UNHRC resolution on PHL drug war is not a political move, CHR says

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Sunday clarified that the resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council requesting a review of the Philippines’ drug war is not a political move.

“Hindi po ito political move,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Sunday.

LIVE sa DZBB: Atty. Jacqueline de Guia, tagapagsalita ng CHR kaugnay sa resolusyon ng UNHRC na imbestigahan ang mga umano'y EJKs sa drug war ng administrasyong Duterte.

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The Iceland-initiated resolution that the UN Human Rights Council approved received yes votes from 18 countries, no votes from 14 countries and abstention from 15 countries during the council's 41st regular session in Geneva, Switzerland on July 11.

De Guia said the resolution is normal in the procedures of the council. In fact, according to De Guia, the UNHRC team has visited 58 countries for the same process in the last year.

“Nagkaroon ng fact-finding missions maging sa ibang bansa,” De Guia said.

The CHR spokesperson said the council launched a fact-finding mission in Libya and Syria which are still ongoing.

Based on the resolution, De Guia clarified, it only orders the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to submit a monitoring report and not to conduct an investigation yet.

"Dito sa in-issue sa atin, ang sinabi lang ‘for the OHCHR to submit a comprehensive report.' Kaya mayroong isang pananaw na hindi pa naman ito investigation per se. Hindi katulad ng mga fact-finding mission o commission of inquiry,” she said.

De Guia said the procedure will also ask for reports from different sectors including government agencies concerning the issue.

“It will definitely engage the government and the government take part in the process, kung baga, take advantage nga 'yung right to be heard, right to present its own side para hindi lang one-sided 'yung report,” she said.

Malacañang said on Friday President Rodrigo Duterte can bar UN investigators from entering the country if he finds no basis for them to conduct a probe into the human rights situations in the Philippines. —Joviland Rita/KG GMA News