The Philippine National Police on Monday expressed doubt over the type of questioning used in a recent survey showing that more Filipinos fear being victims of extrajudicial killings.
“I do not want to dispute the statistics derived by SWS [Social Weather Stations], except that there is something amiss with how the questions were framed in relation to the perception of alleged police involvement in illegal drugs and alleged EJKs,” PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde, told reporters.
After a recent survey showed that the majority of Filipinos were fearful of becoming victims of extrajudicial killings, Malacañang on Monday assured the public that the Duterte administration would never tolerate extrajudicial killings.
Impunity has no place in the Duterte administration, Malacañang asserted following the survey.
Albayalde was referring to the SWS survey conducted Dec. 16 to 19, 2018 showing that 78 percent of the Filipinos it polled were worried that they, or anyone they knew, would be a victim of summary killing. This figure is higher by five points from the 73 percent recorded in June 2017.
“I take the latest survey results on public perception to alleged extrajudicial killing with a full cup of salt. It shouldn’t be surprising that 78 percent are afraid of getting killed. Who isn’t afraid to die, anyway?” Albayalde told reporters.
Albayalde said the kind of questioning being done by SWS in relation to the public’s perception on extrajudicial killings was incorrect.
“Responses to the question ‘How worried are you that you or anyone you know will be a victim of ‘extrajudicial killing’ or ‘EJK?’ cannot be validated by respondents without keen awareness or understanding of EJK as we know it from Administrative Order 35 Series of 2012 by President [Benigno] Aquino,” Albayalde said.
He said the survey missed the crucial point of determining the respondents’ awareness of EJK before going any further, or at the very least providing a briefer to define EJK for the respondent.
“Nonetheless, that doesn’t change the fact that a large majority continue to support the national crusade against illegal drugs and show appreciation to the improved drug situation in their own communities,” Albayalde said.
He asked SWS to be responsible in conducting surveys.
“This is a private corporation, a private agency that we have no control of. We do not know whether they are really being used by somebody or not. We really do not know. What we are asking here is that we humbly ask them to be responsible,” Albayalde said.
But he expressed hope that SWS would remain impartial and apolitical.
“Let us all be fair to the Filipino people. They deserve the truth. Let’s not let our offices be used by any political party because it will be reflected in the way the people perceive the information we are releasing. We give the public the truth,” Albayalde said.
He said there were no proven incidents of EJKs since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016.
He said at least 50 percent of the deaths under investigation had already been solved or cleared, which meant that the suspects had been identified or arrested.
He said the case folders of deaths under investigation had been submitted to the Office of the Solicitor General, which would be forwarded to the Supreme Court. With Nat Mariano
