SWS: People power looms if election fails

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:44:00 01/15/2010





Filed Under: Inquirer Politics, Eleksyon 2010, Elections, People power, Opinion surveys


Original Story: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100115-247403/SWS-People-power-looms-if-election-fails


MANILA, Philippines—Another people power revolt could happen should the 2010 national elections fail.

This is what almost half of Filipinos believe, according to a survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) released Thursday.

The nationwide survey, conducted on Oct. 24-27, posed the following scenario to respondents: “If the 2010 elections fail for any reason, e.g., malfunctioning of the counting machines, then people power will probably happen already.”

Forty-nine percent agreed with the statement, while 22 percent disagreed, resulting in a net agreement score (percentage of those who agree minus percentage of those who disagree) of plus 27 points.

The remaining 26 percent neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement, SWS said in a media release.

Two people power revolts shook the country in the past 23 years. The first, in 1986, toppled the Marcos dictatorship. The second, in 2001, ousted President Joseph Estrada who was facing corruption allegations.

The noncommissioned survey used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide. It had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Fearful for counting machines

The survey also found that 47 percent feared the counting machines might be sabotaged.

Forty-four percent said they trusted the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the safety of the ballots.

The thought of another people power revolt in case of a failure of elections was pronounced among the majority in Luzon outside Manila (58 percent) and Metro Manila (54 percent). A large plurality in Mindanao (40 percent) also shared the anxiety.

Mixed opinions on such a scenario were shared by those in the Visayas: 38 percent agreed, 33 percent neither agreed nor disagreed, and 25 percent disagreed.

SWS also asked respondents to react to the statement: “The machines that will be used to count the votes in the 2010 election can easily be sabotaged in order to fake the election results.”

Forty-seven percent of respondents agreed, 28 percent disagreed, while 23 percent neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement.

Anxious

A majority of respondents in Metro Manila (56 percent) and Luzon outside Metro Manila (55 percent) were anxious that the counting machines could be easily sabotaged.

Respondents in the Visayas, however, had varied reactions, with 37 percent fearing a sabotage would happen. Thirty-three percent were undecided, while 27 percent expressed confidence that the counting machines would be free from any trouble.

In Mindanao, more expressed confidence that the machines would not be tampered with (41 percent) compared with those who believed otherwise (33 percent).

On the statement that “Comelec can be trusted to make sure that there is no sabotage of the machine to be used to count the votes in the 2010 election,” 44 percent agreed with it.

Only 28 percent disagreed, while the remaining 26 percent neither agreed nor disagreed.

Pluralities in Luzon outside Metro Manila (47 percent), Metro Manila (45 percent), and Mindanao (45 percent) trusted that the poll body could guard the ballots in the May elections.

In the Visayas, 37 percent trusted the Comelec, 35 percent were undecided, and 25 percent distrusted the poll body. Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research


Original Story: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100115-247403/SWS-People-power-looms-if-election-fails