UN exec: Human rights advocates in Asia, PHL under attack

A senior United Nations official has expressed concern on the “sweeping threats” made by President Rodrigo Duterte against human rights advocates critical of his policies, particularly his bloody anti-drug war.

Andrew Gilmour, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights in New York, lamented that more than 600 Filipino participants in the peace process, environmental activists and human rights defenders were labeled “terrorists” by the Philippine government, including Filipino UN special rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz.

“The security of the individuals on this list is at stake, and some have fled the Philippines,” Gilmour wrote in an opinion piece sent to the media Wednesday by the UN Information Office in Manila.

Tauli Corpuz, who denied accusations linking her to terrorists, was appointed as UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples in 2014.

Gilmour also decried Duterte’s “vilification” of UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard for condemning his crackdown on illegal drugs, where thousands have been reported killed since he assumed the presidency in June 2016.

“Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared that he wanted to slap her, and later announced that he would like to throw other UN human rights officials to the crocodiles,” Gilmour said.

He also mentioned House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s previous threat to give zero budget to the Commission on Human Rights in the Philippines for criticizing the drug war and the detention of its former chair now Senator Leila de Lima – a staunch critic of Duterte - for her advocacy.

Gilmour’s comments is the latest expression of alarm by the UN against the human rights situation in the Philippines and Duterte’s deadly war on drugs.

“Even if extreme, such sweeping threats against hundreds of civil society representatives, defenders of human rights, and UN experts labeled ‘terrorists’ in the Philippines are symptomatic of worrying regional trends,” Gilmour said.

“If governments in the region can target high profile human rights defenders and those associated with the UN with impunity, what is the message to others at community level who are not afforded the same visibility?  This is likely to increase fear in those seeking the protection of the UN and other human rights actors,” he added.

Apart from the Philippines, Gilmour also cited human rights concerns in Myanmar and Cambodia.

“Human rights advocates the world over are increasingly threatened, attacked and silenced.  The message is clear.  No one is immune and many advocates across the region will be unable to operate freely and without fear of retaliation,” Gilmour said.

“We are taking these allegations seriously, and addressing particular incidents of reprisals with governments.  Civil society has to be heard – for the sake of us all.” — RSJ, GMA News