Teens' killings stress need for UN probe into PHL drug war —HRW

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Saturday said the killings of teenagers by policemen call for a United Nations inquiry into the Philippines' war on drugs.

"The apparent extrajudicial executions by Philippine police of two children over a three-day period underscores the need for a United Nations inquiry into President Rodrigo Duterte’s abusive 'war on drugs.' While several dozen children under 18 have died in drug war-related killings since June 2016, circumstances suggest that the Philippine National Police (PNP) deliberately targeted the two children," HRW said in a news release.

The group is referring to 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos and 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz.

Reynaldo de Guzman, the last person seen with Arnaiz before he was killed, had been found dead in Nueva Ecija.

Policemen killed Delos Santos during an anti-drug operation on August 16 while Arnaiz allegedly robbed a taxi before being killed by policemen on August 18.

The two incidents happened in Caloocan City and policemen involved in the cases claimed both teenagers were killed in shootouts.

Charges of murder, torture and planting of evidence had been filed against the policemen involved in Delos Santos' killing.

“The apparent willingness of Philippine police to deliberately target children for execution marks an appalling new level of depravity in this so-called drug war,” the HRW said, noting that the slays would show that "Duterte’s rejection of the rule of law has made all Filipinos potential ‘drug-war’ victims, no matter how young.”

It said that the UN Human Rights Council has a crucial role in addressing the government's violent anti-illegal drugs campaign.

"The council should press the Philippines government to accept an independent international investigation into all allegations of extrajudicial killings and to hold those responsible to account," the rights group said.

"The council should also press the government to cooperate with the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, grant unfettered and unconditional access to the rapporteur, and immediately stop all official incitement and instigation of drug war killings," it added.

The deaths of the two teenagers have led to a firestorm of criticism against the police, which is at the forefront of Duterte's war on drugs.

The HRW also reminded that Philippine government that it has an obligation to protect the lives of the children and not to empower police to kill them.

“Until Duterte ends his abusive drug war and allows a UN-led international probe, child-killers among the police will continue to get away with murder," the HRW said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/ALG, GMA News