The government is determined to address any "cases of impunity" amid its commitment to uphold human rights and rule of law in the country, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said over the weekend.
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
According to Andanar, the Department of Justice (DoJ) continues to review cases of deaths from anti-drug operations and other alleged rights violations and has even partnered with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on data sharing to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of these cases.
The Justice department leads a panel that conducts a judicious review of some 5,000 drug-related police operations that resulted in deaths. Another inter-agency committee, chaired by DoJ, monitors the investigation and case build-up of cases of extrajudicial killings (EJKs), enforced disappearances, torture, and other grave rights violations.
"The recently signed Data Sharing Agreement between the DoJ and the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights (CHR) attest to the efforts of Duterte administration to engage all parties to judiciously address cases of impunity, within the country’s accountability mechanisms," Andanar said.
"These are testaments that we, in the government under the leadership of President Duterte, have always put an emphasis on resolving the country’s pressing issues, such as the proliferation of illegal drugs, while upholding our democratic foundations, human rights, rule of law, and the principles of good governance," he added.
The DoJ and the CHR agreed to strengthen cooperation in sharing data to hasten the resolution of cases of alleged extrajudicial killings. The agreement aims to aid the investigation and prosecution of cases in line with the mandate of 2012 Administrative Order No. 35 that created the inter-agency committee on EJKs.
Andanar lauded the DoJ for its commitment in resolving cases of deaths in the government's anti-drug operations. He noted that the Justice department has prioritized hundreds of cases despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
"We are confident that the DoJ report will establish that the government takes full responsibility for the accountable, transparent campaign against illegal drugs that enjoy the strong support of the Filipino people," he said.