Palace: UN can’t do anything if Philippines won’t allow probe into human rights situation

Malacañang on Wednesday said it is within the Philippines’ prerogative to disallow an investigation by United Nations (UN) special rapporteurs on the human rights situation in the country following claims of unlawful killings in the war on drugs.

In an interview with CNN-Philippines, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the state’s consent is needed before rapporteurs can conduct an investigation in the Philippines.

“There’s no need to allow into the country so-called experts with very fixed biases against the Philippines already. The fact that we are not allowing them in is a sovereign prerogative recognized by the UN system,” he said.

“There’s nothing that the UN can do if we do not allow rapporteurs into our country.”

Roque’s remarks came hours after President Rodrigo Duterte told the UN General Assembly that his administration advocates “open dialogue and constructive engagement” with the UN on the issue of human rights.

However, the President said these processes “must be done in full respect of the principles of objectivity, noninterference, non-selectivity and genuine dialogue.”

Duterte also scored “interest groups” that have “weaponized” human rights to discredit his government.

“These detractors pass themselves off as human rights advocates while preying on the most vulnerable humans; even using children as soldiers or human shields in encounters. Even schools are not spared from their malevolence and anti-government propaganda,” he said.

“They hide their misdeeds under the blanket of human rights but the blood oozes through,” the President added.

In July last year, Iceland initiated the resolution passed by the United Nations Human Rights Council which agreed to set up a preliminary investigation into the human rights situation in the Philippines including the drug war.

Malacañang questioned the propriety and validity of the resolution which was not unanimously adopted.

The Palace also found the resolution an affront to the country’s sovereignty and said it was designed to embarrass the Philippines before the international community.

It also said that the drug-related killings were not state-initiated nor state-sponsored. — RSJ, GMA News