SWS: 6 of 10 Pinoys believe PHL should not block int’l probe of drug slays

Sixty percent of Filipinos believe that the government should not impede international investigations on the killings linked to the Duterte administration's war against illegal drugs, according to the Second Quarter 2019 Social Weather Survey results released Monday.

In the survey conducted from June 22 to 26, 2019, 26 percent "strongly agree" while 34 percent "somewhat agree" to the statement: "The government should not block the investigation of international groups, like the United Nations, into the killing by the Philippine police of so many drug suspects who supposedly fought back."

Fifteen percent disagreed while 25 percent were undecided.

According to the SWS, the net agreements in both rural and urban areas were "very strong."

"Extremely strong" +50 net agreement was recorded in Mindanao.

"Very strong" net agreement was also recorded in Balance Luzon at +45; Metro Manila at +43; and the Visayas at +42.

Further, the pollster said that the net agreement was highest among the "masa."

It was also "very strong" among both women and men at +47 and +44, respectively.

The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (sampling error margins of ±3% for national percentages, and ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao).

Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted an Iceland-led resolution to set up an investigation into the killings in the Philippines that were linked to the government's campaign against illegal drugs.

Malacañang said the resolution was "designed to embarrass the Philippines before the international community and the global audience.”

The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, rejected the resolution.

"The Philippines rejects this resolution. It cannot, in good conscience, abide by it. We will not accept a politically partisan and one-sided resolution, so detached from the truth on the ground," DFA chief Teodoro Locsin Jr. said.

Iceland, on the other hand, said that it still hopes the Philippines would cooperate with the UNHRC's investigation. —NB, GMA News