HRW hits Roque, Cayetano over claims drug lords use rights groups

International watchdog organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday slammed Malacañang and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano for their remarks that some human rights groups have been allegedly used by drug lords to malign the Duterte administration's war against illegal drugs.

"The statements by Philippines Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and President Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque that drug lords may be using human rights groups to criticize and undermine the government are shockingly dangerous and shameful. Are they trying to have death squads target human rights activists?" HRW Asia director Brad Adams said in a statement.

The HRW called on Cayetano and Roque to retract their statements as both of them have no evidence that will prove their claims.

"Cayetano and Roque provide no evidence. They should withdraw their comments immediately," Adams said.

'No need to withdraw statements'

In response, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said there is no need to withdraw the statements.

"There is no need to withdraw...it's not even a disparaging statement," he told reporters.

"I think the comments are misplaced. I read the comments of both Secretary Alan and Secretary Harry and they said they may be unwilling or rather unwitting victims of drug lords using them," Panelo said.

Roque, in a statement, said they are not discounting the possibility that some human rights groups have become "unwitting tools" of drug lords to discredit the efforts of the government to curb illegal drugs.

"To continue to do and thrive in the drug business, these drug lords can easily use their drug money to fund destabilization efforts against the government," Roque said.

Cayetano made a similar statement last week, claiming that human rights groups have supposedly not conducted any objective investigation as regards to the human rights situation of the country.

The DFA chief also claimed that the findings of these groups were not a result of a "legitimate and scientific investigation."

Criticisms against the anti-illegal drugs campaign have reached the International Criminal Court (ICC), which opened last month a preliminary examination on allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials have committed crimes against humanity due to the increasing number of killings of drug personalities.

Duterte then announced his withdrawal from the Hague-based tribunal, citing the "baseless, unprecedented and outrageous" attacks against him and his administration and the alleged attempt of the ICC prosecutor to place him under his jurisdiction.

Duterte also pointed out that the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, is not enforceable in the Philippines as it was not published in the government's newspaper, the Official Gazette.

Duterte likewise issued strong remarks that he would urge other members to withdraw from the ICC. — with Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News