Human rights violation not part of ASEAN meeting on anti-illegal drugs, says Barbers

There were no discussions on alleged human rights violations in connection with the Duterte administration's war on drugs during the meeting of ASEAN lawmakers on combatting illegal drugs, said Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Thursday.

"It was never discussed. No discussion of human rights," Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, told reporters during the post-event media briefing of the 13th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Fact-Finding Committee to Combat the Drug Menance held in Pasay City.

Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Barbers, who also chaired the conference, said lawmakers from the member-states mainly exchanged ideas and ways to resolve the drug problem in their respective countries.

"We focused mainly on the information sharing, the intelligence gathering, the best practices employed by different ASEAN member-countries in solving the problem of drugs. These are the focal points of the conference," he said.

"Unfortunately, there was no discussion on human rights," he added.

Barbers explained that member-states have their own problems with human rights.

"Let me state that the human rights violations happening (in the country) was never upon the orders of the President. It was never a direct order coming from the President," Barbers said.

"I don't see any reason why we should connect the issue of human rights to the campaign of the Duterte administration against drugs," he added.

Anti-Drug Campaign:

In his welcome remarks, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez urged the participant-lawmakers to support the Duterte administration's campaign against illegal drugs.

"We stand firmly with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in the war against illegal drugs. He has called on the leaders of ASEAN member-states during the 30th ASEAN Summit to join him in this campaign," said Alvarez, who also sits as AIPA president.

"I take this opportunity to urge you to do the same. With political will and cooperation, we will dismantle the massive illegal drug trade apparatus," he said.

At the end of the conference, Barbers said the ASEAN lawmakers may be inclined to follow the practices employed by the Philippines in curbing illegal drugs.

"The template that they may copy is that the template that the Philippines has implemented," he said.

According to Barbers, the important features of Duterte's anti-drug campaign are the naming of drug personalities, the dismantling of shabu laboratories and the arrest of the persons involved, and the Oplan Tokhang and Double Barrel.

"One way or another, they would try to emulate and copy the effective strategies the country has implemented," he said.

AIPA Secretary General Isra Sunthonvut from Thailand said it is important for ASEAN countries to share experiences in dealing with the drug problem.

"We learn from each other, we take the good or bad. What works in the Philippines might not work for Thailand, what works in the Thailand might not work for the Philippines," Sunthornvut said.

"But as long as we're serious in this fight, and as long as there are examples for us to adopt, then I think let's all support it," he added.

Though government officials have lauded Duterte's anti-drug campaign for putting thousands of drug dealers behind bars and crediting it for a drop in the incidence of crime, a growing chorus of critics —  human rights activists, lawyers and the Catholic Church — dispute the claims of success.

Thousands, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since the campaign started last year. — BAP/KVD, GMA News