Roque: HRW ‘blind,’ ‘deaf’ to gov’t efforts vs police abuse
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the HRW is “simply off track” in saying that the Philippine government has not made genuine efforts to seek accountability on the alleged abuses by the police.Presidential Communications, file
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Sunday hit the Human Rights Watch for allegedly ignoring the efforts of the Duterte administration in addressing supposed police abuses.
In a statement, Roque said the HRW is “simply off track” in saying that the Philippine government has not made genuine efforts to seek accountability on alleged abuses by the police.
“HRW has a penchant for playing blind, deaf and dumb, refusing to acknowledge the efforts of the administration in addressing alleged abuses of scalawag policemen,” Roque said.
Roque said the HRW must be reminded that an entire police force in Caloocan City was relieved because of alleged abuses. He was referring to cops who were relieved from office following the death of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos, who was killed during an anti-drug operation in the city.
READ: Contradicting narratives on Kian delos Santos' case
He added that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was also designated to be the lead agency in the government’s anti-drug war campaign following the uproar against police abuses.
“Lest we forget, as much as due process governs the cases of alleged victims, the same must likewise be accorded to state agents accused of being perpetrators,” the presidential spokesperson added.
Roque was reacting to the latest statement of HRW’s International Justice Program Associate Director Param-Preet Singh, who said that the Duterte administration made no efforts to seek accountability for drug war abuses.
“There have been no successful prosecutions or convictions of police implicated in summary killings despite compelling evidence of such abuses,” Singh said last Friday.
READ: HRW: No 'genuine' gov't efforts for accountability for drug war abuses
Last Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte brought back the police to his war on illegal drugs about two months after he barred them from joining the campaign following the deaths of teenage suspects.
Roque said the president responded to “public clamor” to restore police role in the narcotics crackdown. PDEA, however, remains the lead agency while police and other law enforcement agencies are designated to provide active support.
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