This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 7, March 19-25, 2006
75% of Youth Oppose Charter Change – Survey
A one-month survey by a youth
think-tank in Metro Manila shows that the youth are looking for social change
since they are also affected by the political crisis.
BY JHONG DELA CRUZ A survey conducted by
independent youth think-tank Institute for Nationalist Studies (INS) revealed 75
percent of youth in Metro Manila rule out Charter Change as means to resolve the
lingering political conflict in the country. The survey, conducted from
February 6 to March 3, had 715 youth respondents in Metro Manila, 89 percent
(644) of which were students from 12 major colleges and 11 percent (104) were
out-of-school-youth, housewives, employed and underemployed in urban poor
communities. Opposed According to INS
Spokesperson Joseph Cuevas, the survey aims to know the youth's perception of
the government's plan to change the 1987 Constitution. "From what we have
gathered, the youth particularly in Metro Manila are aware of the cha-cha
(charter change) and are opposed to it," he said. Eighty-two percent of the
respondents said they are aware of the government's plan to change the 1987
Constitution. The Macapagal-Arroyo
administration had long been pushing for cha-cha which seeks to change the form
of government from presidential to parliamentary. The shift would then cancel
the 2007 national elections to make way for an interim parliament. The plan
includes making President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the transitory president until
such time that the new congress can put in place a prime minister to govern the
state. Not Arroyo Seventy-five percent or 533
of respondents do not believe that charter change is the solution to the
country's economic and political crisis. Of the 25 percent or 182 in
favor of charter change, 117 respondents said they will let Arroyo finish her
term in 2010 and, in the meantime, serve as transitory president. The remaining
65 respondents do not want Arroyo to complete her term. "This means that even when
there is cha-cha as alternative, a number of youth still doubt her effectivity
to muster the success of a reformed government," Cuevas said. The INS also asked the 533
respondents opposed to charter change to choose from six options regarding what
must be done. There were 213 respondents who wanted Arroyo to resign; 170
respondents said the presidential-type should be maintained; 69 respondents
backed unity and reconciliation; 37 respondents agreed to people's uprising to
oust Arroyo; 11 respondents wanted Martial Law; 11 respondents supported
military junta; and 22 respondents did not answer. "Definitely, the youth are
looking for a change. This political bickering is affecting them one way or
another," he said. More disadvantages However, Cuevas noted that
the youth see more disadvantages in changing the 1987 Constitution. "The results were
consistent for those who approve cha-cha and those who do not...25 percent of
those in favor saw greater opportunity for employment and education while those
who oppose it (44 percent) said their rights as a sector will be limited," he
said. Sixteen percent of those
surveyed said that a "loss of patriotic consciousness among youth" will worsen.
The worsening of the political crisis (2 percent) was also one of the perceived
effects of charter change. The survey has a
3.6-percent margin of error. Only a fraction of the respondents were sought
during the one-week imposition of the Presidential Proclamation No. 1017.
Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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