A VAST majority of Filipinos are dissatisfied with the explanation of President Benigno Aquino III regarding the Mamasapano operation in which 44 police commandos were killed, a Pulse Asia survey released Thursday showed.
“For 79 percent of Filipinos, the explanation regarding the Mamasapano operation given by the national administration in general and President Benigno S. Aquino III in particular is not enough,” Pulse Asia said.
The survey company said this view is shared by big majorities in every geographic area and socio-economic grouping.
Some 11 percent were undecided and only 10 percent of the respondents said the administration’s explanation concerning the Mamasapano operation was sufficient.
Ambivalence is more pronounced in the Visayas (21 percent) compared to the rest of Luzon and Mindanao (both at 7 percent), Pulse Asia said.
Despite the debacle at Mamasapano, a plurality of respondents still supported Aquino’s leadership, with 42 percent disagreeing that he should step down.
“Amidst the various challenges being faced by the incumbent administration, among which are the unresolved questions regarding the Mamasapano operation and the suspension of congressional discussions on the BBL, around four out of 10 Filipinos (42 percent) do not think President Aquino should step down from office now. This is the plurality sentiment among those in Metro Manila (45 percent), the rest of Luzon (47 percent), and Class D (43 percent),” said Pulse Asia.
Public opinion is split three-ways in the Visayas, with 36 percent being ambivalent on the matter, 34 percent opposing calls for the President’s resignation now, and 29 percent supporting such calls.
In Mindanao and Class ABC, virtually the same percentages either think President Aquino should not resign at present (39 percent and 42 percent, respectively) or express ambivalence on the matter (34 percent and 32 percent, respectively).
On the national level, Pulse Asia said, the practically the same number of respondents believed the President should resign now (29 percent) or expressed ambivalence (28 percent).
Pulse Asia said its survey showed that virtually every Filipino (99 percent) knows about the Jan. 25 Mamasapano operation and the main protagonists.
Most Filipinos or 91 percent were aware that President Aquino did not show up during the Jan. 29 arrival honors for the slain police commandos.
Almost eight in 10 Filipinos or 79 percent disagreed with the President’s decision to skip the rites.
At Thursday’s briefing at the Palace, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the administration would continue to explain its actions in Mamasapano to the public.
Reacting to the Pulse Asia survey, Coloma said it was a good sign that the public wanted to know more about Mamasapano and the administration would strive to provide the information they wanted.
He also said the President was aware of the deep emotions that the incident has triggered nationwide.
The survey was conducted from March 1 to 7, using face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents.
The survey has a ± 3 percent margin of error and a 95 percent confidence level.
No religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes, Pulse Asia said.
The survey was done on its own, without any party commissioning the research effort, the company added.