The Philippines today hit back strongly at a group of mostly European countries over their renewed criticism of its human rights record, telling them to respect Manila’s domestic processes.
“We take grave exception to the sweeping and politicized statement delivered by Iceland on behalf of a group of States,” the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva said in a strongly-worded response during the general debate at the 36th Session of the Human Rights Council on Wednesday.
In the joint statement delivered by Iceland, the 39 countries including the United States and the United Kingdom, expressed concern about what they said were the “thousands of killings” and the alleged climate of impunity associated with the Philippine Government’s ongoing campaign against illegal drugs.
In Washington, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano lamented the criticism, saying this was based on biased and questionable information and failed to appreciate Manila’s willingness to work with the international community on human rights issues.
“It is very unfortunate that instead of engaging us constructively, some western countries would rather criticize and impose conditions as if they can do a better job than the Philippine Government in protecting the Filipino people,” Secretary Cayetano said.
The Secretary took exception to the insistence of several countries that Manila allow UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard to investigate the reported cases of extra-judicial killings and other alleged human rights abuses in the Philippines.
“We have repeatedly expressed our readiness to allow experts from the international community to look into the human rights situation in the country on the condition that they are fair and independent,” Secretary Cayetano said.
He said independent experts can help guarantee a credible outcome of any investigation that would be conducted, unlike Special Rapporteur Callamard who he said had already prejudged the Philippine Government as guilty of committing human rights violations.
In Geneva, Philippine Permanent Representative Evan Garcia said the states that signed the statement also failed to take into consideration the commitment Manila made during the adoption in Geneva on Friday of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on the Philippines.
Ambassador Garcia said the Philippines had actually committed to implement recommendations from other countries that Manila only initially noted, after the completion of the necessary legislative and other domestic processes.
“It is very regrettable that some still do not grasp the full import of the deadly connections between illegal narcotics and terrorism, and of the threat that narco-politics poses to our national security and the very fabric of our society,” Ambassador Garcia said.
“Our recent UPR showed the whole world our record in the human rights field. Our accomplishments were well recognized,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it still appears that some parties refuse to understand certain aspects of our human rights efforts. So let us be clear. There is no culture of impunity in the Philippines,” Ambassador Garcia said.
“The Philippines will always be happy to accept the help of our foreign friends but we will never accept dictation on how we are managing our own internal domestic processes,” Ambassador Garcia added.
In exercising its right to reply to the joint statement, the Philippine Mission in Geneva said it had addressed the matters raised extensively and in detail during previous Council sessions and the recent UPR and country briefings.
“My country’s history and record speaks for itself,” Philippine Deputy Permanent Representative Maria Teresa Almojuela said. “Any State, Iceland included, tarnishes that record by presuming to teach us about rights, especially the right to life, without basis or justification, and contrary to the lofty objectives and aspirations of this Council.”
“It is ironic that many of these States joining the statement are the very same States that are the sources of arms, bombs, machines and mercenaries that maim, kill and massacre thousands of people all over the world, not only during their colonial past, but even up to today,” she pointed out.
“These are also the same States that trumpet the right to life, but would at the same time, flaunt their disrespect for the rights of the unborn,” Ambassador Almojuela added.
Unlike some states that joined Iceland, Ambassador Almojuela said the Philippines actually has a functioning and independent Commission on Human Rights that is also fully compliant to the Paris Principles.
“There is no culture of impunity in the Philippines. We have internal mechanisms to investigate all law enforcement operations that lead to deaths,” she said.
According to Ambassador Almojuela, while the Philippines lacks advanced forensic investigation equipment, it seriously investigates documented allegations of human rights violations.
She said authorities have filed criminal and administrative cases against abusive police officials, including officers allegedly involved in the deaths of minors, and have even relieved the entire Caloocan City police force to facilitate the unhampered investigation of alleged human rights violations.
She said human rights defenders could also freely and safely exercise their work, including intervening in the sessions of the Human Rights Council.
Despite the criticism, Ambassador Almojuela said the Philippines will continue to engage in genuine and constructive dialogue on the remaining concerns and challenges in the field of human rights.
The other countries that supported the joint statement are Australia; Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Canada; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia; Malta; Moldova; Montenegro; Norway; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; The Netherlands and Ukraine. (DFA-PR)
