Palace vows greater effort to promote rule of law amid low ranking

Malacañang said Tuesday that it would exert greater efforts to promote rule of law in the country.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was responding to the World Justice Project's (WJP's) Rule of Law Index which ranked the Philippines 102nd out of 139 countries, and 13th out of 15 countries in the East Asia and Pacific Region.

"We stand by what Secretary of Justice Meynard Guevarra said that we are going to exert greater efforts to uphold and promote the rule of law in the country. As he said, from where he stands, except for a few sensational cases, our crime rate went down," Roque said.

"Aside from this, the Duterte administration is addressing complaints of violation of human rights in the conduct of the police's anti-drug operations," Roque added.

In September, the International Criminal Court (ICC) pre-trial chamber found reasonable grounds to probe the Duterte administration for alleged crimes against humanity due to the systematic killing of citizens in the anti-drug war.

At least 7,000 suspects have been killed during legitimate police anti-drug operations.

Roque, however, has repeatedly said that the administration will not cooperate in the ICC investigation largely because local courts are functioning.

Also on Tuesday, Roque said that the promotion of rule of law is not only a responsibility of the Executive department.

"The Executive is only responsible for the police operations and the arrest of suspects. Another pillar of rule of law is the justice system, and so there should be no delays in delivering justice, and this can also be achieved with civil society exercising vigilance so that perpetrators of crimes will be punished," Roque added.

The Commission on Human Rights on Saturday said it has in the past "expressed concerns over the increasing deaths in the campaign against illegal drugs."

"We have, in the past, and present continued to call for stronger law enforcement cooperation with the CHR and the government’s continued action in prosecuting those responsible for suspicious deaths under the war on drugs," CHR spokesperson Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia said in a statement.

"We have, in the past, and present continued to call for stronger law enforcement cooperation with the CHR and the government’s continued action in prosecuting those responsible for suspicious deaths under the war on drugs," de Guia added. — DVM/KG, GMA News