The Philippine government remains committed to uphold the United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP) on human rights, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Friday, Aug. 19.
In a statement issued on Friday, Aug. 19, the DOJ said the government’s stand was declared during the Aug. 17 briefing before the diplomatic corps.
The briefing was led by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo, and Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) Undersecretary Severo Catura.
“When I took the helm of the DOJ last month, I bared plans to boost the efficiency of the country’s criminal justice system,” Remulla said during the briefing.
“Since the UNJP’s launch last year, the DOJ continued to embark on inclusive consultations on the improved functioning of the AO35 Mechanisms or the Inter-Agency Committee that addresses extra-legal killings and other grave violations of human rights,” he cited.
Remulla informed the diplomats that the DOJ has conducted a review of alleged violations committed during the conduct of anti-illegal drugs operations and disclosed that there are “several complaints for murder, perjury and planting of evidence against police officers that are currently being investigated by the prosecution offices.”
The UNJP on Human Rights was signed in July 2021 by the Philippine government and the UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines.
The DOJ said “UNJP seeks to focus on technical cooperation and capacity-building on the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.”
“Through the Programme, the Philippine government leverages its long-standing, open and constructive engagement with the UN system and external partners to support this robust national multi-stakeholder process,” it said.