Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla has assured the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) that the Philippines will not tolerate denial of justice and human rights violations.
Remulla’s assurance was aired last Monday, Nov. 14, in Geneva, Switzerland during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Philippines that was conducted by the UNHRC.
“We will dispel the mistaken notion that there is a ‘culture of impunity’ in our country. We will not tolerate the denial of justice nor any violation of human rights,” he said in his speech.
Among the concrete actions the government has taken in its quest to reform the justice system, Remulla cited the investigation of the killing of broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” C. Mabasa.
“In the recent case of journalist ‘Percy Lapid,’ we were able to take resolute and pro-active action, upon the express directive of the President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., himself. In 17 days, we completed the investigation, case build-up and filing of charges against a high-ranking government official, the first in decades. In the process, we uncovered a deeply-rooted criminal enterprise inside the corrections pillar – another pillar of our justice system,” he told the UNHRC.
Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Q. Bantag and several others are facing murder charges before the DOJ over the deaths of Mabasa and New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Cristito Villamor Palana, also known as Jun Globa Villamor, who has been tagged as one of the “middlemen” who hired the killers of the slain broadcaster.
Remulla said the government also discovered 176 unclaimed and abandoned cadavers of NBP inmates at a funeral home in Muntinlupa City.
Because of this, Remulla told the UNHRC he has “directed the conduct of an inventory and medico-legal investigation” with the aim “to determine the causes of their deaths with the end view of making legally accountable those found responsible for these mysterious deaths.”
Remulla said the DOJ Review Panel also continues “to re-examine incidents during the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign” and, among the 302 cases it referred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for case build-up, recently there have been “at least seven incidents involving deaths were filed before the courts, for which 25 police officers have been indicted.”
“The Philippine National Police conducted its own investigations of 17,500 officers in which 27 were dismissed from service, 18 were demoted and 98 suspended. Criminal charges were also filed,” he cited.
“Nine additional cases will be filed with the Administrative Order 35 Mechanism that looks into allegations of extra-judicial killings. This is a fruit of enhanced, secure, and open dialogue I have personally made with civil society leaders who previously did not wish to come forward,” Remulla said.
He also told UNHRC that the DOJ and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have been working closely through the Justice Sector Coordinating Council, a mechanism for effective coordination and sharing of information, planning, and implementation of joint initiatives and judicial reform.
“We are reinforcing the cooperation and coordination of the prosecution and law enforcement. Proactive case build-up will ensure the quality of cases that reach the courts, thereby increasing the chances of success in prosecution, and ensuring certainty of punishment. Truly, the best recipe in the deterrence against criminality,” he said.
At the same time, Remulla said the government is also decongesting its prisons consistent with its Regionalization of Prisons Act with plans underway for the transfer from the NBP of the maximum security prison to Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro; the medium security prison to Tanay, Rizal; and the minimum security prison to Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.
“In September and October this year, we released 728 persons deprived of their liberty (PDLs), many of whom had already served their sentences. I am personally committed to continuing regular releases and aim to have 5,000 released by June next year,” he cited.
Aside from reforms in the justice system, Remulla said President Marcos Jr. has “outlined an expansive governance and development program, focusing on agriculture, agrarian reform, health, education, infrastructure, energy, social welfare and development, overseas employment, and climate change impacts” as well as initiated sound fiscal management and reforms in taxation “to ensure that all Filipinos have equal access to food, adequate housing, work, health, education, and a healthy environment.”
He then cited the investments made by the administration of President Marcos to promote and maintain economic, social and cultural rights.
Among these investments, he said, are: “The ₱8 billion (US$138 million) to the Department of Agriculture as subsidy for millions of farmers; ₱7.68 billion (US$132.4 million) for the Department of Social Welfare and Development for 4 million cash transfer beneficiaries, including people in crisis situations and for the Covid virus pandemic, and for 153,000 emergency shelters for typhoon victims;
“₱584.5 million (US$10 million) for the Department of Labor and Employment to assist 16,526 victims of the Magnitude 7 earthquake in Northern Luzon and 74,333 victims of Super typhoon Noru in July and September of this year, respectively; ₱529.2 million (US$9.12 million) for the Department of Health’s Cancer Assistance Fund to extend financial help to needy cancer patients;
“₱925 million (US$15.95 million) for the Department of Education as cash support for 925,178 teachers; and ₱250.4 million (US$4.32 million) for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the clean-up and rehabilitation of polluted river systems in Luzon.”
Also, Remulla said, the Marcos administration has established a dedicated Department for Migrant Workers as part of its advocacy for human rights and welfare of migrant workers.
He stressed that the Philippines remains committed to fight human trafficking as shown with its continued Tier 1 status in United States’ annual Trafficking in Persons Report and the recent signing of the Online Anti-Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children Act.
“Consistent with our treaty obligations under UN conventions, we continue to protect refugees, stateless persons, and persons of concern. The Philippines hosts Rohingya refugees and provides them free tertiary education under the Complementary Pathway program. We continue to actively consider and discuss with partners, such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the United States, possible means to temporarily host other persons at risk,” he also assured.
Remulla heads the Philippine delegation in Geneva with Philippine UN Permanent Representative Evan P. Garcia, Justice Undersecretary Jesse H. T. Andres, Justice Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez, Undersecretary Severo S. Catura of the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS), and other officials DOJ, Department of Foreign Affairs, PHRCS, and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations in Geneva.
The UPR, which started in 2007 pursuant to the UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251 of 2006, is a state-led review process of all 193 UN member states’ implementation of human rights obligations through a constructive dialogue among states and other stakeholders, including national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations.
The Geneva meeting is the fourth UPR cycle for the Philippines. The previous meeting were in 2008, 2012, and 2017.
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