Philippines to UN body: Exercise prudence in assessing 'rights abuses'

The Philippines is asking the United Nations Human Rights Council to use the best of its judgment in its appraisal of claims on human rights abuses in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, to maintain its credibility, and save multilateralism from skepticism.

While authorities have reported that more than 5,500 drug personalities have been killed in police operations across the country since Duterte assumed power in June 2016, local and international human rights groups insist the figure could be around 20,000 to 30,000.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar disputed the huge tally of those supposedly killed in the war on drugs, telling the 43rd session of the UNHRC-High Level Segment in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday that the groups masquerading as human rights defenders “have not provided any substance to support these claims.”

“To remain a bastion of constructive multilateralism, the Council must preserve its credibility and uphold the highest standards of objectivity and integrity,” Andanar said.

“Institutionalizing more rigor in assessing information should help the Council successfully navigate a milieu under the strain of politicization, polarization and – outside these halls – skepticism in multilateralism.”

He also rejected criticisms that cases involving media personalities and outfits are attacks on press freedom.

“Such criticisms are patently false and self-serving. Charges brought before the courts involve criminal and constitutional violations. To qualify these cases as political attacks is to denigrate the rule of law and its equal application to all citizens,” he said.

In July last year, the UN body agreed to set up a preliminary investigation into the human rights situation in the Philippines, including the war on drugs.

The resolution was adopted by a vote of 18 countries in favor, 14 against (including China), with 15 abstentions (including Japan) at the 47-member forum in Geneva.

Malacañang questioned the validity of the resolution and called it an affront to the country’s sovereignty.

Likewise, it directed all agencies, state companies, and government financial institutions to halt negotiations or agreements pending the assessment of the Philippines’ relations with the countries that sponsored and voted in favor of the resolution.

“The Philippines speaks from experience as a victim of arbitrary action by the Council,” Andanar said.

“We regret that discussions on the human rights situation in the country have been swayed by baseless allegations, and that the Council has failed to exhaust mechanisms for constructive, reasonable, and fact-based discourse.” —Virgil Lopez/LBG, GMA News