Gov't cannot, should not investigate itself over human rights situation —int’l group

The Philippine government cannot and should not investigate itself over the human rights situation in the country, an international group conducting an "independent, people-led" probe said Thursday.

"It is their own failure to protect and defend the rights of their own people. This is an exercise in holding government accountable," said Rev. Dr. Chris Ferguson, commissioner of the coalition Investigate PH.

Investigate PH was first launched in December, and globally on Thursday.

It said it aims to present its findings to the International Criminal Court (ICC), where President Rodrigo Duterte faces allegations of crimes against humanity, and a number of United Nations bodies.

The government insists it has sufficient domestic mechanisms to investigate and prosecute human rights violations, rejecting calls for outsiders to see the country's situation for themselves.

During the launch, Ferguson said there is a need for an independent investigation "simply because the government cannot and should not investigate themselves."

The office of the UN human rights chief reported in June 2020

Later that year, the government announced it has created an inter-agency panel to review deadly anti-drug police operations. It also launched a human rights summit.

Investigate PH said the response can hardly be considered sincere until the realities on the ground change.

"Until there is a clear repudiation and change of direction of... ideological support for the war on drugs, and this news of red-tagging and trying to have any movement for change and respect of rights be seen as acts of terrorism, the whole framework has to change for any kind of the response from the government to be seen as meaningful," Ferguson said.

Former Australian senator Lee Rhiannon, who is also part of the coalition, said "we've always got to remember what the people are telling us" regardless of how the government paints the situation.

"The testimonies that we’ve heard today show that whatever the words the Philippine government comes out with, the situation is not improving, it is in fact getting worse," she said.

Investigate PH said it will submit its findings in the UN Human Rights Council sessions in March, July, and September this year.—AOL, GMA News