Government urged to address human rights issues

UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government must respond effectively to the repeated denunciations of the human rights situation in the country, following the crucial statement of United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights chief Michele Bachelet.

Such was the suggestion of UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard after Bachelet delivered a statement on the situation of the Philippines where the latter encouraged the Duterte administration to comply with human rights standards while carrying out its war on drugs.

“It is important that the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) takes full note of the massive human rights crisis in the Philippines and acts accordingly. This statement (of Bachelet) is a crucial step,” Callamard said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Philippine authorities must now respond effectively to the repeated denunciations of the situation in the country,” Callamard added.

Callamard said the government should respond with “independent and impartial investigations into the thousands of killings they have themselves attributed to the Philippines police and security forces.”

She also expressed concern over the “continuing absence of effective investigations” which she said “amounts to separate violations of the right to life.”

Callamard, who has criticized the Duterte administration’s brutal war on drugs in the past, urged the government to conduct “independent and impartial investigations into the killings of human rights defenders, lawyers, indigenous and land activists, and many others.”

She said the government should also develop and implement effective protection measures for those under threat.

She likewise called on local authorities to make sure that the families of victims “of arbitrary killings” be “given access to remedies.” / gsg