Lacson: Philippines can manage sans UNHRC intervention

MANILA, Philippines— The Philippines can manage without the intervention of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Senator Panfilo Lacson said Friday.

On Thursday, the 47-member body adopted an Iceland-led resolution, calling for a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines.

Eighteen countries voted for the resolution, 14 rejected it – including the Philippines and China – and 15 nations abstained from voting.

READ: Greater scrutiny on PH killings gets UN rights council’s nod

But Lacson, in a Twitter post,  noted: “We have a functioning criminal justice system that deals with erring law enforcers. We regularly provide our Human Rights Commission the budget they need to perform their mandate.”

“Obviously, we can manage without the intervention of the UN Human Rights Council,”  added the senator, who currently chairs the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs.

Senate Vicente  “Tito” Sotto III, meanwhile, talked about losing one’s human rights vis-a-vis illegal drugs.

“When you sell illegal drugs and destroy lives (and) families, you lose your human rights!” Sotto said in separate Twitter post.

Opposition senators, however, welcomed the UNHRC’s  move.

READ: Opposition senators hail UN probe on human rights issues in Philippines

Instead of imputing malice on a “legitimate” action of the  UN rights council, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon urged the Philippine government to show “statesmanship and maturity” by keeping an open mind on the investigation.

“We should allow the investigation to take place. The government must cooperate,” Drilon said in a separate statement.

“We cannot simply ignore it, because we are part of it and the government is legally and constitutionally mandated to honor our treaty obligations,” he said.  /muf