SWS: 3 in 5 Filipinos say arrest of 'tambays' violates human rights
Anti-human rights view highest in military-ruled Mindanao
MANILA, Philippines — Three in five Filipinos view police arrest of idlers or "tambays" as a violation of human rights, a new Social Weather Stations poll revealed.
Results of the survey released Sunday showed that 60 percent of adult Filipinos agreed (32 percent strongly agree and 28 percent somewhat agree) that the arrests are against human rights.
On the other hand, 26 percent (14 percent somewhat disagree and 11 percent strongly disagree) disagreed. The remaining 14 percent are undecided.
This gives a net agreement score of +34 or strong. SWS terminology for net agreement are: +50 and above, "very strong"; +30 to +49, "strong"; +10 to +29, "moderate"; +9 to -9, "neutral"; -10 to -29, "poor"; -30 to -49, "weak"; and -50 and below, "very weak."
READ: 20 things you need to know about the 'anti-tambay' drive
The opinion that the Duterte administrations "Oplan Tambay" violates human rights is the highest in military-ruled Mindanao, where President Rodrigo Duterte hails, with net agreement at +48. It is followed by the Visayas at +32, Metro Manila at +30 and Balance Luzon at +29.
Mindanao was placed under martial law after ISIS-inspired terrorists laid siege to the lakeside Marawi City on May 23, 2017.
The second quarter SWS survey was conducted from June 27-30, 2018 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipino adults nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. It has a sampling error margin of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6 percent each for Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
68% of Pinoys worry about arrest
The SWS survey also showed that 68 percent (34 percent very worried and 34 percent somewhat worried) of Filipinos are worried they or someone they know might get arrested for loitering.
Of those surveyed, however, 92 percent said they do not know anyone who has been arrested for loitering while 9 percent know someone. Two respondents from Metro Manila (0.1 percent) said they have experienced it themselves.
READ: What you should do if cops pick you up in Duterte's 'tambay' crackdown
The worry of getting arrested by police for loitering is higher in Metro Manila (78 percent), urban areas (73 percent) and among18-24-year-olds (80 percent).
The proportion of those who know anyone who has been arrested by the police for loitering is highest in Metro Manila at 26 percent, followed by Mindanao at 9 percent, Balance Luzon at 3 percent and the Visayas at 3 percent.
More in Metro Manila feel crackdown targets poor
Fifty-eight percent of respondents say the police do not discriminate by class when arresting "tambays" while 40 percent said only the poor would be arrested and 2 percent said only the rich would be arrested.
But the opinion that it targets the poor is stronger in Metro Manila (63 percent), urban areas (47 percent) and among college graduates (46 percent). This view was followed by Balance Luzon at 43 percent, the Visayas at 39 percent and Mindanao at 21 percent.
On the flipside, the proportion of those who say that the police do not choose a class is highest in Mindanao at 77 percent followed by the Visayas at 57 percent, Balance Luzon at 55 percent and Metro Manila at 37 percent.
Duterte admin and protection of human rights
The proportion of those who said only the poor would be arrested in the crackdown on "tambays" is higher among those who are dissatisfied with the Duterte administration's performance on protecting human rights.
Among those who are dissatisfied with the Duterte government's moves in human rights protection, 59 percent said only the poor would be arrested in "Oplan Tambay" compared to 46 percent among those who are undecided and 33 percent among those who are satisfied.
On the other hand, the proportion of those who said the police do not choose by class when arresting loiterers was 64 percent among those who are satisfied with the Duterte government's human rights protection. This was followed by 52 percent among those who are undecided and 40 percent among those who are dissatisfied.
Duterte's order to clear streets of "tambays" had come under fire after the death while in detention of 22-year-old Genesis Argoncillo who was arrested in an anti-loitering operation of Quezon City policemen last June.
Argoncillo was arrested in Novaliches for not wearing a shirt outside his house in Area 5B Barangay Sauyo. His family alleged that he was beaten while in detention and died on June 19.
The Commission on Human Rights had launched an investigation into his death.
Vice President Leni Robredo says that President Duterte's anti-loitering operation is "anti-poor," giving law enforcers "license to abuse" people.
She asks community leaders and lawyers to help ensure that human rights are not violated, especially those of the poor.
Three in five Filipinos say the arrest of tambays by police is a violation of human rights, a new SWS survey reveals.
The Q2 poll was conducted from June 27-30, 2018 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults.
Human Rights Watch urges the Philippine National Police to put an end to the crackdown on loiterers, which has led to the roundup of over 11, 000 individuals.
HRW says the campaign targets low-income Filipinos and threatens to traumatize residents “already terrorized by drug war executions.”
It adds that the arrests of loiterers also risk their health and safety, citing the overcrowded detention centers in the country.
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