“Yes President Duterte, this is murder.”
That was how United Nations Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard described the death of 17-year-old student, Kian delos Santos, who was killed in an anti-illegal drug operation in Caloocan City last week.
Sharing a report by the Inquirer on delos Santos’s killing, Callamard tweeted on Friday (Manila time): “Yes, Pent Duterte, this is murder. All unlawful deaths must be investigated. To stop all murderers.”
Yes, Pent Duterte, this is murder. All unlawful deaths must be investigated. To stop all murderers #Philippines https://t.co/WKKAyAE358
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) August 24, 2017
In another tweet, Callamard said that the delos Santos’ autopsy results represents “a massive, government-led, human rights crisis.”
Autopsy confirms execution of #KianDelosSantos, latest symbol of a massive, government-led, human rights crisis. https://t.co/D4X8XIpmV1
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) August 24, 2017
The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson has launched an investigation on the killing of delos Santos, who was seen on CCTV being dragged by plainclothes policemen.
However, policemen involved in the operation, Police Officer 3 (PO3) Arnel Oares, PO1 Jeremiah Pereda, and PO1 Jerwin Cruz, denied on Thursday that it was delos Santos, and instead claimed it was their asset whom they were dragging to prevent him from exposing his cover.
READ: Senators doubt cops’ claim Kian into drugs https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/9
Callamard, the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions at the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, has criticized Duterte’s war on drugs, which has claimed thousands of lives of suspected drug criminals.
The Duterte administration last year formally sent an invitation to the special rapporteur but she rejected it because of the conditions set by the government, including a public debate with Duterte. Callamard said it would contradict U.N. protocols.