MANILA – The Duterte administration will never condone impunity, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said on Monday.
Andanar dismissed as “faulty” the findings of the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR) which cited key human rights issues in the country including the war on drugs, saying that government undertakings have observed “due process”.
This, among other reasons, he said, is the reason why President Rodrigo Duterte enjoys high trust and approval ratings until now.
“Given that the OHCHR report contains faulty and inaccurate findings against the Duterte administration along with flawed recommendations, the government will continue with its policies and undertakings that sincerely promotes human rights and protect lives,” Andanar said in a statement.
He said it has never been the policy of the Duterte administration to undertake programs and measures at the expense of human rights, due process, and rule of law.
“This administration has always been for the promotion of positive changes in the life of every Filipino towards nation-building and progress for all. Furthermore, it aims to promote and uphold the due process, rule of law, and integrity that is present in all democratic institutions,” he said.
Andanar said the administration has exercised due diligence; promoted media security; maintained and advanced freedom of speech and expression, and suppressed graft and corruption.
“It has also made a lot of headway in stifling the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country through its comprehensive approach in its anti-illegal drugs campaign. All these stated undertakings have provided tantamount benefits and progress towards societal development that no one is able to deny,” he said.
He, however, vowed to continue to “constructively” engage with the OHCHR in providing facts and being transparent.
Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque rejected the report, noting that the government respects the Filipino people’s human rights.
“We firmly reject these conclusions. That being said, the government will continue to respect its international legal obligations, including human rights,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
Roque said the UN OHCHR’s conclusions on the supposed crackdown on critical advocates is belied by its own findings that the “Philippines has a long-standing, robust tradition of human rights advocacy and civil society activism, with 60,000 registered non-governmental organizations”.
He said the UN OHCHR has even cited the Philippines’ efforts in improving the administration of justice, the provision of treatment and rehabilitation for drug users, and the millions spent for social and economic development programs under initiatives for sustainable peace in conflict-ridden areas.
To date, various degrees of penalty for administrative cases arising from involvement in criminal activity, and violation of rules and regulations were meted against abusive and corrupt policemen and officials involved in the anti-illegal drugs operation.
In its report on the situation of human rights in the Philippines, the UN OHCHR claimed that there is a “widespread and systematic killing of thousands of alleged drug suspects” since the drug war was launched in 2016.
The report also took note of alleged red-tagging of individuals or groups as communists or terrorists as having posed a serious threat to civil society and freedom of expression. (PNA)
