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Social Weather Stations (SWS): Filipinos Satisfied With U.S. Help
Wednesday, August 7, 2002
By Francis Lagniton
The Philippine Star

"Even though the sample of Muslims is quite small, it is clear that most Muslims (a) are satisfied with US help to the AFP, (b) say that benefits from Balikatan are either nil or only a little and (c) are opposed to the presence of US soldiers in any combat zones," the SWS said in a statement.

A commanding majority of Filipinos are satisfied with the help the United States has extended to the military in fighting the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group, according to the latest survey of independent pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The uncommissioned survey, conducted among 1,200 adult respondents from May 17 to June 3, showed that 63 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with U.S. aid to the Philippine military while only 17 percent were dissatisfied, or a net satisfaction rating of 46 percent.

Respondents from all income groups, the survey showed, also said they were "very satisfied" with U.S. military aid, with 31 percent coming from the middle to upper-income groups and 56 percent from the lower-middle to low-income groups.

Among those who said they were "somewhat satisfied," 42 percent came from the middle to upper-income groups while 66 percent came from the lower-middle to low-income groups.

The survey, which had an error margin of plus or minus three percentage points, also showed that more than half, or 52 percent, of respondents were in favor of allowing US troops to go to conflict areas other than the "combat zones" of the Abu Sayyaf.

Eleven percent of respondents said they wanted American soldiers to go to conflict areas involving the Abu Sayyaf and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front while six percent wanted U.S. forces to go to conflict areas with the communist New People’s Army.
(More: Philstar.com News Source)
2002 © The Philippine Star.

Dan