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MANILA, Philippines – The Duterte government must “revoke the policies” that have led to the rising tide of deaths here in the Philippines, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said Tuesday at the opening of the 45th session of the Human Rights Council. in Geneva.
High Commissioner Michele Bachelet made this comment, expressing concern about President Rodrigo Duterte’s intention to reinstate the death penalty. In her statement, Bachelet specifically mentioned both the war on drugs and the recently passed Anti-Terrorism Bill “with many problematic provisions,” which feared human rights groups would be used to justify arbitrary arrests and killings of activists and defenders. from the human rights.
“It is clear that there is an urgent need to repeal these policies that continue to result in killings and other human rights violations, bring the perpetrators to justice and stop the use of rhetoric that incites violence against people who use or sell drugs. Bachelet said. .
Bachelet said she was concerned about “the continued reports of drug-related killings by police and vigilantes [even] during COVID-related movement restrictions. “
In June, Bachelet released a damning report revealing “serious human rights violations” in the Philippines, including the increasing number of police-related deaths and arbitrary arrests under the brutal war on drugs, as well as the smear of dissent under a hostile administration.
The report, which examined documents related to the war on drugs, found “a disturbing lack of due process protection and the use of language that calls for ‘denial’ and ‘neutralization’ of drug suspects.”
Although the Secretary of Justice, Menardo Guevarra, rejected the concerns of the OHCHR, he promised to carry out an internal investigation into some 5,655 anti-drug raids carried out in the framework of “Oplan Tokhang” in 2016.
OHCHR, Bachelet said, was still seeking details from the Philippine government on the promised internal police investigations.
Addressing his colleagues, he also urged the council to “remain active in this situation and support the ongoing monitoring and reporting of (OHCHR)” on the human rights situation in the Philippines, noting harassment and threats of violence. continuous against journalists. , activists and critics.
The UN special rapporteur for extrajudicial executions on Monday also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to “prioritize the completion” of its preliminary investigation into the human rights situation in the Philippines, as well as that member states of the UN “apply sanctions against Filipino Officials” who are being cited for inciting or neglecting human rights violations here.
During the virtual World Day of Action organized by local human rights groups here, Agnes Callamard said that the international community “must act now in the context of its preventive mandate, and must act decisively” in light of the increasing number of deaths in Philippines .
Human rights watchdogs have noted that despite Bachelet’s damning report on the human rights situation in the Philippines last June, extrajudicial executions of suspected drug users and human rights defenders have not even decreased. during the current public health crisis.
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