CHR urges gov’t to strengthen justice system amid spate of killings

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of denying the existence of the culture of impunity in the country, the government must strengthen the criminal justice system and hold the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.

The Commission on Human Rights stressed this point Monday, urging the government to act on the cases of extrajudicial killings in the country anew.

“Now that thousands of deaths related to the ongoing campaign against illegal drugs have been documented and yet no one has been prosecuted, it clearly speaks of how the Philippine government failed to fulfill its obligation to conduct investigations, prosecute, and convict those responsible for violating human rights,” CHR said in a statement.

CHR reminded the government that waging wars against illegal drugs and acts of terrorism must be coupled with a strong drive to hold perpetrators accountable.

“Peace, order, and security of the country can only be obtained if wheels of justice are reinforced to prosecute individuals/organizations responsible for these crimes,” the commission said.

It added: “Free movement of perpetrators in the public, especially those who remain in their powerful positions and have the ability to protect themselves from prosecution, breeds not only loss of trust in justice, but also an ongoing threat and fear-mongering among the public.”

In a Senate probe into the killings of minors last month, CHR chair Chito Gascon said that out of the thousands who have died in the administration’s drug on war, only one case has reached the court so far.

CHR also revealed that the Philippine National Police denied the commission police spot reports necessary for its investigations.

It, however, remains hopeful for “constructive engagement” with the PNP in the future.

Denial of culture of impunity

CHR said these killings show that impunity persists in the country, contrary to claims of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and the PNP.

“Despite the abundance of Philippine laws that provides for the protection of human rights, impunity continues to destabilize the social, political, and economic systems which hamper the country’s development and threatens people’s democracy,” CHR said.

According to the 2017 Global Impunity Index, the Philippines has the highest level of impunity among 69 countries after scoring 75.6 points.

During a recent Al Jazeera interview, Cayetano maintained that there is no case of summary executions in the country.

PNP on Friday also said there is no case considered as an EJK as of now, hours after it recognized the death of Catanduanes-based journalist Larry Que as the sole case of EJK in the country. 

The authorities noted that Filipinos should not be worried for their lives as the possibility of being an EJK victim is “very remote, if we based it on facts and not on impression or perception.”

READ: PNP: 6,225 drug-related deaths, no extrajudicial killings

According to the latest statistics released by the PNP, there have been 6,225 drug-related deaths since July 2016.

The PNP said 3,850 have "died in police operations," suggesting these are drug suspects who engaged arresting officers in shootouts.

However, human rights groups estimate a higher death toll, with some approximations going as high as 13,000 individuals killed in the course of the administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.