Philippine president Duterte’s popularity soars with crime war: poll

A nation-wide poll shows that 76 per cent of Filipinos polled by social weather stations said they were 'satisfied' with Mr Duterte’s performance, with just 11 per cent reporting being 'dissatisfied' and the rest undecided.

Filipino soldiers stand guard next to an election campaign poster displaying Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, at a street in Davao City. Recent figures show that from July to September 2016 arounShow more

MANILA // Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity soared during his first three months in office, showed an independent survey published on Thursday, in an apparent endorsement by Filipinos of his brutal crime war.

Defence ally the United States, the United Nations and the European Union have led global condemnation of Mr Duterte’s unprecedented crime crackdown, which has left more than 3,000 people dead and raised fears of mass extrajudicial killings.

However, 76 per cent of Filipinos polled by social weather stations said they were “satisfied” with Mr Duterte’s performance, with just 11 per cent reporting being “dissatisfied” and the rest undecided.

“The president seems to be off on a very good start,” his spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said as he assessed the survey.

“The people trust what he is doing.”

The Manila-based polling group surveyed 1,200 adults nationwide from September 24-27, asking them simply about Mr Duterte’s performance as president without reference to the drug war.

It signalled a huge jump in support from the May elections, which he won in what was considered a landslide but still with just 37.6 per cent of the votes.

In the Philippines, the presidential election is decided simply by whoever gets the most votes, and his nearest rival secured 22.6 per cent.

According to BusinessWorld, which published the survey, since democracy was restored in 1986, only one other president has enjoyed higher popularity ratings three months into their presidency, and it was Fidel Ramos, who ruled from 1992-1998 and is now one of Mr Duterte’s chief allies.

Under the constitution that was rewritten after the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, presidents are only allowed to serve a single term of six years.

Mr Duterte, a provincial politician, stormed to victory largely on his pledge to eradicate crime in six months.

He promised that tens of thousands of people would be killed in his crime crackdown, and that he would pardon himself and police if they were charged with mass murder.

Since taking office on June 30, the president has continued his threats and incitements to kill, while unleashing abusive tirades at his critics.

Mr Duterte has also said he is not breaking any laws, insisting that police are killing only in self-defence and many of the other deaths are a result of gang violence.

US President Barack Obama has urged Duterte to respect the rule of law and fight crime “the right way” but Mr Duterte has rejected criticism from the US and EU, and has branded UN chief Ban Ki-moon a “fool”.

* Agence France-Presse