MANILA: Most Filipinos are hopeful that a peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) can be forged but fewer people think it will happen under the Aquino administration, a Social Weather Stations survey said.
The nationwide survey on June 28-30 revealed 70 percent of the 1,200 respondents were optimistic that a deal can be achieved.
The 70 percent who showed optimism on a peace deal included 28 percent who were “very hopeful” and 42 percent who were “somewhat hopeful.”
The figures this quarter were a bit lower than those recorded last March, when 79 percent of the respondents were hopeful that the peace deal with the Milf can be completed (41 percent “very hopeful” and 38 percent “somewhat hopeful”).
They were also much lower than the figures in June 2011, when a record high 83 percent of the respondents showed optimism on the peace deal (38 percent “very hopeful” and 45 percent “somewhat hopeful”).
The number of Filipinos who think that the peace deal will be forged within the term of President Benigno Aquino III also decreased from 49 percent last March to 35 percent in June.
About 28 percent of the respondents said the peace deal can be expected between 2016 and 2022 while 34 percent believed the agreement with the Milf can never be reached.
Among the four major areas polled, Mindanao showed the most optimism on a peace deal with 34 percent “very hopeful” respondents, followed by Visayas (30 percent), Metro Manila (27 percent) and Balance Luzon (24 percent). In Mindanao, 23 percent of the respondents believed that the deal can be reached this year while 27 percent said it can be completed until 2016.
The Philippine star
