Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), has vowed to support the United Nation’s program to promote human rights-based approach in combatting terrorism and illegal drugs in the country.

The United Nation’s Joint Programme on Human Rights is the first ever UN joint programme in the country, according to Un Philippines Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzales.

Gonzales said the move is aimed at putting together the capacities and resources of the UN in support of a wide range of national institutions and Eleazar conveyed “ full commitment to the program.

“Now is the time to reset, to rebuild and recover better, guided by a strong commitment to human rights. The new UN joint programme is expected to contribute to such national endeavor,” said Gonzales in a statement released on Tuesday, June 29.

He explained that theUN joint programme is in line with Human Rights Council Resolution 45/33, adopted in October last year, which “reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of the Philippines to engage actively with the international community to address human rights challenges facing the country. It calls for technical cooperation and capacity-building for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Philippines.”

The UN official said that they met with Eleazar whom he said, appreciate the UN’s commitment to cooperate with the Philippine government.

He quoted Eleazar saying that the PNP has opened its office to any queries on human rights from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

In previous interviews, Eleazar was repeatedly quoted saying that the PNP has nothing to hide and nothing to fear about investigations on alleged human rights violations in the conduct of drug war since 2016.

Eleazar was also praised for turning over at least 61 cases of police operations which both the Department of Justice and the PNP deemed to have breached the Police Operational Procedure in running after illegal drugs personalities.

The Philippine government has been criticized for its bloody drug war, with more than 6,000 illegal drugs personalities killed since 2016. There were also allegations that thousands more were killed by vigilante groups.

Gonzales said the UN joint programme will strengthen cooperation between the Government and non-government organizations, in order to protect civic space, adding that It will also reinforce the Government’s engagement with international human rights mechanisms.

“The UN joint programme will support the Government’s efforts to combat terrorism, applying a human rights-based approach, and supporting the CHR (Commission on Human Rights) in monitoring compliance in the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020,” said Gonzales.

“At the same time, it will apply a human rights-based approach in combatting illegal drugs, including through alternatives to detention, alleviating prison overcrowding and long pre-trial detention,” he added.

Aside from the PNP, the UN joint programme is being co-implemented by the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Presidential Human Rights Committee, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Anti-Terrorism Council and the CHR. Civil Society Organizations, as well as the Academia, will also be core partners in the implementation of the programme.

Four UN agencies, including the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (UNOHCHR), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Office on Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), are part of the technical cooperation.

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