SWS survey: Majority of Filipinos hopeful GPH MILF peace pact will be signed within Aquino presidency

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 25): SWS survey: Majority of Filipinos hopeful GPH MILF peace pact will be signed within Aquino presidency

Majority of Filipinos are hopeful that a peace agreement will be signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during the presidency of President Benigno S. Aquino III, according to a survey conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS).

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said that the SWS survey was conducted in August 2012 wherein 64 percent of the respondents were optimistic that a peace accord will be reached between the government and the MILF before the six-term of the President ends in June 2016.

Mahar Mangahas, SWS president, announced the result of the survey during a forum at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati on Thursday, OPAPP said. “In the survey conducted in August 2012, 64 percent of respondents were optimistic that a peace pact will be reached by the two parties,” Mangahas said.

Mangahas noted that it was down from the 83 percent compared to the survey conducted in June 2011 “when the President met (MILF chair) Murad in Japan,” but nevertheless majority are still hopeful.

By area, Mangahas said that respondents in Mindanao are the most optimistic with 73 percent saying, they look forward to the signing of the peace agreement. This was followed by 64 percent of respondents in Luzon, 61 percent in Metro Manila, and 58 percent in the Visayas.

Survey respondents were also asked what year they expected the peace pact will be signed. “A total of 53 percent said they expected it to be signed within 2012 to 2016,” stated Mangahas. He also said the highest numbers of hopefuls are found in Metro Manila (56 percent) and Balance Luzon (56 percent). This was followed by Mindanao (50 percent) and the Visayas (48 percent).

Satisfaction rate on reconciling with rebels Mangahas reported that during the fourth quarter of 2012, the Aquino administration received a “good” net satisfaction rating of plus 32 with regard to resolving the armed conflict with Mindanao rebels, while a “moderate” score of plus 28 on reconciliation with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front.

He said the satisfaction rating on reconciliation with Mindanao rebels was a huge step forward from what has been for a long time. Although the rating on settlement with communists was “moderate,” Mangahas said it was still a progress considering that “this has come from a neutral or negative (score) before.”

For 2012, the SWS likewise covered surveys on local governance, corruption, smoking, reproductive health, among others. Overall, President Aquino received a “very good” net satisfaction rating of plus 55, while the general performance of his administration got a score of plus 57.

Raising standards Bureau of Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, who shared his reactions to the SWS survey presentation, said the outstanding marks revealed in the study suggested that the President has “actually set the standards.” “We are now in a unique situation where the leader is raising the bar of governance and compelling others to follow,” he said. “However, we are hoping that the overall positive outlook of the people is not just there for the government to pat itself on the back. We hope that this will set permanent standards for other leaders.”

Representative Sherwin Tugna of the Citizens' Battle Against Corruption party-list, on the other hand, lauded President Aquino’s “leadership by example.” “It is very important that the leader practices what he preaches,” he said. “Aside from leadership by example, the President has partners in government agencies who share with him the same values.”

Guillermo Parayno, Jr., president of E-Konek Philippines, commented that the “perceptions are favorable and record-breaking – something that we haven’t seen in so many years.” “I think this good perception will translate to industrial peace that is beneficial to our economy right now,” he stated.

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