Palace finds Karapatan’s EJK report to UN rapporteur ‘questionable’

Malacañang on Wednesday criticized human rights watchdog group Karapatan after it reported alleged political killings under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to United Nations special rapporteur Agnes Callamard.

Callamard earlier expressed her concern over killings blamed on Duterte's war on illegal drugs.

“It is not the policy of the Duterte administration to violate citizens’ human rights. To attribute the killings to government is a serious allegation, contrary to President Duterte's stand that ‘our principled position (is) that disputes should be settled in a peaceful manner,’” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement to reporters.

Karapatan claimed that there were already 47 cases of extrajudicial killings since July 2016. Victims were peasants, indigenous peoples, Moro, workers, women, and youth who were allegedly killed by the state's security forces.

Abella noted that the government has engaged the communists in peace negotiations.

“Despite the initial setbacks, the GPH and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines continue to pursue peace and  seek solutions to the root problems of the age-old armed conflict,” he said.

“We therefore find Karapatan's move rather questionable, considering that our own justice system and domestic institutions are more than adequate to judge the matter. Though interested elements from various groups may not want the peace negotiations to succeed, the Duterte administration is singular in achieving the goal of peace that will ultimately serve the entire Filipino nation,” he added.

He also reminded the group that while Duterte is open for any investigation, any body should follow his conditions.

“The Philippines is a sovereign and democratic state. President Duterte has been open to any investigation but he has also set conditions for any international body to come in and interfere with its domestic affairs,” he said. —NB, GMA News