UN special rapporteur on EJKs to arrive in PH on Feb. 6

MANILA, Philippines — A United Nations (UN) special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions is geared to arrive in the country on Feb. 6 to shed light on human rights issues, including the extrajudicial killings in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody drug war.

Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, who is also a renowned forensic pathologist, is set to visit the Philippines until Feb. 9 after being invited by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as part of its capacity building under the United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP).

READ: UN special rapporteur on EJKs to visit PH on government’s invitation

“I invited Dr. Tidball-Binz because his work speaks for itself. His missions and projects have had an immeasurable impact on the countries he has helped,” said Remulla in a statement.

“He has provided closure for families of victims of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances. We are hoping for the same when he visits the Philippines,” he added.

Remulla also made it clear that Dr. Tidball-Binz is not coming as a Special Rapporteur but as an expert in the field of forensic pathology, adding that “he is coming in his capacity as an expert in the field to help capacitate our current doctors.”

“We need more capable doctors in our country to assist our law enforcement agencies in their work. This is an enormous step towards that goal,” said Remulla.

Once he arrives, Tidball-Binz is expected to meet with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director-General Moro Virgilio Lazo, Philippine National Police Chief Rodolfo Azurin, as well as National Bureau of Investigation Director Medardo De Lemos.

According to the Department of Justice, Tidball-Binz is a well-renowned forensic doctor who pioneered the application of forensic science to human rights investigations for disappearances in Argentina.

As a co-founder of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, they also developed certain scientific methods to apply to the investigation of human rights and humanitarian violations.

In 2004, he joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the only humanitarian organization that has forensic capacity used exclusively for humanitarian purposes.

He assisted in the creation of the ICRC Forensic Unit and served as the Director until 2017 then proceeded to head the forensic operation for the Humanitarian Project Plan.

On April 1, 2021, Dr. Tidball-Binz was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions.

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