De Lima: UNHRC resolution absolves gov't of crimes against humanity

The resolution recently adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) failed to take concrete action against the summary killings in the country, detained Senator Leila de Lima said Saturday.

De Lima lamented that the resolution that could have strengthened human rights and accountability mechanisms in the country was instead “tantamount to absolving a murderous regime of its crimes against humanity.”

“Hindi matitigil ng malabnaw at mababaw na mga hakbang ang laganap na karahasang ipinaiiral ng mga lasing sa kapangyarihan… It has been more than four years and Duterte’s bloodlust has still not been satiated,” she said in a statement.

The senator said that hundreds of attacks had been carried out “with brazen impunity” against government critics, activists, and human rights defenders while more than 20,000 murders have taken place since 2016.

A Philippine government report in 2017 referred to 16,355 “homicide cases under investigations” as accomplishments in the drug war.

“Do we really expect this regime to stop the carnage and submit to technical cooperation and capacity building programs to promote the rights that it has been blatantly violating? No, we cannot tame a rabid mass murderer that is Duterte,” she said.

On Wednesday, the UNHRC adopted a resolution asking UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet to support the Philippines in fulfilling its international human rights obligations—not an independent probe.

“We should therefore confront this issue tenaciously, with the goal of disarming and dismantling all the tools and evil mechanisms which promote violence and impunity,” De Lima said.

The senator reiterated the call for an independent international probe.

“We need to be more vigilant and well-informed in order not to be swayed by the deceptions and lies of government operators who curry favor with Duterte for selfish political interests. We vigorously assert our call for an independent international probe into the human rights crisis that continues to wreak havoc in our country,” she said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Thursday said the Philippines would cooperate with the UNHRC resolution.  — DVM, GMA News