Most Pinoys feel safer with US forces — survey

Most Filipinos now feel safer with the presence in the country of US military forces which helped contain the Abu Sayyaf problem in Mindanao, according to a private research group that President Arroyo once called a communist front.

According to a survey conducted by the IBON Foundation, 579 of 1,014 respondents are in favor of US troops helping in the fight against kidnapping gangs in Mindanao as against 358 respondents who do not want US forces in the country.

IBON research director Antonio Tujan Jr. said the survey was conducted from July 11 to 28 in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Ilocos Cordillera, Central Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and had a 5 percent margin of error.

"While the majority of Filipinos approve the US military presence in order to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf, respondents also feel that once the job is done, they should leave the country," Tujan said.

According to the survey, Tujan said, there was a close margin between the number of Filipinos who supported or opposed the joint RP-US "Balikatan 02-1" exercise.

He said there 48.62 percent , or 493 respondents, who opposed Balikatan while 40.73 percent, or 413 respondents, supported the military exercise. Tujan said the difference was only 80 respondents.

Roco wins over GMA

Tujan said the survey also revealed that Education Secretary Raul Roco would win a presidential election over President Arroyo if the elections were held today.

Tujan said 95 respondents, or 19.96 percent, said they would vote for Roco while 67 respondents, or 14.08 percent, voted for jailed former President Joseph Estrada. Only 53 respondents, or 11.13 percent, voted for Mrs. Arroyo.

"It only shows that the respondents still favor the administration against the opposition, although they opposed (Mrs. Arroyo’s) policies. That is why they voted for Roco, who is part of the Arroyo government," Tujan said.

Roco, Tujan said, topped seven other presidentiables, including opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson (46 votes), administration Sen. Loren Legarda (36 votes), Vice President Teofisto Guingona (25 votes) and movie star Fernando Poe Jr. (25 votes).

Tujan stressed, however, that only 47 percent of all respondents registered their choice for president. Undecided were 538 respondents while 129 others had different candidates in mind.