UN scores Duterte's 'striking lack of understanding' of human rights institutions

The top official of the United Nations' human rights efforts on Tuesday criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for his statements that "display a striking lack of understanding of our human rights institutions and the principles which keep societies safe."

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein made the comments on Tuesday in his opening speech at the 33rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

"The President of the Philippines's statements of scorn for international human rights law display a striking lack of understanding of our human rights institutions and the principles which keep societies safe," Al Hussein said.

"Fair and impartial rule of law is the foundation of public confidence and security. Empowering police forces to shoot to kill any individual whom they claim to suspect of drug crimes, with or without evidence, undermines justice. The people of the Philippines have a right to judicial institutions that are impartial, and operate under due process guarantees; and they have a right to a police force that serves justice."

He also urged the Philippines to invite the UN's Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions amid the rising death toll in the Duterte administration's war on drugs.

"My Office is ready to assist, including with respect to rule of law institutions and the prevention and treatment of drug use in accordance with international norms," he said.

The remarks from Al Hussein are the latest in a series of critical statements from UN human rights officials against Duterte's drug war, which has claimed the lives of more than 1,400 drug suspects in police operations, according to government data. More than 1,900 others have been killed by unknown gunmen.

Last month, UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and Dainius Puras called on the Philippine government to stop the extrajudicial killings of persons linked to illegal drugs.

In response, Duterte threatened to have the Philippines withdraw its membership from the UN.

The animosity seems to remain, with Duterte turning down a one-on-one meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit last week. Duterte also skipped the meeting among ASEAN nations and the UN at the event. —JST, GMA News