SWS: 60% of Filipinos say Duterte's VP run violates constitution's intent

Sixty percent of adult Filipinos said that President Rodrigo Duterte's vice presidential candidate would violate the intention of the Constitution, the Social Weather Stations national survey in June showed.

The same survey found that 39% of the respondents said Duterte should run for vice president in Eleksyon 2022 "because I would like his management of the government to continue."

The remaining one percent did not give an answer.

"The national Social Weather Survey of June 23-26, 2021, found 60% of adult Filipinos saying, 'The proposal that Pres. Rodrigo Duterte should run for Vice-President in the 2022 election violates the intention of the Constitution, which should first be amended before he may run for office again',” the SWS said.

According to the pollster, the proportion of those who said Duterte's vice presidential bid would violate the Constitution was highest in Balance Luzon with 65%, followed by the Visayas with 59%, Metro Manila with 56%, and Mindanao with 53%.

Majority of respondents in all educational levels also share this view with 67% among non-elementary graduates, 70% among elementary graduates, 52% among junior high school graduates and 61% among college graduates.

The survey also found that all categories across self-rated poverty have opposed Duterte's vice presidential. The proportion with this view was highest among those who are not poor with 64%, followed by borderline poor with 61% and poor with 58%.

Further, the survey also showed that 75% of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte's performance as president, while 13% were dissatisfied, and 12% were still undecided.

The SWS said those who opposed Duterte's vice presidential bid were highest among those very dissatisfied with his performance as president (88%), followed by those somewhat satisfied (83%), undecided (81%), somewhat satisfied (62%), and very satisfied (42%).

The non-commissioned survey was conducted from June 23 to 26, 2021 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipino adults, with 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The sampling error margins were at ±3% for national percentages and ±6% for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Supreme Court challenge

Integrated Bar of the Philippines immediate past president Atty. Domingo Cayosa had said an outgoing president's possible election as vice president may be questioned before the Supreme Court but there are limitations to do this.

Cayosa previously mentioned that there is no explicit provision in the 1987 Constitution that bars the president from running as vice president.

Section 4, Article 7 of the Constitution says: "The President shall not be eligible for any re-election. No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time."

Cayosa had said this could be challenged before the SC but there should be an "actual controversy" to do so.-NB/LDF, GMA News