By Raymund Antonio
Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday said the administration’s outright move to reject a United Nations probe only gives the impression that the Philippines was not taking any action on the rising number of killings in the drug war.
Vice President Leni Robredo (OVP / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Kaya may mga international organizations kasi sila iyong nagbibigay ng ayuda kung hindi kinakaya ng isang bansa. Kung wala tayong gagawin, nagbibigay tayo ng impresyon na hindi natin kayang sugpuin,” she said.
(We have international organizations because they provide aid if the country can't do it alone. If we do nothing, we give an impression we can’t solve the problem.)
“Siguro kung kaya natin itong sugpuin, hindi naman kailangang panghimasukan ng ibang bansa. Kaya kinakailangan iyong mga ganitong pagpupukaw sa atin lahat, kasi may pakiramdam na hindi—na wala tayong ginagawa,” she added.
(Maybe if we can solve it, other countries will not interfere with us. This is the reason why we need such call like this because of the feeling we are not doing anything.)
The Vice President made the comment when asked during her weekly radio show, “BISErbisyong Leni,” about Malacañang rejecting a call by some members of the UN Human Rights Council to probe the drug killings.
Just last week, Iceland submitted a draft resolution, formally calling for the UNHRC to conduct an inquiry about the matter.
The draft resolution also asked the Philippines to “take all necessary measures to prevent extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances” as well as to conduct “impartial investigations and to hold perpetrators accountable in accordance with international norms and standards including due process and the rule of law.”
Robredo expressed dismay the international community called the attention of the Philippines on the alleged human rights violations.
“Nakakapanlumo na nakahilera na tayo—ilang bansa iyong kinall iyong attention doon. Ang mga kahilera na natin, Afghanistan, Sudan, ‘di ba, iyong mga bansa na kilalang-kilala sa mga human rights violations,” she said.
(It is disheartening that some countries called our attention. We are the same like Afghanistan, Sudan, right, the countries that are known for human rights violations.)
The Vice President said the government should be open to the investigation if it did not commit any wrongdoing.
“Why do the UN, ASEAN, and European Union exist? They exist to help us, but our reaction was different,” she said in Filipino.
“When you’re accused of something, the human nature dictates to prove the accusation is wrong. But instead of disproving it, we would tell them not to interfere,” she added.