65% of Pinoys say Duterte health a public matter

MANILA, Philippines  —  Six in 10 adult Filipinos believe President Duterte’s state of heath is a public matter, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released last night.

The poll, conducted from Sept. 17 to 20 and released only yesterday, used mobile phone and computer-assisted telephone interviews of 1,249 adult Filipinos, 18 years old and above, nationwide.

It 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.”

For 32 percent of respondents, “President Duterte’s state of health is a private matter that is why the public does not need to be informed of everything about this.”

The view that the President’s state of health is a public matter has always been dominant in the SWS surveys, according to the poll body.

The latest figure was four points above the 61 percent in December 2019 and September 2018.

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 was also dominant across the rest of the basic socio-demographics, ranging from 60 percent to 70 percent, SWS 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.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte “remains fit and healthy.”

Netizens question the health status of the 76-year-old Duterte, sparked by his decision to skip his weekly pandemic public address on April 7 and the Araw ng Kagitingan ceremonies on April 9.