PH defends human rights record
Published Sep 30, 2018 07:47 pm
By Roy Mabasa
The Philippines on Sunday defended the government’s human rights records before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, saying that the reforms being undertaken by the Duterte administration have not only prevented the country from becoming a narco state but also protected the rights of every single Filipino.
KAPIHAN APC/17MAR2016 Senator and Vice Presidental candidate Alan Peter Cayetano speaks at the Kapihan sa Senado at the Philippine Senate, as moderated by Senate Staffer Cely Bueno. MB PHOTO/FEDERICO CRUZ
“As a sovereign and democratic country led by a duly-elected President, we are on track in salvaging our deteriorating country from becoming a narco state,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said at the 73rd UNGA meet in New York.
Cayetano told the gathering of UN delegates composed of member-states that authorities in the Philippines will always choose to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens and law enforcers over the rights of drug lords and criminals who, he said, seek to kill and destroy.
“Wouldn’t you do the same? Which country, which leader wouldn’t do the same and protect your citizens and protect your law enforcers?” he asked.
Furthermore, Cayetano said the Philippines shares the UN’s uncompromising stance on issues related to the rule of law and equitable peace that leads to order, development and prosperity, and the protection of the rights every human being.
He, however, said the Philippines and the UN “may sometimes differ in how we express ourselves.”
“This should not be interpreted as turning our backs on the universal declaration on human rights,” the Foreign Affairs chief said.
Cayetano’s statement came several days after no less than President Duterte, himself, seemed to have confirm in his speech that there were extrajudicial killings in the country.
“What is my sin? Did I steal even one peso? Did I prosecute somebody who I ordered jailed? My only sin is extrajudicial killings,” Duterte said in broken English at a gathering in Malacañang last September 27.
Within hours, Malacañang quickly clarified Duterte’s statement as “playful” and should not be taken in its literal meaning.
This was immediately followed by Philippine National Police Director-General Oscar Albayalde who dismissed the Chief Executive’s remarks in a press conference that the President’s remark was merely an expression of “frustration” rather than an admission of guilt.
He said the President had never ordered the PNP to kill illegal drug suspects.
Duterte has been widely criticized by various international and local rights groups, including UN special rapporteurs, over the summary killings in the government’s war on drugs.
Opposing view
Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, an opposition leader, said yesterday that President Duterte’s admission that his only sin was extrajudicial killings confirmed that it really exists and happens in his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“Unang-unang matagal na may debate tungkol dun. Maraming tao nagsasabi may extrajudicial killings. Ang pamahalaan sinasabi wala. Parang confirmation na tama nga ‘yun mga tumutuligsa na marami talagang mga pagpapatay na labag sa batas (First of all, that’s long been debated. A lot of people say extrajudicial killings exist. The government denies it. It seems to be a confirmation that the critics are right in saying that a lot of these killings are above the law),” she said.
Robredo, a longtime human rights lawyer, gave her reaction to what many critics of the administration say is a public confession of Duterte that his only sin involved extrajudicial killings during her weekly radio, “BISErbisyong Leni.”
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque already downplayed Duterte’s remarks, saying the Chief Executive was “not serious” and he made “no admission” that he was behind extrajudicial killings.
But for Robredo, she found it insulting for the families who lost their loved ones to EJKs when Roque apparently implied that the President was not serious in his public admission.
The Vice President is a staunch critic of Duterte’s bloody drug war, where thousands of drug suspects have been killed in legitimate police operations and vigilante-style killings nationwide.
“Hindi mo dapat hindi sineseryoso iyon kasi maraming buhay ang nakitil dahil dun. Maraming mga asawa, maraming mga anak na naulila dahil sa extrajudicial killings tapos sasambitin na parang wala lang (You’re not supposed to be not serious about it because a lot of lives were lost. A lot of spouses, a lot of children were left mourning because of extrajudicial killings, and they don’t deserve empty remarks),” she said.
Robredo cited Duterte’s admission of EJKs can be used as evidence to support the complaints filed against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a ground for his impeachment from office.
“Wala nang mas malakas ng ebidensya kundi ’yung pag-amin. Iyon na mismo na ebidensya (There is no stronger piece of evidence than a confession. That in itself is evidence),” she said. “Kung tanong siya ay ground for impeachment, definitely (Question: Is it a ground for impeachment? Definitely),” the Vice President added.
