66% of Pinoys against Charter change – SWS

MANILA, Philippines – Almost two out of three Filipino adults, or 66 percent, oppose Charter change if it would allow the extension of the term of President Arroyo beyond June 30, 2010, a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed yesterday.

Opposition to amending the 1987 Constitution with term extension increased in Mindanao and in the balance of Luzon while it decreased in Metro Manila and in the Visayas, according to the results of the First Quarter 2009 Social Weather Survey.

The non-commissioned survey, taken from Feb. 20 to 23, used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults in Metro Manila, the balance of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

SWS said this is more or less unchanged from its survey between Sept. 30 and October last year, where 64 percent of the respondents were opposed to amending the 1987 Constitution with term extension.

Two out of three Filipinos or 66 percent in Mindanao opposed Charter change, up by 12 points from 54 percent in October 2008.

Opposition also rose in the balance of Luzon, from 62 percent to 66 percent.

However, opposition fell somewhat in Metro Manila, from 78 percent to 72 percent and in the Visayas, from 70 percent to 62 percent.

SWS said opposition remained high in all classes: it went from 67 percent to 69 percent in class ABC, from 63 percent to 67 percent in class D and from 66 percent to 64 percent in class E.

The respondents were asked: “Are you for or against a Charter change that will allow President Arroyo to still be the chief official of the Philippines after June 30, 2010?”

The survey has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percent for national percentages and plus or minus six percent for area percentages.

Take the cue

Malacañang and the House of Representatives should take the cue from the latest SWS survey which showed that at least two out of three Filipinos are opposed to Charter change if it would allow President Arroyo to stay in power after her term ends on June 30, 2010.

Senators said the survey should be the basis for President Arroyo and her allies at the House of Representatives to stop Cha-cha moves.

Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino said his colleagues at the House should heed the people’s sentiments as reflected in the surveys.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson thinks the survey is an understatement and the SWS survey should even be a wake-up call for congressmen to put the brakes on Cha-cha.

Lacson said the people should remain vigilant against moves to amend the Constitution. — Helen Flores with Christina Mendez, Philippine Star