EIGHTY-SEVEN percent of Dabawenyos, or about nine out of 10, support the newly-formed regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, according to a survey conducted by the Institute of Popular Opinion of the University Mindanao.
The survey was conducted last April in the city, with a total of 1,200 respondents.
Nine percent said they do not support the party, while three percent were ambivalent and one percent did not respond.
“We also wanted to know through this study as to the HNP’s impact to the current presidency,” Dr. Ma. Linda Arquiza, University of Mindanao Assistant Vice President for Research and Publication Center, said in a press conference at Habi at Kape Wednesday, Juuly 18.
Arquiza added the strong support of the Dabawenyos to HNP is also a reflection to the Dabawenyos' strong support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
“Here we can see that the percentage that rose to 87 percent or almost nine of 10 Dabawenyos still supporting the current administration. This also shows Dabawenyos' unity.”
The respondent in the study also considered the HNP’s formation as a wise strategy to strengthen regional party, and eventually will make the president’s political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), even stronger.
The study also suggested the formation of HNP might attract the national party members to join them come the midterm elections.
According to the study, this initiates political infighting in PDP-Laban as top implication brought by the formation of HNP.
“But one thing is for sure with the initiation of the HNP, clearly, a large number of Dabawenyos are strongly supporting the current administration,” Arquiza added.