“Without a doubt, what this only means is more killings, and even more impunity.”
This was the statement of human rights alliance Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay following the “asserted continuation” of the drug war that began under outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
“Despite the Commission on Human Rights’s (CHR) damning report indicting the Duterte administration for failure to protect human rights in the sham and bloody drug war, Duterte wants the incoming Marcos-Duterte administration to continue this murderous campaign,” said Palabay in a press statement issued on Tuesday, May 31.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s report showed that as of April 2022, a total of 6,248 individuals have been killed in the country’s anti-drug operations. CHR, on the other hand, disclosed that there were at least 882 drug-related cases involving 1,139 victims.
These findings, according to Palabay, are sufficient to push for investigations, including international mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The CHR’s report clearly states that justice remains elusive for the victims of the sham drug war and their families,” said Palabay, adding that the fight to defend people’s rights is now “more urgent” than ever.