In this file photo taken on March 5, 2018, Moro and indigenous people from Mindanao led by the Sandugo Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self Determination staged a protest in front of the House of Representatives in Quezon City to denounce the proposed Charter change (Cha-cha) of the current administration. (Photo courtesy of Sandugo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Many Filipinos may be open to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution sometime in the future, but majority expressed their opposition if such charter change is effected now.
This was evident in a national survey conducted by Pulse Asia Research, Incorporated that was released on Wednesday, May 2.
The survey was conducted last March 23 to March 28 where 64 percent of respondents oppose the amendment of the Constitution while 32 percent expressed openness to charter change that should be done sometime in the future but not at present.
A total of 51 percent of respondents said they are not aware of proposals to change the Constitution while 49 percent expressed cognizant to such proposals.
Majority of respondents who are aware of the proposals for charter change are in Metro Manila (52 percent) and the rest of Luzon (56 percent). Most of them belong to class ABC (60 percent) and class D (51 percent) / Some 66 percent of those asked in the Visayas and 53 percent from Mindanao, who are mostly under the bracket of Class E (65 percent) declared that they “have not heard, read, or watched anything about the recent charter change proposals in the country.”
SOURCE: Pulse Asia, Incorporated
Pulse Asia said that a lower level of awareness on proposals for charter change was also recorded in its previous survey.
“It may be recalled that in July 2016, a lower level of awareness of charter change proposals was recorded by Pulse Asia Research (41 percent ). At this time, the only majority awareness figure in the different geographic areas and socio-economic classes was posted in Class ABC (57 percent).”
The Pulse Asia added: “However, back in September and November 2014, most Filipinos said they knew about moves to change the 1987 Philippine Constitution (61 percent and 60 percent, respectively). Furthermore, majority awareness levels are registered in virtually all geographic areas and every socio-economic class both in September 2014 (55 percent to 70 percent and 63 percent to 77 percent, respectively) and November 2014 (64 percent to 67 percent and 51 percent to 67 percent, respectively). The only exceptions are Mindanao (49 percent) and Class E (48 percent) in September 2014 and the Visayas in November 2014 (38 percent).”
Most of those who opposed charter change now are from the rest of Luzon (71 percent), Metro Manila (64 percent), Visayas (59 percent) and Mindanao (58 percent).
Little knowledge on constitution
Despite their varying opinions on charter change, a total of 42 percent of respondents admitted of their little knowledge on Philippine Constitution, a constant finding that Pulse Asia discovered from its 2016 surveys up to the present.
“Three (3) out of every four (4) Filipinos (75 percent) have little/almost none/no knowledge at all about the 1987 Philippine Constitution; knowledge levels have not changed between July 2016 and March 2018,” the Pulse Asia said.
In its latest survey, 75 percent of the respondents admitted of “knowing little or having almost/completely no knowledge of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.”
“Sizable to big majority figures are registered across geographic areas and socio-economic classes (70 percent to 82 percent and 63 percent to 82 percent, respectively). Of the total figure (75 percent), 42 percent report having little knowledge and 34 percent have almost none/no knowledge at all. Nearly to exactly half of Metro Manila (50 percent), Mindanawons (49 percent), and those in Class D (44 percent) have little knowledge while about the same percentages of those in the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Classes ABC and D have either little or almost none/no knowledge at all (31 percent to 44 percent versus 31 percent to 39 percent),” the survey added.
SOURCE: Pulse Asia, Incorporated
Herculean task
Malacanang, in reaction to the latest Pulse Asia survey on charter change took note of the result where 64
percent of Filipinos are not in favor of amending the 1987 Philippine Constitution while 49 percent are aware of the proposals change the country’s charter.
“This implies there is still a lot of work to be done by the government in informing, educating and reaching out to our countrymen regarding constitutional reforms,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Roque added that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is “working tirelessly in promoting to the public the workings of a federal set-up.”
The proposal to shift the system of the government to federal is among the campaign promises of President Duterte, he added.
Reflective of people’s sentiment vs Cha-Cha
The outcome of the latest survey on charter change mirrors the concrete response of the people on charter change.
This was the impression made by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate as he pointed out the numbers are reflective of the peoples’ sentiments against proposals to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Such opposition, Zarate added, was consistent even during the terms of previous administrations, from that of President Ramos up to the present.
He also described the efforts of the present administration to change the constitution as “a waste of time and people’s money” saying that the real issues of the people that need to be focused on by the government are the distribution of lands to the landless farmers, national industrialization, higher wages and the scrapping of contractualization and concrete steps to decrease the prices of basic goods.
The Makabayan solon also called on the Duterte administration to listen to the real sentiments of the people and end its continuing attempts to amend the constitution. (davaotoday.com)
