CHR backs Korea rights group call for PH to respect human rights

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Thursday urged the government to investigate the abduction and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo in October last year by rogue members of Philippine National Police (PNP).

In a statement, CHR said it supports the statement of  National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) chairperson Lee Sung-ho that “human rights are a matter of universal values that transcend national boundaries and borders.”

Lee also called on the Philippine government to “respect human rights and abide by the principles of due process.”

The Commission said Jee’s case was alarming in view of the revelation that the killing took place inside the PNP headquarters, an incident that only underscored the worsening culture of impunity in the country.

“Similarly, the allegation that the kidnap for ransom is linked to the drug campaign of the PNP highlights the imperative to revisit the campaign,” CHR added.

The war on drugs has become a convenient cover of rogue cops in PNP to commit crimes, such as kidnapping foreign nationals for ransom, amid the rising toll of killings in the country.

As written on PNP Guidebook on Human Rights Based-Policing, the commission reminded the PNP to “promote and protect human rights because this task lies at the very core of maintaining peace and order, ensuring public safety, and upholding the rule of law in the country.”

PNP should also “strictly adhere” the Police Operational Procedures (POP) and the United Nations Code of Conduct of Police Officers.