CHR hopes Duterte administration can curb abuses in drug war

This photo, taken in September 2017, shows three police officers accused of killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos appearing for their preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice. From left: PO1 Jerwin Cruz, PO3 Arnel Oares and PO1 Jeremias Pereda. Judge Rodolfo Azucena Jr. of Caloocan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 125 found them guilty of murder in November 2018. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) hopes the Duterte administration will “utilize all means to exact accountability from all perpetrators” of abuses in its war on drugs.

“With this recognition and admission of the existence of abuses, we are hopeful that the administration will utilize all means to exact accountability from all perpetrators,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement on Tuesday.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police and military to “reasses” their operations in the war against illegal drugs and criminality.

READ: Duterte orders cops, soldiers to ‘reasses’ anti-illegal drug operations

He gave the order after three police officers were convicted for the murder of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos during an anti-drug operation in August 2017.

READ: 3 policemen guilty of killing Kian delos Santos — court

While the CHR welcomed the President’s recent directive to law enforcers, it stressed that given the “susceptibility to human rights violations” of the anti-illegal drug campaign, it was the duty of the administration “to rectify the approach and method being employed in addressing the said problem.”

The CHR also expects that Duterte’s recent order would ensure that police and military forces will “truly embody the laws they seek to enforce and re-imbibe their sworn duty to serve and protect the rights of the people at all times.”

“For a long term solution, social ills such as poverty, inequality, lack of education, etc., must be addressed to tackle the root causes of the problems simultaneous with effective law enforcement,” De Guia said. /atm