MOST Filipinos agree that the state of health of President Rodrigo Duterte is a public matter, according to the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).
The survey September 17 to 20 last year found 65 percent saying “President Duterte’s state of health is a public matter that is why the public should be informed of everything about this.”
In December 2019, 61 percent of Filipinos considered the Chief Executive’s state of health as a point of public discourse.
In contrast, only 32 percent of the respondents said that Duterte’s health is a private matter, which means that the public should not be informed of everything about it.
“The view that the President’s state of health is a public matter has always been dominant in the SWS surveys. The latest figure is four points above the 61 percent in December 2019 and September 2018,” SWS said.
The percentage of those who consider Duterte’s state of health as a public matter was highest in the Visayas at 69 percent, followed by Metro Manila at 65 percent and balance Luzon and Mindanao, both at 64 percent.
“This opinion is also dominant across the rest of the basic socio-demographics, ranging from 60 percent to 70 percent,” the polling firm said.
Those who consider the President’s state of health as a private matter tend to increase with education – 22 percent among non-elementary graduates, 28 percent among those with up to some junior high school education, 29 percent among those with up to some vocational education, 38 percent among those with up to some college education and 37 percent among college graduates.
The SWS poll used mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviews and had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages, ±6 percent for Metro Manila, ±5 percent for Balance Luzon, ±6 percent for the Visayas, and ±6 percent for Mindanao.
The latest SWS survey came amid rumors concerning the President’s health, as his usual Monday talk to the people last week — which was moved then to Wednesday — were both cancelled.
Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go dispelled any concerns about Duterte’s health by sharing photos and videos of the President riding his motorcycle and playing golf within Malacañang grounds.
The President decided to postpone his weekly public address last week after many members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) contracted Covid-19.
Duterte tested negative for Covid-19 in his last swab test over the Holy Week, Go earlier said.
PSG chief Jesus Durante 3rd assured the public that Duterte was “safe and in good health.”
Duterte’s last activities were held on March 29 when he delivered a public address and witnessed the arrival of one million Covid-19 vaccine doses procured from China’s Sinovac Biotech.
On Monday, the President appeared on national television via pre-taped national address.
