THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday rejected the US State Department’s assessment of the country’s human rights situation, saying that the 58-page country report was misleading and “does not reflect what is happening on the ground.”
In a statement, the DFA said the American “experts” should have first updated their references and exercised due diligence in verifying the credibility of their sources before saying that extrajudicial killings remain a serious problem in the Philippines and that there were no significant changes in the country’s human rights situation as of last year.
“We regret that this assessment does not reflect the situation on the ground, including accomplishments of the Philippine government on the human rights and good governance agenda,” it said.
“We invite the experts producing this country report to update their references, thoroughly examine their methodologies, and exercise due diligence on their sources to ensure a fair and more reliable reporting on the human rights situation in the Philippines,” it added.
The State Department report cited data from non-government organization Dahas PH which said that there were 209 killings related to the government’s anti-drug campaign from January to August 2023.
It also used data from the Commission on Human Rights, an independent government office constitutionally responsible for investigating possible human rights violations, which said that it investigated 51 new complaints of alleged extrajudicial or politically motivated killings as of July last year. The cases involved 82 victims and were allegedly perpetrated by six PNP personnel, two members of the military, seven insurgents, four civilians, and 33 unidentified persons.
The CHR also investigated 15 specifically drug-related extrajudicial killings with 18 victims, and suspected the involvement of police officers in eight of these complaints.
“Extrajudicial killings, largely by police but also by other security forces, remained a serious problem. In addition, politically motivated killings, including of journalists, were reported during the year,” the report, which covered the year 2023, said.
“There were numerous reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings by police in connection with anti-drug operations,” it added,
The DFA countered that the Marcos administration has been working from day one to address issues related to human rights and have invested in institutions and people to meet the highest standards in the pursuit of a rights-based governance agenda.
“Our human rights reform agenda stands on solid ground under the Marcos administration.
We have an unwavering commitment to democracy and promote the well-being, human rights and human dignity of the Filipino people,” it stressed.
REFORMS
In a statement, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla echoed the DFA statement and said the Marcos administration is serious in its effort to safeguard human rights in the country and to put an end to extrajudicial killings and other human rights violation.
Remulla also said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is taking all the necessary steps to hold accountable erring law enforcers involved in EJKs and other abuses.
“We guarantee that reforms are in place to change the mindset and attitude of erring law enforcers and make them responsible for their actions. We are taking all the necessary steps to strengthen the criminal justice system and hold to account the perpetrators of these violations,” Remulla said as he underscored that there are no shortcuts in enforcing peace and order.
“We remind those in charge of the administration of justice that there are no shortcuts in enforcing peace and order. It is of primordial consideration that we, as responsible State enforcers, uphold the rule of law and resolve to protect and promote human rights,” he said.
Remulla said that as the principal law agency and legal counsel of the government, the DOJ remains committed to the administration’s thrust towards a Philippines that is “safe, peaceful, and just.”
Among the extrajudicial killings cited in the report were the March 4, 2023 attack that killed Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others, the killing of 17-year old Jhemboy Baltazar last August by six Navotas police officers, as well as the killing last May of a radio commentator in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.
The country report also said that there were other significant human rights issues in the Philippines, including reports of enforced disappearances, torture or inhumane punishment by and on behalf of government, other physical abuses by non-state actors, use of child soldiers by terrorists, serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, and extensive gender-based violence, among others.
