UN told: PH gov’t respect for human rights ‘resolute, uncompromising’

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. AFP FILE PHOTO

The Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva said the Duterte administration’s commitment to human rights is resolute and uncompromising and appealed to the international community to respect the government’s war on drugs.

Ambassador Cecilia Rebong, permanent representative of the Philippines to UN and other International Organizations handed an aide memoire to Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva on September 9 that explained the Philippines’ resolute and uncompromising commitment to human rights, rule of law and due process and the seriousness of the situation on the prevalence of drug problem in the country.

“Being a state party to eight out of nine core international human rights conventions, the Philippines’ utmost respect on human rights is resolute and uncompromising,” said ambassador Rebong, as quoted in the statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

At the opening of the 33rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, High Commissioner Al Hussein said President Rodrigo Duterte’s statements of scorn for international human rights law displays the latter’s striking lack of understanding of human rights institutions and the principles which keep societies safe.

READ: UN hits Duterte for ‘lack of understanding’ of human rights bodies

“The people of the Philippines have a right to judicial institutions that are impartial, and operate under due process guarantees; and they have a right to a police force that serves justice,” he said. “I strongly encourage the Philippines to extend an invitation to the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,” said Al Hussein.

But ambassador Rebong said the Philippine government is fully aware that “killings outside legitimate police operations are considered criminal acts and are being investigated.”

The ambassador assured the High Commissioner that the Philippine government will never tolerate any extralegal or extrajudicial killings, said the DFA statement.

The DFA also said ambassador Rebong “conveyed to the UN High Commissioner the request of the Philippine Government for support in its campaign against illegal drugs.”

The Philippine envoy also told the UN official that the government’s campaign against illegal drugs is based on the prevalent situation of use and sale of illegall drugs and increase in criminality that even involve the high government officials in the Philippines.

Rebong said Duterte was elected by 16 million Filipinos on a key platform of urgently addressing criminality, peace and order and eliminating poverty in the country.

“The campaign against illegal drugs is part of his commitment to the Filipino people. The President’s 91% approval rating signifies the Filipino people’s support for leadership in the country’s illegal drugs,” she said. RAM