Lacson: Callamard’s conclusion on drug war ‘high-handed, arbitrary’

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. ALEXIS CORPUZ/ INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said the conclusion of United Nations Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard that the war on drugs “does not work” was “high-handed” and “arbitrary” in the absence of an official investigation.

READ: Callamard: War on drugs doesn’t work in any country

“Sa akin, wala pa naman silang investigation; bakit may conclusion na siya ‘di tama ang ginawa ng Republika ng Pilipinas? Parang sa akin naman, medyo high-handed naman ‘yan. Pangalawa, sinasabi niya officially invited daw siya, na-inform daw ang gobyerno natin, e sabi ng Malacañang hindi,” Lacson said over radio DZBB.

(For me, they didn’t have an investigation; why does she have a conclusion saying what the Philippines did was wrong? For me, it was high-handed. Secondly, she said she was officially invited and that the government was informed, but Malacañang denied this.)

“Sino mas papaniwalaan natin? Mas papaniwalaan ko ang ating gobyerno kesa sa taong dumating na lang dito at nagsasalita na may conclusion agad even in the absence of a formal investigation,” he added.

(Who will we believe? I’ll believe our government instead of a person who just came here and made conclusions even in the absence of a formal investigation.)

In a forum at the University of the Philippines, Callamard on Friday said that a war on drugs launched by any country was bound to fail and would only worsen the problem.

READ: ‘War on drugs does not work’—UN expert

“Badly thought out, ill-conceived drug policies can foster a regime of impunity infecting the whole justice sector and reaching into whole societies, invigorating the rule of violence rather than of law; eroding public trust in public institutions; breeding fear and leading people to despair,” Callamard said, citing research by global experts.

Malacañang was caught off guard with Callamard’s unannounced visit and said that it would lodge a protest before the UN because she did not go through official channels. Callamard, however, said the government knew that she was coming.

Callamard noted that she did not go to the Philippines to conduct a UN investigation but to participate in an academic forum in a private capacity. She also attended the 30^th anniversary of the Commission on Human Rights in Quezon City.

READ: Palace knew I was coming, says Callamard

Lacson also dismissed Callamard’s statement as “unbecoming” of a UN rapporteur.

“’Yan ang sinasabi ko, masyadong arbitrary at unilateral ang kanyang conclusion kasi wala namang nangyayaring official investigation na ginagawa, bakit siya may conclusion agad. Sa akin, unbecoming ‘yan. Ikaw ang UN rapporteur tapos gagawa ka ng conclusion in the absence of any formal investigation, that’s unbecoming,” he said.

(That’s what I’m saying, her conclusion is too arbitrary and unilateral because there’s no official investigation, so why does she have a conclusion? For me, that’s unbecoming. You’re a UN rapporteur then you make conclusions in the absence of any formal investigation, that’s unbecoming.)

“E sino siya para humusga, isang tao lang siya? Dapat kung may malalimang investigation at may recommendation siyang ginawa sa UN, official dapat at kalakip doon ang ebidensya, testimonya at ano pa. ‘Di pwede pumunta ka rito sa isang araw may conclusion ka na,” Lacson added.

(Who is she to judge, she’s just one person? If there was an investigation and she made a recommendation to the UN, it should be official together with evidence, testimonies, etc. She can’t just come here one day with a conclusion.) JE

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