Most adult Filipinos agree that the country's president should only serve a single six-year term as stated under the 1987 Constitution, based on the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results released on Wednesday, Sept. 29
The non-commissioned SWS survey, conducted from June 23 to 26 with 1,200 respondents, found 75 percent of adult Filipinos agreeing (57 percent strongly agree, 18 percent somewhat agree), 14 percent undecided, and 11 percent disagreeing (6 percent somewhat disagree, 5 percent strongly disagree) with continuing the single six-year term limit for the president of the Philippines, based on the 1987 Constitution.
This translates to a net agreement score (percentage of those who agree minus percentage of those who disagree) of +64, classified by SWS as "very strong."
SWS said that among the 11 percent who disagree with the current term limit rule, their proposed number of years for each term is an average of 7.1 years, while their proposed number of terms was an average of 2.1.
It noted that the net agreement with continuing the current term limit for a president was very strong in all areas--+75 (83 percent agree, 8 percent disagree) in the Visayas; +64 (75 percent agree, 11 percent disagree) in Mindanao; +61 (75 percent agree, 13 percent disagree, correctly rounded) in Metro Manila; and +60 (72 percent agree, 11 percent disagree, correctly rounded) in the Balance Luzon.
Among those who disagree with the current term limit, their recommended number of years per term was an average of 8.0 in Metro Manila, 7.7 in Balance Luzon, 6.5 in Mindanao, and 5.4 in the Visayas.
Likewise, their recommended number of terms was an average of 2.4 in Mindanao, 2.3 in Metro Manila, 2.0 in the Visayas, and 1.8 in Balance Luzon.
SWS also found a "very strong" net support for the current term limit regardless of opinion about the proposed vice presidential bid for President Duterte in 2022.
In a statement on Monday, Sept. 27, SWS found 60 percent of adult Filipinos saying it would violate the intention of the Constitution if President Duterte runs in 2022, while only 39 percent say he should run.
The net support for the current term limit was +66 (77 percent agree, 11 percent disagree) among those who say it would violate the intention of the Constitution if President Duterte runs in 2022, and +60 (72 percent agree, 12 percent disagree) among those who say President Duterte should run for vice president in 2022.
SWS also noted that there is higher net support for the current term limit among those dissatisfied with President Duterte's performance.
The June 2021 survey found 75 percent satisfied, 12 percent undecided, and 13 percent dissatisfied with the performance of the President.
"Net agreement with the current term limit was higher among those very dissatisfied with President Duterte, at +72 than among those who were somewhat dissatisfied (+61), undecided (+65), somewhat satisfied (+68), and very satisfied (+59)," SWS said.