Palace hits US State Dept. human rights violations report as ‘rehashed, recycled’

Malacañang on Saturday slammed the report recently released by the US State Department which affirmed that human rights abuses allegedly committed by Philippine security forces were “credible,” calling it a rehash of old issues thrown against the Duterte administration.

“The United States has once again displayed how infirmed its intelligence gathering is with its recent claim of ‘credible’ reports of human rights violations by the Philippine government in its State Department 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,” acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said in a statement.

Andanar said the Palace considered the report “utterly devoid of bases.”

“If at all, the reports are nothing but a rehash of old and recycled issues by the perennial detractors of the Duterte administration,” he said.

Andanar reiterated that the allegations, including violations committed by law enforcement officers in the conduct of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, had all been previously addressed.

“We strongly suggest that the United States State Department validate reports that reach their office, triangulate the same with all other open and institutional sources, and put to work its political officers in the US embassy in the Philippines who can then properly verify the same with the Philippine government,” the Palace official said.

“Engaged verification is key in all this,” he said.

'Credible'

In its 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released Tuesday, the US State Department said it found reports on human rights abuses allegedly committed by Philippine security forces, including extrajudicial killings and torture, "credible."

Among the "significant" human rights issues in the Philippines that the US State Department mentioned in its 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices were:

• unlawful or arbitrary killings, including extrajudicial killings, by and on behalf of the government and nonstate actors;
• reports of forced disappearance by and on behalf of the government and nonstate actors;
• torture by and on behalf of the government and nonstate actors;
• harsh and life-threatening prison conditions;
• arbitrary detention by and on behalf of the government and nonstate actors;
• serious problems with the independence of the judiciary;
• high-level and widespread government corruption; and
• serious government restrictions on or harassment of domestic human rights organizations.

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“These actions were at times investigated and prosecuted, although there were credible allegations that charges were often leveled for political reasons,” said the US State Department.

They also concluded that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has institutional deficiencies and its Internal Affairs Service (IAS), which investigates cases involving erring policemen, was not effective.

In a statement on Thursday, the PNP — accused by human rights defenders of committing abuses in connection with the Duterte's administration's war on drugs — defended its organization and pointed out its efforts against corruption within its system.

“The PNP wishes to oppose the statement from recent report of the United States Department of State’s latest annual country reports on human rights stating that IAS remained largely ineffective,” the PNP said.

The PNP, however, added that it is not disregarding the report.

Citing the IAS' accomplishments, the PNP said 5,599 cops were dismissed from the service from July 2016 until March 30, 2022 after facing administrative charges due to grave offenses.

The PNP also said that from July 2016 to March 2022, 1,129 policemen were demoted, 10,490 were suspended, 848 faced forfeiture of salary, 2,475 were reprimanded, 208 were restricted, and privileges were withheld for 286 personnel.

“It will be unfair for the PNP to be regarded as an organization that tolerates impunity and human rights abuses,” the PNP said.

'Witch-hunt'

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier questioned the report, pointing out that without data, the accusations were just innuendo and a witch-hunt, as he speculated that the US State Department might have been a victim of black propaganda.

“But since the State Department seems so sure of its facts we challenge it to provide us with details so our [Commission on Human Rights], a constitutional and independent body, can verify them, and if proven accurate, the perpetrators will be punished,” Lorenzana said in a statement.

Amid the criticism against the security forces, Lorenzana noted that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been acknowledged as the most trusted agency of the government.

“Surely it did not earn this [trust] by abusing people,” he said.

Meanwhile, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan on Friday dared the US to cut military aid to the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte following the release of the US State Department report.

"If this is the case, why does the US continue to provide military aid to the Duterte regime? From 2016 to 2021, Philippines received some $600 million in military aid during the time of Duterte, despite the horrible human rights record of the administration," Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said in a statement. —DVM/KG, GMA News