Duterte is facing two counts of crimes against humanity before the ICC for the alleged drug-related killings.
Former solicitor general Florin Hilbay said Duterte’s statement on EJKs should be immediately brought up to the international tribunal so it can decide on whether to prosecute him.
Forceful legal method
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo defended the relentless anti-drug campaign, saying critics should look at the campaign as a “forceful legal method” to save Filipinos from drug ruin.
“Rather than maliciously and continuously paint the dismantling of the drug apparatus as a crime against humanity, the purveyors of the status quo should instead view it as a forceful legal method of saving a generation from drug addiction and ruin,” Panelo said in a statement.
“For once in their lives they should contribute to its triumph by assisting the government in its fight against the destroyers of society, for they may well be saving themselves and their families from the scourge of illegal drugs,” he added.
The President, under fire for the alleged abuses in the brutal war on drugs, recently confessed that his only sin was extrajudicial killings. Duterte previously denied the extrajudicial killings were state-sponsored.
Taken out of context
Palace officials also quickly clarified that the President’s remark – which was taken as an admission of EJKs – was taken out of context and blamed it on his poor language skills.
Panelo acknowledged that the President's detractors have found “another arsenal” to put the President in a bad light. But he said Duterte's statement has been ”twisted” by his critics, saying it must be viewed in relation to his relentless war against the drug menace as well in the context of governance.
“It is only the baseless allegation of him being behind the extrajudicial killings that appears to tar his governance. That was what he meant when he made the aforesaid statement, the meaning of which is now, as always, being twisted by the perennial nit pickers of his uncommon lingua franca,” he said.
“Obviously the President being a Visayan is not adept at expressing himself in Pilipino,” he added.
Panelo also maintained that the campaign against drugs would not end anytime soon, as he denied the government's involvement in the extrajudicial killings.
“The President will not stop at continuing his war against illegal drugs, a duty imposed on him by the Constitution,” he said.
“The extrajudicial killings are the result of members of the drug syndicates killing each other due to fraud in their dealings as well as a means of protecting and avenging themselves from whistle blowers,” he said.
He noted that the deaths of policemen in anti-drug operations indicated that the drug lords and pushers use violence to resist arrest and place the lives of cops in danger “hence their application of lawful self-defense.” (With reports from Raymund F. Antonio and Genalyn D. Kabiling)
KAPIHAN APC/17MAR2016 Senator and Vice Presidental candidate Alan Peter Cayetano speaks at the Kapihan sa Senado at the Philippine Senate, as moderated by Senate Staffer Cely Bueno. MB PHOTO/FEDERICO CRUZ
“As a sovereign and democratic country led by a duly-elected President, we are on track in salvaging our deteriorating country from becoming a narco state,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said at the 73rd UNGA meet in New York.
Cayetano told the gathering of UN delegates composed of member-states that authorities in the Philippines will always choose to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens and law enforcers over the rights of drug lords and criminals who, he said, seek to kill and destroy.
“Wouldn’t you do the same? Which country, which leader wouldn’t do the same and protect your citizens and protect your law enforcers?” he asked.
Furthermore, Cayetano said the Philippines shares the UN’s uncompromising stance on issues related to the rule of law and equitable peace that leads to order, development and prosperity, and the protection of the rights every human being.
He, however, said the Philippines and the UN “may sometimes differ in how we express ourselves.”
“This should not be interpreted as turning our backs on the universal declaration on human rights,” the Foreign Affairs chief said.
Cayetano’s statement came several days after no less than President Duterte, himself, seemed to have confirm in his speech that there were extrajudicial killings in the country.
“What is my sin? Did I steal even one peso? Did I prosecute somebody who I ordered jailed? My only sin is extrajudicial killings,” Duterte said in broken English at a gathering in Malacañang last September 27.
Within hours, Malacañang quickly clarified Duterte’s statement as “playful” and should not be taken in its literal meaning.
This was immediately followed by Philippine National Police Director-General Oscar Albayalde who dismissed the Chief Executive’s remarks in a press conference that the President’s remark was merely an expression of “frustration” rather than an admission of guilt.
He said the President had never ordered the PNP to kill illegal drug suspects.
Duterte has been widely criticized by various international and local rights groups, including UN special rapporteurs, over the summary killings in the government’s war on drugs.
