UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard. (Photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, clarified on Friday that her visit to the Philippines was not official. so there would be no report presented to the Human Rights Council about the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.
In a statement, Callamard said she was “rejecting information” about her visit to the Philippines, which she made to attend an academic conference. Last April 28, she said the Philippine government was informed of her unofficial visit.
Callamard was invited to the two-day forum by the Anti Death Penalty Task Force of the Free Legal Assistance Group’s (FLAG) .
The event – “Drug Issues, Different Perspectives: A Policy Forum” – was held at GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium in Quezon City.
It was organized with the Office of the Chancellor of the University of the Philippines in Diliman and the Institute of Human Rights of the UP College of Law.
Following is Callamard’s full statement:
GENEVA (5 May 2017) – The Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, has released the following statement clarifying reports in the Filipino media and rejecting misinformation about her current visit to Philippines to attend an academic conference:
I am presently visiting Philippines to participate in an academic conference on drug related issues. It is normal routine for Special Rapporteurs to visit countries to attend different conferences or events, but such activities are not official country visits.
My current stay in Philippines is not an official visit, so I will not be assessing the situation in the country, and there will be no report presented to the Human Rights Council.
I reject the statement issued today by the spokesperson’s office of President Rodrigo Duterte stating that the Philippine Government had not been informed in advance of my trip to the country.
On 28 April 2017, the Government was officially informed of my forthcoming visit to the country to take part in an academic conference on drug related issues. The Government was also informed that the trip was not an official visit.
The Government of the Philippines replied with letters dated 29 April and 1 May, acknowledging reception of my letter and reacting to the information about my upcoming academic trip. Exchanges on this matter by phone, mail and email between my mandate and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines continued until 4 May.
I also question the Philippine Government’s claim that I have not accepted the invitation to conduct an official visit to the country. Last year, I rejected the conditions imposed by the Government on the visit, as they did not comply with the rules and methods of work of Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
I look forward to a positive engagement with the Government of the Philippines on issues of interest to my mandate. I remain deeply committed to undertake an official visit to the country.
/atm