Majority of Filipinos believe the number of drug addicts in their area has decreased over the past year, according to the latest survey result conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS).
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In its fourth quarter 2018 SWS survey from December 16 to 19, 2018, it was found that 66 percent of Filipino adults said the number of drug addicts last year was lower than that in 2017, while 14 percent said it had increased and 7 percent said it had remained the same.
People who believe there are now fewer drug addicts last year are highest in Mindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte’s home region, with 83 percent saying there are few drug addicts, while 6 percent said otherwise and 4 percent said the number did not change.
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Meanwhile, 71 percent of Filipinos in Visayas said it decreased, 11 percent said it increased and 6 percent said it remained the same.
In Metro Manila, 67 percent said it decreased, 22 percent said it increased, and eight percent said it remained the same.
In the rest of Luzon, 54 percent said it decreased, 18 percent said it increased, and eight percent said it remained the same.
By locale, 68 percent of those in rural areas said the number of persons who used drugs decreased, nine percent said it increased, and 6 percent said it remained the same.
In urban areas, 63 percent said it decreased, 23 percent said it increased, nine percent said it remained the same.
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According to the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal drugs, more than 1.3 million suspected drug users and pushers had surrendered under the police “Oplan Tokhang” in Duterte’s first year, while at least 4,000 were killed.
But the survey revealed that 95 percent of Filipinos said it was important for them that the police captured drug suspects alive (77 percent very important, 18 percent somewhat important), and five percent said it was not important (4 percent somewhat not important, 1 percent not at all important).
The dominant opinion in all areas was that it was important that drug suspects were captured alive: it was 97 percent in Metro Manila and Visayas, 96 percent in Mindanao, and 92 percent in the rest of Luzon.
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