Majority of Filipinos do not believe PNP’s ‘nanlaban’ claim

Members of religious groups at the San Agustin Church and relatives of EJK victims march against killings in the country in this September 21 photo.
/Inquirer photo

Police were quick to tell that suspects were killed during anti-illegal drug operations because they resisted arrest or fought back with authorities. But in the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), majority of Filipinos were not buying it.

In its Second Quarter 2017 survey, majority of Filipinos or 54 percent agreed that: “Marami sa mga pinatay ng mga pulis sa kampanya laban sa ilegal na droga ay hindi totoong nanlaban sa pulis (Many of those killed by the police in the anti-drug campaign did not really fight against the police).”

Those who disagreed to the survey statement were at 20 percent, while those undecided were at 25 percent.

The nationwide survey was conducted from June 23 to 26, involving 1,200 respondents, with a margin of error of plus-or-minus three percentage points.

The same data also revealed that of the 54 percent who agreed to the survey statement, 20 percent of them “strongly agreed” to it. The survey further showed that the disbelief over police’s “nanlaban” justification was highest in Metro Manila with 63 percent, followed by 56 percent in Luzon, and 49 percent in Visayas and Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the survey said that 58 percent of the “very poor” sector, or those from the Class E, agreed that the killed drug suspects did not fight back with the police with 54 percent of the so-called masa, or those from the Class D, sharing the same perspective.

However, most of those in Classes A, B, and C do not agree with the survey statement with only 40 percent of them believing that the killed drug suspects did not fight back with authorities.

The latest SWS survey further disclosed that many Filipinos believed that those killed by policemen were not even drug peddlers.

According to the survey, 49 percent of the country agreed that: “Marami sa mga pinatay ng mga pulis sa kampanya laban sa illegal na droga ay hindi naman talaga mga nagtutulak ng droga o drug pusher (Many of those killed by the police in the anti-drug campaign are not really drug pushers).”