MANILA, Philippines -- A thorn out of Malacañang's side?

The Philippines was no longer on the itinerary of United Nations (UN) official Philip Alston who was preparing to visit other countries before wrapping up his tenure as special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Leila de Lima said.

De Lima said Alston told her he was going to end his tenure in 2010 during their 40-minute, private and informal discussion in Geneva, Switzerland last week, following the UN Human Rights Council meeting.

"He said, 'Too bad I won't be back in the Philippines because my term is about to end next year and I need to visit other countries [and[ not anymore the Philippines'," De Lima told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) in a recent interview.

De Lima said the follow-up report on the Philippine situation Alston issued last April would be his last on the country.

It was as scathing as the first report he submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in 2008, saying that the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo failed to institute substantive reforms he recommended two years ago to put a stop to extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

Presidential legal counsel Raul Gonzalez, then the justice secretary, called Alston a "mere muchacho" (a minor functionary) of the UN who should not be given importance during the latter's investigation in the country in 2007.

Alston was appointed to his post by the UN Commission on Human Rights on July 13, 2004.

De Lima, however, said Alston told her that he would "continue monitoring" the human rights situation in the Philippines.

"He took note of the dramatic drop in the figures [of extrajudicial killings]. He said so in his verbal report in the Human Rights Council but government should have more resolve especially in the area of prosecution," De Lima said.

In their private meeting, De Lima said Alston encouraged the CHR to continue its investigation into the so-called Davao Death Squad.

They also discussed the murder of a communist rebel leader’s daughter, Rebelyn Pitao, in Davao City and the CHR charter pending before Congress.

De Lima said Alston maintained his stance that standby prosecutorial powers for the CHR might diminish its independence and stature as the independent monitor of all government actions.

"I explained that the standby prosecutorial power of the CHR was sort of a compromise provision instead of delaying its passage... Alston said either way, it would compel or encourage timidity from their [government proscutorial agencies] part because there's the CHR to take care of it, although I think he was also enlightened," de Lima said.