MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said evidence is still needed to prove that there are human rights violations in the Duterte administration’s drug war, which supposedly resulted in the killing of some 5,942 people nationwide.
“Kasama po iyon sa usapin ng human rights, kailangan makita kung ano ang pieces of evidence na nagsasabi na may mga violations ng human rights,” PNP spokesman Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana said over Unang Hirit when asked if police force will show proof that there are no human rights violations reported in the crackdown on illegal drugs.
Usana issued this reaction in the wake of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Office of the Prosecutor’s report which found a reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity were committed in the bloody drug war.
The international court said some individuals were subjected to ill-treatment and abuses before being murdered by state actors and unidentified assailants.
The ICC report also showed that in at least a few incidents, law enforcers raped women who were apparently targeted because of their personal relationships to individuals reportedly involved in the drug trade.