HRW calls on gov’t to issue proclamation ending war on drugs

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday called on the Philippine government to issue a presidential proclamation officially ending the administration's war against drugs.

In a report, the CHR detailed the suffering experienced by children whose parents lost their lives due to the campaign as well as children casualties during the war.

Official tally by the Philippine National Police showed that 5,601 people were killed in "legitimate anti-drug operations" where the suspects allegedly fought back.

The report, however, pointed out that this does not include the thousands of deaths across the country who were killed by unidentified gunmen, which the Commission on Human Rights estimated to be more than 27,000.

Due to this, the HRW also called on the government to "investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators, including law enforcement personnel, credibly implicated in extrajudicial killings and other abuses committed."

The HRW also recommended that the government should "promptly and fairly" compensate the families of victims.

Another recommendation is for the government to "fully cooperate with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which was directed by the UN Human Rights Council in a July 2019 resolution to prepare a report on the human rights situation in the Philippines."

Recommendations to the UN Country Team and UN Bodies

The HRW also called on bodies of the United States to "strongly advocate" to end policies supporting the anti-drug campaign and to call on the government to hold perpetrators of violence accountable.

"The UN Human Rights Council should establish an independent international investigative mechanism into extrajudicial killings and other violations committed in the context of the 'war on drugs' since June 2016," it said.

It also called on UN bodies to provide political, technical, and financial support for the Commission on Human Rights.

Meanwhile, the HRW also urged the United Nations Children's Fund to prioritize children of drug war victims in its programs, especially on issues of psychological distress and livelihood. — RSJ, GMA News