‘No failure of criminal justice system in PH’, asserts Lacson

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said there is no failure in the Philippines’ criminal justice system, as he firmly rejects the Iceland resolution recently adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that calls for scrutiny of the human rights situation in the Philippines. 

Lacson, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, asserted that the government is doing appropriate measures to address concerns about the Duterte administration’s drug war.

“Meron tayong kaukulang aksyon na ginagawa. Ang masama kung state-sponsored ang namamatay tapos wala man lang. Ang Senado at HOR (House of Representatives) nag-investigate, ang korte nag-imbestiga at NBI  (National Bureau of Investigation) nagimbestiga,” Lacson said in an interview over radio station DZBB. 

“Walang failure ng criminal justice system. Nagfa-function naman. Bakit tayo papayag na may makikialam?” the senator added.

But Lacson acceded that the government may submit reports to the international rights body that should include the government’s “corrective and preventive measures” on issues related to the implementation of the campaign against illegal drugs.

READ: Give PH report to UN body but don’t let probers in, says Lacson

“Kailangan natin if at all at most, kung mag-submit tayo ng report, i-cite lahat na corrective measures, remedial measures ng gobyerno, ‘di lang corrective, pati rin preventive measures. Maraming na-dismiss na pulis tungkol sa anti-drug war ng Presidente,” Lacson said. 

The resolution submitted by Iceland last July 4 to the UNHRC sought a “comprehensive written report” on the human rights situation in the Philippines, including the drug war.

On July 11, UNHCR voted to adopt the resolution – 18 affirmative, 14 negative, 15 abstention.

READ: Greater scrutiny on PH killings gets UN rights council’s nod

READ: HOW NATIONS VOTED: UN draft resolution on human rights situation in PH

/kga