MANILA, Philippines — The human rights situation in the Philippines worsened in the second half of 2016 since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, the European Union said in its annual report on human rights and democracy in the world.
The regional bloc noted that the human rights situation worsened in the country as a consequence of the new administration's so-called war on drugs.
However, trends detrimental to human rights such as extrajudicial killings and the culture of impunity have been present in previous administrations.
The EU observed that extrajudicial killings decreased under the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III following the launching of a national monitoring mechanism by the Commission on Human Rights.
"The second half of the year was marked by a serious deterioration in respect for the right to
life, due process and the rule of law," the EU said in its annual report.
The report noted that around 6,000 people were killed from July to mid-December in 2016 in the conduct of the drug war, as reported by the media.
"The president’s statements and actions have seemingly encouraged the police to take an aggressive approach in dealing with drug users and pushers, and have – according to human rights advocates – also encouraged vigilante style extrajudicial killings," the report read.
The so-called war on drugs still enjoy "considerable popular support" despite the spate of killings of drug suspects.
The EU report also noted that two key legislative priorities of the Duterte administration – the revival of the death penalty and the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility from 15 years to nine years old.
The report, however, acknowledged the positive developments under the Duterte administration such as the Mindanao peace process, peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines and a socio-economic agenda geared to lift people out of poverty.
Unfortunately, Duterte has ordered the suspension of peace talks with communist rebels this year as the New People's Army has stepped up its offensives in the countryside.
Culture of impunity
The prevailing culture of impunity remains one of the major problems in the country as cases of human rights abuses remain largely unresolved. This includes killings of human rights defenders and media workers.
In 2016, 31 human rights defenders were killed in the Philippines. The Committee to Protect Journalists has ranked the country as fourth in the world on the Global Impunity Index last year.
"Since his election, President Duterte has made statements justifying the killing of ‘corrupt’ journalists and human rights defenders," the report read.
The EU urged the Philippine government to ensure that the campaign against the illegal drug trade is conducted within the law.
This includes the right to due process and safeguarding the basic human rights of Filipino citizens such as the right to life.
"As a State Party to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Philippines is obliged to respect its obligations under international law," the EU said.
Meanwhile, the government has announced that the country will no longer accept donations from the EU for the rehabilitation of Marawi City.
This follows the pronouncements of Duterte that foreign donors are using aid to interfere in the country's internal affairs.
“Whatever the President said, that’s it. The problem is many NGOs (non-government organizations) act like children of God in Europe. They feel that it’s okay to meddle with the politics of our country and that’s not right,” PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar said.
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