacy campaign.
Ermita said government will push for Charter change, "whichever mode succeeds together or separately."
Charter change advocacy chairman Lito Monico Lorenzana said the part about the PI as the most preferred mode of change was interesting.
"This is a significant development to correct the 'doctored' SWS report of Dr. Mahar Mangahas two weeks ago that opposition to Charter change is growing rapidly," he said, claiming that the SWS survey took advantage of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's low approval ratings to generate negative responses. (JMR/Sunnex)
(July 27, 2006 issue)
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