Palace says UN rapporteurs already pre-judged PH drug war
Published Jun 10, 2019 05:46 pm
By Genalyn Kabiling
Malacañang has slammed United Nations rights experts for making a conclusion on the alleged human rights violations in the country even before an investigation has been conducted.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo
(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo insisted the accusations of some UN rapporteurs about the alleged killings linked to the drug war were based on false information. "How can you be asking for an investigation when you already concluded that this country has violated certain human rights and has killed many people? So what’s the use of investigating kung may conclusion ka na, ‘di ba?" he said during a Palace press briefing. Several human rights experts recently urged the UN Rights Council to launch an independent inquiry on the supposed deterioration of human rights situation in the country. The officials, including UN rapporteur on extrajudicial executions Agnes Callamard, claimed that they have recorded a staggering number of unlawful deaths and police killings under the war on drugs as well as killings of human rights defenders. Malacañang, however, has dismissed the UN experts as "foreign propagandists masquerading as human rights protectors," saying their call for an inquiry was an "outrageous interference" of the country's sovereignty. Vice President Leni Robredo reportedly questioned the government's decision to reject the inquiry if it had nothing hide. She noted that a UN probe could be an opportunity to disprove allegations of rights violation. Panelo, however, insisted that the rights experts only presented alleged rights violations culled from false information coming the opposition and other detractors of the President. "They keep on repeating the same false narratives against this government. Moreover, as I said, those issues were specifically raised during the election campaign, and the electorate repudiated overwhelmingly," he said. "And so these rapporteurs should realize by now that iyong mga isyu na niri-raise nila hindi totoo. Ang nangyayari sinisiraan lang nila iyong mga bansa na binabanggit nila ," he said.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo(OPS / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo insisted the accusations of some UN rapporteurs about the alleged killings linked to the drug war were based on false information. "How can you be asking for an investigation when you already concluded that this country has violated certain human rights and has killed many people? So what’s the use of investigating kung may conclusion ka na, ‘di ba?" he said during a Palace press briefing. Several human rights experts recently urged the UN Rights Council to launch an independent inquiry on the supposed deterioration of human rights situation in the country. The officials, including UN rapporteur on extrajudicial executions Agnes Callamard, claimed that they have recorded a staggering number of unlawful deaths and police killings under the war on drugs as well as killings of human rights defenders. Malacañang, however, has dismissed the UN experts as "foreign propagandists masquerading as human rights protectors," saying their call for an inquiry was an "outrageous interference" of the country's sovereignty. Vice President Leni Robredo reportedly questioned the government's decision to reject the inquiry if it had nothing hide. She noted that a UN probe could be an opportunity to disprove allegations of rights violation. Panelo, however, insisted that the rights experts only presented alleged rights violations culled from false information coming the opposition and other detractors of the President. "They keep on repeating the same false narratives against this government. Moreover, as I said, those issues were specifically raised during the election campaign, and the electorate repudiated overwhelmingly," he said. "And so these rapporteurs should realize by now that iyong mga isyu na niri-raise nila hindi totoo. Ang nangyayari sinisiraan lang nila iyong mga bansa na binabanggit nila ," he said.