THE PHILIPPINES came under scrutiny when the United Nations Human Rights Council convened recently in Geneva, according to the Human Rights Watch.
Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director, said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet gave the stark findings of her office’s report on the Philippines, which the council requested last year.
“She described widespread abuses against drug suspects, political activists, indigenous peoples, and journalists, among others,” Robertson said.
He said during the session, several countries echoed the report’s findings and called for accountability. Predictably, China and other countries close to President Rodrigo Duterte rejected the report, saying only “constructive dialogue” can address human rights issues in the country.
Also at the session, the Philippines Commission on Human Rights denounced the Duterte administration’s “strong-arm” approach to enforce its brutal “drug war” that has killed at least 8,663 people since July 2016.
Robertson said groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International also highlighted findings of serious rights violations in the Philippines.
He said Philippine Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced the creation of a government panel to review more than 5,600 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.
But Robertson said the panel is deeply flawed, adding, it will be led by the Department of Justice and will have among its members the very agencies – notably the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – directly implicated in the drug war.
“Moreover, any panel review will be evaluated and finalized by other government agencies involved in the anti-drug campaign, including the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice. At a time when the Philippines needs a serious impartial investigation into drug war killings, the panel is nothing more than a ruse to shield the country from international scrutiny,” he said.
Robertson said the International Criminal Court could open an investigation into crimes against humanity committed up to March 17, 2019, the date when the Philippines’ withdrawal from the court took effect.
“It is also a naked attempt to discourage the Human Rights Council from starting an independent, international investigation into the “drug war” killings and related violations as recommended by the UN high commissioner and 23 UN human rights experts. Countries at the Human Rights Council should not be fooled,” he said.
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| President Rodrigo Duterte (PCOO) |
Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director, said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet gave the stark findings of her office’s report on the Philippines, which the council requested last year.
“She described widespread abuses against drug suspects, political activists, indigenous peoples, and journalists, among others,” Robertson said.
He said during the session, several countries echoed the report’s findings and called for accountability. Predictably, China and other countries close to President Rodrigo Duterte rejected the report, saying only “constructive dialogue” can address human rights issues in the country.
Also at the session, the Philippines Commission on Human Rights denounced the Duterte administration’s “strong-arm” approach to enforce its brutal “drug war” that has killed at least 8,663 people since July 2016.
Robertson said groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International also highlighted findings of serious rights violations in the Philippines.
He said Philippine Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced the creation of a government panel to review more than 5,600 cases of alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.
But Robertson said the panel is deeply flawed, adding, it will be led by the Department of Justice and will have among its members the very agencies – notably the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency – directly implicated in the drug war.
“Moreover, any panel review will be evaluated and finalized by other government agencies involved in the anti-drug campaign, including the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice. At a time when the Philippines needs a serious impartial investigation into drug war killings, the panel is nothing more than a ruse to shield the country from international scrutiny,” he said.
Robertson said the International Criminal Court could open an investigation into crimes against humanity committed up to March 17, 2019, the date when the Philippines’ withdrawal from the court took effect.
“It is also a naked attempt to discourage the Human Rights Council from starting an independent, international investigation into the “drug war” killings and related violations as recommended by the UN high commissioner and 23 UN human rights experts. Countries at the Human Rights Council should not be fooled,” he said.
Duterte’s spokesman Secretary Harry Roque said the
Philippines is investigating all the allegations of human rights violations. “It
is not a perfect word for human rights. What is important is where there are
atrocities or acclaimed violations of human rights that the burden of the state
to investigate and punish the perpetrators thereof, are in fact complied with.”
“And as far as the Philippines is concerned, Secretary
Menard Guevarra has said that in an effort to improve our capacity to
investigate and punish the perpetrators of human rights violators, we have
created an inter-agency body headed by the DOJ,”
he said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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