President allows UN rights body to set up office in Manila

MALACAÑANG PHOTO

Fed up with allegations of extrajudicial killings, President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he would invite the UN human rights commission to open an office in the country so its personnel could join and monitor police antidrug operations.

“They will assign personnel in every (police) station … Station commanders will be told, ‘Do not operate without the human rights commission of the United Nations,’” the President told reporters in Caloocan City.

Mr. Duterte made the statement after visiting the wake of Caloocan policeman Junior Hilario, who was killed in an antidrug operation.

He said the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) would not be abolished and would just be on “standby” with CHR Chair Jose Luis “Chito” Gascon still heading the agency.

The President also said he had declared Sept. 21 a “Day of Protest” so that those with grievances could air them in the streets.

He said it was not a public holiday but there would be no classes in schools and government offices would be closed.

“All of those who would like to protest against the police, the military or everything, you can go down,” he said.

“We will also protest. We in government and I will because our are salaries are low. We have no equipment. We have no allowance. Let us protest to our government,” he added.

The President said even communist rebels could come down from the mountains and join the protest.

“I will not arrest you. But do not …. commit crimes, he added.”