Majority of Filipinos still oppose federalism —Pulse Asia

Majority of Filipinos remained cool to the proposal of shifting the country’s form of government from unitary to federal, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey released on Monday.

The June 15 to 21 poll of 1,800 respondents showed 62 percent are against the proposed shift to federalism, down four percentage points from the previous survey in March.

Specifically, 34 percent of Filipinos are against changing the system of government regardless of the timing of such change, while 28 percent are opposed to changing it now but may be open to it sometime in the future.

Twenty-eight percent of Filipinos are supportive of a shift to a federal form of government now while 10 percent remained undecided.

By geographical area, a slim majority of respondents in Mindanao (51 percent) back moves to shift to a federal government now while 41 percent of those in the rest of Luzon are against such a change now and in the future.

About the same percentages in Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Class ABC are in favor of federalism now (23 percent to 34 percent), oppose it now but may be open to it in the future (24 percent to 43 percent) or reject it now and in the future (25 percent to 34 percent).

Poor classes (C and D), meanwhile, indicated basically nearly the same percentages either support a shift to a federal government now or oppose such a move now and in the future.

The survey also showed that 67 percent of Filipinos are opposed to changing the 1987 Constitution.

Among them, 37 percent oppose changing the constitution now and in the future while 30 percent are against it at present but may be open to it sometime in the future.

Only 18 percent support charter change while 14 percent remained undecided.

“Public opinion on this issue is virtually the same in March and June 2018,” Pulse Asia said.

About three-quarters of Filipinos (74 percent) have little/almost no/no knowledge at all about the present charter while only 55 percent said they were aware of the proposal to amend the constitution.

The survey also showed that 69 percent of Filipinos had “little to no knowledge” about federalism while 31 percent indicated they knew a "great deal to sufficient."

The awareness level was virtually unchanged from the March survey.

The nationwide survey had a ± 2 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.

The survey was conducted days before copies of the draft federal charter made by Consultative Committee were submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte, the Senate, and House of Representatives last week.

Backed by Duterte, the draft will go through scrutiny and possible revisions in Congress, acting as a constituent assembly, before it is presented for ratification through a plebiscite.

The Duterte administration aims to synchronize the plebiscite with next year's midterm elections.

More effort

Reacting to the Pulse Asia survey, Malacañang said there is a need to exert "more effort" to educate the public about federalism.

"For this reason, we cannot expect our people to support an initiative, which they know only little about. There is clearly much work to be done in terms of spreading awareness and knowledge on the aforementioned issue," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

"We will therefore exert even more effort to inform and educate our citizens about federalism since the approval of the proposed changes in our current Charter ultimately lies in the hands of the Filipino people," he added. —KBK, GMA News