Pangilinan hopes UN resolution will convince gov’t to ‘rethink’ drug war policy
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis Pangilinan urged the government on Thursday to heed the call of the draft resolution directing the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to look into the human rights situation in the Philippines.
The Senator expressed hopes that the government would “rethink” its policies on illegal drugs.
“We urge the government to heed the call of the resolution of the United Nations Human Rights Council which also calls on it to cooperate with UN offices and mechanisms by facilitating country visits and ‘refraining from all acts of intimidation or retaliation,'” Pangilinan said in a statement.
“We hope this resolution will convince the Executive department, the AFP and the PNP, and leaders of both Houses of Congress to rethink its drug war policy and find real, long-lasting solutions to the drug menace that places a premium on respect for human life,” the Senator added.
Pangilinan also stressed that the “daily killings” do not solve the country’s drug problem and fail to hold drug syndicates accountable.
The Senator also called for the Supreme Court to act on the ‘tokhang cases’ that remain pending before the High Court.
Article continues after this advertisement“Long after the Duterte administration is gone, we will all be judged as to where we stood as the mass murder of our hapless poor was taking place in our country,” Pangilinan said.
Article continues after this advertisement‘Thank you’
A total of 18 UNHRC member states voted in favor of the resolution. Pangilinan thanked these countries for their concern on the human rights situation in the Philippines.
“Thank you Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, UK Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Uruguay for caring about the thousands of our poor countrymen who have been killed in the Philippine government’s deadly war on drugs,” he said.
“These countries have called for the Philippine government to ‘take all necessary measures to prevent extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, to carry out impartial investigations and to hold perpetrators accountable in accordance with international norms and standards, including due process and the rule of law,'” he added. /ee
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