US-North Korea tension worries 84% of Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — Eight in every 10 Filipinos are worried that the current tension between the US and North Korea will lead to armed conflict, a recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

The survey in December last year, the results of which were released yesterday, showed that 84 percent of Filipinos are worried that the tension between the US and North Korea would escalate into armed conflict.

The remaining 16 percent are either not too worried or not worried at all.

In the same survey, 88 percent of adult Filipinos said they are also worried that the Philippines would get involved in case the situation in the Korean Peninsula escalates into armed conflict.

The rest of the respondents were either not too worried or not worried at all.

The survey was conducted prior to the recent announcement of US President Donald Trump that he agreed to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in May to discuss possible denuclearization.

Based on the SWS survey, worry of a possible escalation into armed conflict is highest among those in the Visayas at 93 percent, followed by Mindanao and Metro Manila both at 87 percent and the rest of Luzon at 77 percent.

It is also highest among those from class ABC at 88 percent, closely followed by class E at 87 percent and class D at 83 percent.

Worry on Philippine involvement in armed conflict is also highest among Visayas respondents at 94 percent, followed by Mindanao at 91 percent, Metro Manila at 90 percent and the rest of Luzon at 83 percent.

Meanwhile, worry about Philippine involvement in armed conflict is highest among respondents from class E at 90 percent, closely followed by class ABC at 88 percent and class D at 77 percent.

SWS said the survey also showed high distrust among Filipinos toward North Korea.

Forty-three percent of the respondents said they have little trust in the hermit nation, higher than the 24 percent who said they have much trust and 32 percent undecided.

Distrust in North Korea slightly went down from September results, which showed 48 percent little trust, 20 percent much trust and 29 percent undecided.

The survey had 1,200 respondents and an error margin of +/- three percent for national percentages.