CHR: Harsher drug war trivializes lives lost

MANILA, Philippines–A harsher drug war, as promised by President Rodrigo Duterte, trivializes the suffering of families of drug war victims and insults their memories, especially since the drug trade in the country doesn’t seem to be waning, the Commission on Human Rights said.

In a statement on Thursday night, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said that while the commission has supported the administration’s effort to eradicate drugs in the country, it continued to disapprove of the methods used.

“With the thousands that have already been killed because of this campaign, ‘harsh’ is an understatement and a trivialization of the lives that were lost—it is irreversible and the suffering of families of victims can be lifelong,” De Guia said.

De Guia was reacting to Mr. Duterte’s latest pronouncement that the drug war would be “harsher” in the coming days.

However, the CHR said that while the drug issue needed to be addressed, the government would do well to remember that it was still bound to the rule of law, and that it’s methods should not result in loss of lives.—PATRICIA DENISE M. CHIU