Department of Foreign Affairs: No conditions set on UN rapporteur’s visit

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is not setting conditions for a visit of a UN special rapporteur to investigate the alleged summary killings in the country, an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella said the government is only asking for “fairness” in investigating the allegations.

On Tuesday, the Philippines appealed to the UN Human Rights Council to listen to its side and not just to critics who have politicized and even “weaponized” the issue. 

In his remarks before the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano reiterated the Philippines’ readiness to have its human rights record scrutinized.

“As the secretary mentioned, what we’re asking for is fairness. It’s not a condition, I believe, even a precondition. It’s an assumption that there has to be fairness,” Abella said.

“We can’t tolerate anybody who comes with a prejudgment and certified bias.”

UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, arbitrary and summary killings Agnes Callamard had called on the Philippine government to lift a series of preconditions it imposed on her planned visit.

She said special rapporteurs follow the Code of Conduct adopted by the Human Rights Council, which should be honored by the Philippine government. 

Callamard also issued a detailed rebuttal of the preconditions, saying some were beneath the dignity of the victims and her mandate.

The conditions imposed by the Philippine government, she said, could contravene both the spirit and the letter of the Code of Conduct and are not in line with the working methods of special procedures.

The government specified three demands for Callamard’s visit to take place: that the special rapporteur hold a public debate with President Duterte; that the President can put forward his own questions to “whoever he deems appropriate, including the special rapporteur;” and that the rapporteur takes an oath before an swering questions from government officials and the President.

Callamard maintained the conditions set by the President for her official visit are “unacceptable.”

Meanwhile, Iceland called on the UN to investigate the Philippines because of its alleged widespread human rights violations related to its campaign against illegal drugs. 

In his remarks at the UN session, Iceland Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson  said his country takes pride in leading 40 nations in calling out the Philippines over its alleged human rights violations.

Thordarson also urged the Philippines to allow Callamard to visit without any precondition or limitation so she could conduct an objective assessment of the human rights situation in the country. 

Cayetano conveyed his disappointment over Thordarson's remarks.