Gov’t hit for lukewarm response to UN call to improve rights record
WAR ON DRUGS | The body of a suspected drug pusher lies along a street in Pasay City after he was killed during a buy-bust operation. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Rights groups on Tuesday scored the Philippine government for merely taking note of critical recommendations by United Nations member states to improve its human rights record, saying this lukewarm response “only confirms that rights violations are likely to continue under the Marcos administration.”
“The steps that the Marcos Jr. administration claims to be taking to resolve human rights problems are superficial. It commits only to recommendations of limited gain and which do not strike at the core problems resulting in human rights violations,” the Philippine UPR Watch said in a statement.
The group, which is composed of members from various civil and rights groups, is currently in Geneva to participate in the UN Human Rights Council’s 52nd session. On Monday (Geneva time), the body adopted the Philippines’ fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report during its 52nd session.
Among others, the report called on the Marcos government to resolve the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal detention, and torture cases during the conduct of the drug war, including its practice of Red-tagging dissidents and activists.
Of the 289 recommendations submitted by UN member states, the government accepted 215 recommendations focusing on civil and political rights, as well as economic, social, and cultural rights.
These included recommendations on improving education and strengthening the enforcement of laws against sexual abuse and exploitation of children and women, as well as tackling climate change and poverty.
On the other hand, it merely “noted” critical recommendations to rejoin the Rome Statute and to end the war on drugs, as well as to review the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and the Anti-Terrorism Act.
It did the same for recommendations to end extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal detention, torture, red-tagging and attacks on media freedom; to protect journalists and human rights defenders; and to conduct thorough and impartial investigations toward accountability and ending impunity.
