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| Impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona Pulse Asia is pleased to share with you some findings on the Impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona from the March 2012 Ulat ng Bayan national survey. We request you to assist us in informing the public by disseminating this information. The survey fieldwork was conducted from February 26 to March 9, 2012 using face-to-face interviews. The following developments preoccupied Filipinos immediately prior to and during the conduct of the interviews for this survey: (1) the ongoing impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona* ; (2) the arraignment for electoral fraud of former President and incumbent Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; (3) the death and destruction caused by a 6.9 intensity earthquake in the Visayas on 06 February 2012; (4) the commemoration of the 26th anniversary of EDSA People Power I; (5) the controversies involving a few presidential appointees; (6) the death of Negros Occidental Representative Ignacio Arroyo and the fight over his remains; and (7) the increase in oil prices, fluctuating power rates, declining headline inflation rate, and the record-breaking performance of the Philippine Stock Exchange. As in our previous surveys, this nationwide survey is based on a sample of 1,200 representative adults 18 years old and above. It has a ± 3% error margin at the 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for each of the geographic areas covered in the survey (i.e., Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) have a ± 6% error margin, also at 95% confidence level. Those interested in further technical details concerning the survey's questionnaire and sampling design may request Pulse Asia in writing for fuller details, including copies of the pre-tested questions actually used. Pulse Asia’s pool of academic fellows takes full responsibility for the design and conduct of the survey, as well as for analyses it makes based on the survey data. In keeping with our academic nature, no religious, political, economic, or partisan group influenced any of these processes. Pulse Asia undertakes Ulat ng Bayan surveys on its own without any party singularly commissioning the research effort. For any clarification or questions, kindly contact Prof. Ronald D. Holmes, Pulse Asia President at 09189335497 or Dr. Ana Maria Tabunda, Pulse Asia Chief Research Fellow at 09189436816. _______________________ *By the time the fieldwork for this survey was completed, the impeachment court was in recess after completing 26 trial days. The prosecution rested its case on 28 February 2012. The trial resumed on 12 March 2012. Even as about eight in ten Filipinos (84%) report that they follow the ongoing impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona, a small majority (56%) admits knowing little about the impeachment Most Filipinos (84%) say they are following the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona – an act reported by overwhelming majorities in every geographic area (75% to 91%) and socio-economic class (76% to 90%). In particular, majorities say they are monitoring developments regarding the impeachment trial through television – 80% at the national level, 67% to 84% across geographic areas and 70% to 88% across socio-economic groupings. The rest of the population (16%) is not monitoring the impeachment trial, with lack of interest being most pronounced in the poorest Class E (24%) and the Visayas (25%). (Please refer to Table 1.) However, when asked regarding the extent of their knowledge about the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona, 56% of Filipinos say they know only a little about the issue – an admission made by near to small majorities across geographic areas (48% to 62%) and socio-economic classes (50% to 58%). Additionally, 11% of Filipinos say they have almost no or no knowledge at all about the issue. In contrast, only 8% report knowing a great deal about the impeachment and 24% say they know enough about the issue. (Please refer to Table 2.) Public opinion is split on the matter of whether or not members of the House of Representatives fast-tracked the impeachment process While 38% of Filipinos do not think members of the Lower House fast-tracked the process of impeachment Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona, 32% of Filipinos have a contrary opinion. Indecision on the matter is expressed by 29% of Filipinos. A near majority of Metro Manilans (46%) says the impeachment process at the Lower House was fast-tracked, while a big plurality of those in the rest of Luzon (44%) believes otherwise. In the Visayas, almost the same percentages either express ambivalence on the matter or reject the view that the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona was hastily done by members of the Lower House (44% versus 32%). In Class D, nearly the same percentages either agree or disagree with the view that the impeachment process at the House of Representatives was fast-tracked (32% versus 41%). Public opinion on the matter is split three-ways in Mindanao and Classes ABC and E, with figures being generally consistent with those obtaining at the national level. (Please refer to Table 3.) Most Filipinos (69%) expect the senators to be fair and impartial in the performance of their duty as judges in the ongoing impeachment trial Nearly seven in ten Filipinos (69%) are of the view that the senators will be fair and will not favor anyone when they finally decide on the impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona. This is the majority sentiment in all geographic areas (63% to 74%) and socio-economic groupings (66% to 71%). On the other hand, 22% say the senator-judges will not be fair – a view that is more pronounced in Mindanao (30%) than in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon (18% to 19%). Indecision on the matter is expressed by less than one in ten Filipinos (9%). (Please refer to Table 4.) While 47% of Filipinos think Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is guilty of the charges filed against him, 43% are ambivalent as regards his innocence or guilt Almost half of the Filipino population (47%) is of the view that Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is guilty, with 33% saying he is probably guilty and 15% being certain about his guilt. Meanwhile, 43% cannot say whether the government official is guilty or not. Practically the same percentages across geographic areas and socio-economic classes either think the Chief Justice is guilty (37% to 52%) or express indecision on the matter (43% to 48%). An exception is Mindanao where 54% say the Supreme Court Chief Justice is guilty and significantly fewer residents (31%) are undecided on the matter. On the other hand, only 5% of Filipinos believe Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is innocent of the charges filed against him, with 4% saying he is probably innocent and 1% saying he is definitely innocent. (Please refer to Table 5.) Filipinos’ opinion on whether the Supreme Court Chief Justice is innocent or guilty was formed during the conduct of the impeachment trial A sizeable majority (64%) of those who say Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is innocent arrived at this conclusion as the impeachment trial was unfolding. Practically the same percentage of those who believe the latter is guilty also reports that they formed their opinion on the matter in the course of the trial. Across geographic areas and socio-economic classes, most of those who say the Supreme Court Chief Justice is guilty formed their opinion on the matter during the conduct of the impeachment trial (56% to 76% and 66% to 68%, respectively). Among those saying Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is innocent, majorities in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon and Mindanao (64% to 73%) and Classes D and E (62% to 77%) also formed their opinion on the matter as the trial was being done at the Senate.(Please refer to Table 6.) A small majority of Filipinos (58%) believes their countrymen will accept and respect whatever the Senate’s decision on the impeachment case of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona will be According to 58% of Filipinos, their countrymen will accept and respect the Senate’s decision as regards the impeachment case of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, whether most of the people like it or not. This is the majority sentiment in every socio-economic class (53% to 63%) and almost all geographic areas (53% to 68%). The Visayas is the exception, with essentially the same percentages either sharing this view (40%) or saying that most Filipinos will accept and respect only the decision that they favor (41%). The latter view is articulated by 34% of Filipinos. Indecision on the matter is expressed by less than one in ten Filipinos (8%). Additionally, public opinion on the matter is generally the same regardless of whether Filipinos believe Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona is innocent or guilty. (Please refer to Table 7.) |
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