Opposing view
Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo, an opposition leader, said yesterday that President Duterte’s admission that his only sin was extrajudicial killings confirmed that it really exists and happens in his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“Unang-unang matagal na may debate tungkol dun. Maraming tao nagsasabi may extrajudicial killings. Ang pamahalaan sinasabi wala. Parang confirmation na tama nga ‘yun mga tumutuligsa na marami talagang mga pagpapatay na labag sa batas (First of all, that’s long been debated. A lot of people say extrajudicial killings exist. The government denies it. It seems to be a confirmation that the critics are right in saying that a lot of these killings are above the law),” she said.
Robredo, a longtime human rights lawyer, gave her reaction to what many critics of the administration say is a public confession of Duterte that his only sin involved extrajudicial killings during her weekly radio, “BISErbisyong Leni.”
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque already downplayed Duterte’s remarks, saying the Chief Executive was “not serious” and he made “no admission” that he was behind extrajudicial killings.
But for Robredo, she found it insulting for the families who lost their loved ones to EJKs when Roque apparently implied that the President was not serious in his public admission.
The Vice President is a staunch critic of Duterte’s bloody drug war, where thousands of drug suspects have been killed in legitimate police operations and vigilante-style killings nationwide.
“Hindi mo dapat hindi sineseryoso iyon kasi maraming buhay ang nakitil dahil dun. Maraming mga asawa, maraming mga anak na naulila dahil sa extrajudicial killings tapos sasambitin na parang wala lang (You’re not supposed to be not serious about it because a lot of lives were lost. A lot of spouses, a lot of children were left mourning because of extrajudicial killings, and they don’t deserve empty remarks),” she said.
Robredo cited Duterte’s admission of EJKs can be used as evidence to support the complaints filed against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a ground for his impeachment from office.
“Wala nang mas malakas ng ebidensya kundi ’yung pag-amin. Iyon na mismo na ebidensya (There is no stronger piece of evidence than a confession. That in itself is evidence),” she said. “Kung tanong siya ay ground for impeachment, definitely (Question: Is it a ground for impeachment? Definitely),” the Vice President added.
Duterte is facing two counts of crimes against humanity before the ICC for the alleged drug-related killings.
Former solicitor general Florin Hilbay said Duterte’s statement on EJKs should be immediately brought up to the international tribunal so it can decide on whether to prosecute him.
Forceful legal method
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo defended the relentless anti-drug campaign, saying critics should look at the campaign as a “forceful legal method” to save Filipinos from drug ruin.
“Rather than maliciously and continuously paint the dismantling of the drug apparatus as a crime against humanity, the purveyors of the status quo should instead view it as a forceful legal method of saving a generation from drug addiction and ruin,” Panelo said in a statement.
“For once in their lives they should contribute to its triumph by assisting the government in its fight against the destroyers of society, for they may well be saving themselves and their families from the scourge of illegal drugs,” he added.
The President, under fire for the alleged abuses in the brutal war on drugs, recently confessed that his only sin was extrajudicial killings. Duterte previously denied the extrajudicial killings were state-sponsored.
Taken out of context
Palace officials also quickly clarified that the President’s remark – which was taken as an admission of EJKs – was taken out of context and blamed it on his poor language skills.
Panelo acknowledged that the President's detractors have found “another arsenal” to put the President in a bad light. But he said Duterte's statement has been ”twisted” by his critics, saying it must be viewed in relation to his relentless war against the drug menace as well in the context of governance.
“It is only the baseless allegation of him being behind the extrajudicial killings that appears to tar his governance. That was what he meant when he made the aforesaid statement, the meaning of which is now, as always, being twisted by the perennial nit pickers of his uncommon lingua franca,” he said.
“Obviously the President being a Visayan is not adept at expressing himself in Pilipino,” he added.
Panelo also maintained that the campaign against drugs would not end anytime soon, as he denied the government's involvement in the extrajudicial killings.
“The President will not stop at continuing his war against illegal drugs, a duty imposed on him by the Constitution,” he said.
“The extrajudicial killings are the result of members of the drug syndicates killing each other due to fraud in their dealings as well as a means of protecting and avenging themselves from whistle blowers,” he said.
He noted that the deaths of policemen in anti-drug operations indicated that the drug lords and pushers use violence to resist arrest and place the lives of cops in danger “hence their application of lawful self-defense.” (With reports from Raymund F. Antonio and Genalyn D. Kabiling)