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10-man delegation goes to UN to report on PHL human rights situation
A 10-man delegation of faith-based and human rights activists is set to travel to Geneva, Switzerland next month in an effort to urge the United Nations to look into the reality of the country's human rights violations.
At a news conference on Thursday, Philippine Universal Periodic Review convener Fr. Rex Reyes Jr. said that among the issues the panel will discuss at the UN Human Rights Council are the spate of killings under President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war and the protection of human rights defenders.
"While the killings attributed to the war on drugs have continued to gain media mileage, violations that are political in nature continue unabated," Reyes said.
"There are no specific measures on the part of government to actively protect the rights of human rights defenders," he added.
The Aquino administration would also be under the review since the third cycle of the UPR covers the period from May 2012 to September 2016.
Under this period, Reyes said "there has been no significant change in the human rights situation in the country and the climate of impunity has worsened."
Reyes said drug suspects killed under Duterte’s drug war should not be considered as collateral damage in a country that boasts of upholding democratic principles.
"This is a country that boasts itself as one of the countries upholding democratic principles tapos sasabihin collateral damage? Mayroon bang ganyan? Is that the language of a democratic society?” he said.
No expected response
Lawyer Rey Cortez of the National Union of People’s Lawyers said the panel does not expect a response from the Duterte administration when they report to the UNHRC.
The Duterte administration has been dismissive of claims of human rights violation, particularly in his drug war, from the international community.
“Yung pagfa-file ng complaint saka yung usapin ng human ng rights, whether there is violation or not, ay hindi dapat dependent kung ano yung reaction ng government na nire-review,” Cortez said.
“The fact is human rights violations occur and continue to happen, at ito yung dinadala natin sa international community,” he added.
Cortez noted that the government has been asked to respond to the previous two UPR reports, to no avail.
He, however, admitted that the final UPR report on the country would just be “another report” since the UNHRC has no power to sanction member states.
“It will just be another report, pero at least yung mga member states makausap at mai-present yung alternative report at maipakita yung tunay na situation,” he said.
Reyes, for his part, said that while it’s disappointing, human rights activists will continue pressing the government.
“Hindi pa rin kami titigil, as long as one person is killed unjustly, we have to continue raising our voices. Hindi puwedeng, can we all in conscience approve of a killing and say it’s part of the consequences of a drug war?” he said. —KG/KBK, GMA News
