Pubdate: Wed, 31 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 ONLY PAYING LIP SERVICE TO DRUG WAR - YASAY

The United Nations is only paying lip service to the fight against 
illegal drugs and is even prejudging the involvement of law enforcers 
in summary executions of suspected drug offenders, Foreign Affairs 
Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said on Monday.

"The UN is just making mere lip service, stymied by the most vocal 
who seem to protect the illegal drugs trade," Yasay said.

"This is the kind of frustration we must express. We must also 
understand the UN is not the solution but we must all be active 
participants," he told journalists at the Japan-ASEAN Media Forum at 
the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City.

He said the UN rapporteurs' observation regarding the prevalence of 
extrajudicial killings in the conduct of the Duterte administration's 
war on illegal drugs was based only on media reports.

The UN human rights experts, he said, "simply assumed the 
extrajudicial killings were done by the police."

"If they made request after they prejudged, that's reflective, they 
can't look at matters more objectively. It must be based on verified 
findings," Yasay said.

He said malicious and unfounded reports of human rights violations 
should not be used to bring the issue to international courts.

He expressed frustration at the world body's seeming lack of support 
for the global war on drugs.

In the ASEM Summit last month, Yasay noted the administration's 
antidrug campaign was never mentioned at all.

The DFA chief emphasized, however, the Philippines will never leave 
the UN despite the administration's disappointment with the world body.

Yasay also called on the global community to support the country's 
intensified drive against the illegal drug trade.

He said President Duterte's statement against the UN was made out of 
frustration and that he was not threatening to disengage the country 
from the UN.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom