Pubdate: Fri, 19 Aug 2016
Source: Philippine Star (Philippines)
Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016
Contact:  http://www.philstar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622
Author: Pia Lee-Brago

UN URGES GOV'T: STOP EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS

The United Nations yesterday urged the Philippine government to put 
an end to the current wave of extrajudicial killings in the context 
of an intensified campaign against crime and the drug menace.

Two UN human rights experts said "allegations of drug trafficking 
offenses should be judged in a court of law, not by gunmen on the streets."

The Philippine National Police reported yesterday that over 1,600 
drug suspects have been killed since Duterte assumed power, with 665 
attributed to PNP members and the rest to vigilantes.

"We call on Philippine authorities to adopt with immediate effect the 
necessary measures to protect all persons from targeted killings and 
extrajudicial executions," said new UN special rapporteur on summary 
executions Agnes Callamard.

"Claims to fight the illicit drug trade do not absolve the government 
from its international legal obligations and do not shield state 
actors or others from responsibility for illegal killings," Callamard stressed.

The official added that the state has a legally binding obligation to 
ensure the right to life and security of every person in the country, 
whether suspected of criminal offenses or not.

Meanwhile, UN special rapporteur on the right to health Dainius Puras 
said responses to the illicit drug trade must be carried out in full 
compliance with national and international obligations and should 
respect the human rights of each person.

Puras said drug dependency "should be treated as a public health 
issue and justice systems that decriminalize drug consumption and 
possession for personal use as a means to improve health outcomes."

During the election campaign and his first days in office, Duterte 
repeatedly urged law enforcement agencies and the public to kill 
suspected drug traffickers and users.

The UN noted that Duterte was also reported as promising impunity for 
such killings and bounties for those who turn in drug dealers "dead or alive."

"Directives of this nature are irresponsible in the extreme and 
amount to incitement to violence and killing, a crime under 
international law. It is effectively a license to kill," Callamard said.

The UN expert on summary executions warned that "intentional lethal 
use of force is only allowed when strictly unavoidable in order to 
protect life and should not be used for common policing objectives."

The special rapporteurs welcomed recent reports saying the President 
is now publicly condemning vigilante justice and calling on all 
authorities to take a clear and public stance against it.

They, however, underscored that it is not enough.

"Incentives to violence such as bounties or the promise of impunity 
also seriously contravene the rule of law and must end," the experts said.

"All allegations of killings and extrajudicial executions must be 
promptly and thoroughly investigated. Perpetrators and instigators 
must be sanctioned without exception," they said.

On Wednesday, President Duterte scored the UN for hitting his 
aggressive anti-drug campaign.

He complained that the organization is zeroing in on his 
administration's drug campaign when it was quiet on mass killings in 
other countries.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom