By Antonio Colina IV
DAVAO CITY – A survey conducted by the Institute of Popular Opinion (IPO) found that Dabawenyos are opposed to the abolition of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) amid the attacks of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Conducted on 1,200 respondents from April 17 to 22, 2018, Dr. Maria Linda B. Arquiza, assistant vice president of the Research and Publication Center of the University of Mindanao’s IPO, said survey found 47% of them believed the commission is still a relevant institution and 65% indicated that they are against its abolition.
However, the survey found 65% of the respondents said the commission is not doing its mandate to protect human rights while only 26% believe otherwise and 9% did not provide a response.
“As noted, more people would not support the abolition of the CHR, perhaps because it is a constitutional body and, in some degree, it serves its purpose,” she said.
Last March, the CHR urged the Duterte administration to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the conduct of the preliminary investigation in the allegations of the extra-judicial killings resulting from his bloody war on drugs.
This did not sit well with the President, which resulted to his pronouncements that the country is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute, which created the international court
The ICC is a 124-member intergovernmental organization and international tribunal based in The Hague in the Netherlands with the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Asked of the public’s awareness, Arquiza said at least 78% of the Dabawenyos are aware of the investigation on the alleged government abuses in the drug war implementation; 21% do not know; and 1% have no response
She said more than half (60%) of those who are aware do not favor the investigation while only 30% did favor it, and 10% did not indicate a response.
Of those who favor the investigation, she said 46% came from the city’s 1st District, generally aged 18 to 40 years old (65%) and are married (44%) and mostly from income class C (47%).
Those who opposed it also came from the 1st District, 18 to 30 years old (42%), and belong to income class CD (83%).