De Lima urges public: Continue to fight for what is right

President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday called on the public to continue fighting for what is right amid President Rodrigo Duterte’s reported threat against human rights advocates.

“Human rights must be defended strongly now more than ever,” De Lima said in a statement.

“The latest statements of the President to the effect that he will be killing human rights activists soon and that he will pull out the country as a treaty party to the Rome Statute of the ICC (International Criminal Court) are only some of the threats coming from him at present,” she said.

Duterte said those accusing him of ordering the killing of drugs suspects should be blamed if the country’s problem on illegal drugs worsens.

READ: Duterte threatens to kill rights activists if drug problem worsens

“The human rights (defenders) said I ordered the killings. I told them ‘OK. Let’s stop. We’ll let them (drug users) multiply so that when it’s harvest time, more people will die,”’ he was quoted as saying in a speech in Malacañang last Monday night.

“I will include you because you are the reason why their numbers swell,” the President said.

De Lima said Duterte’s statements must be taken seriously.

“We cannot take these statements as mere jokes. Action must be taken to assure that the Government respects and abides by the human rights of everyone,” she said.

“We must defend those who defend human rights in this country and oppose all initiatives and actions that would make international accountability for human rights violations and abuses difficult.”

The senator said the President must not be allowed to kill human rights activists and absolve himself of their murders by pulling the country out of the ICC.

Duterte earlier threatened to withdraw the country’s membership from the ICC following criticisms over his administration’s war against illegal drugs.

READ: Duterte: I might follow Russia’s Int’l Criminal Court withdrawal

“His impunity, both in words and actions, must be put to a stop and end soon. There is no other way to do this but to continue to fight for what is right, and to defeat the great evil that now pervades in this country,” De Lima said. RAM

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