Gamboa downplays UN report

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PNP chief Archie Gamboa yesterday downplayed a recent United Nations Human Rights Office report that denounced the government’s campaign against illegal drugs and criticized the world body for accusing government of committing human rights abuses in the war against drugs.

During the Laging Handa press briefing, Gamboa acknowledged the campaign against illegal drugs was “really very relentless” at the start of the Duterte administration in 2016, saying the “priority then was to stop the demand.”

“It evolved to supply reduction. Our campaign against illegal drugs evolved and of course this is under the auspices of the Philippine Anti-Drug Strategy which is being supervised by the DDB (Dangerous Drugs Board),” added Gamboa.

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Statement attributable to the Office of UN High Commissioner for ...
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Last week, the UN-HRO detailed long-standing concerns about the Duterte government’s crackdown on drug offenders. It said some 8,663 people have been killed since the government campaign against illegal drugs began four years ago.

“A heavy-handed focus on countering national security threats and illegal drugs has resulted in serious human rights violations in the Philippines, including killings and arbitrary detentions, as well as the vilification of dissent,” the UN-HRO report said.

“We follow the procedure in doing all of these things,” said Gamboa, referring to the established protocols.

He, however, acknowledged that some policemen committed infractions in the fight against illegal drugs and said charges have been filed against them.

“But of course the UN has their own opinion. I don’t know from what facts they have based their report. We have black and white to support our stand that our campaign has been relentless but we observed always the rights of the people,” said Gamboa.

“Under the operation of the PNP since 2016, we operated at the auspices of the 1987 Constitution and the Bill of Rights are right there which the PNP have aptly observed,” the PNP chief also said.

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