MANILA, Philippines — Amnesty International called for stronger actions from the international community to help end the killings and other human rights violations in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a report released Friday, the rights watchdog expressed concern that more people will die and more human rights abuses will be committed if international independent bodies such as the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court fail to take concrete steps to address the situation in the Philippines.
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Amnesty said that tougher measures from the UNHRC and the ICC are “required to end human rights violations in the country, provide justice and reparations for thousands of families and victims and hold those responsible to account.”
“Action by the international community will not bring back victims of human rights violations but it can prevent more deaths, and spare more families, already desperately poor, from years of pain and trauma. It is the only way to send a message to the government that impunity in the Philippines will not be allowed to prevail,” it said.
The UN Human Rights Council began its 45th session last week. Human rights groups are expecting the council would mandate an independent investigative body to monitor the human rights crisis in the Philippines.
The ICC, meanwhile, earlier said it seeks to finalize the preliminary examination into President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged crimes against humanity this year. A preliminary examination will determine if The Hague-based tribunal opens a full-blown investigation into the government’s drug war.
As of July 31, the government’s official tally only counts 5,810 alleged drug personalities killed in its brutal anti-drug campaign since Duterte assumed office. But groups have higher estimates—more than 27,000 slain drug suspects—since mid-2016.
‘Bloodbath’
The Amnesty report detailed how the government’s reliance on “violent and repressive” policies continues to perpetrate human rights violations across the country even during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Four years into his presidency, Rodrigo Duterte has turned the Philippines into a bloodbath where police and unidentified vigilantes are free to kill as they please,” Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Amnesty International’s Philippines researcher, said.
“This is not an accidental by-product of his administration, but its central feature. Police and other unidentified gunmen know they can kill without consequence. They are taking literally the president’s regular incitement to kill, and his promises to protect those who do so—and so should member states at the Human Rights Council,” she added.
The report also focused on the surge in attacks and killings linked to red-tagging.
Amnesty said that there has been an increase in the killings of activists accused of having links to the communist insurgency following the breakdown of peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
“For years, the authorities have used ‘red-tagging’ to brand and discredit anyone whose human rights campaigning or community work they disapprove of. Today, red-tagging has become a very real death threat,” Chhoa-Howard said.
The report also cited assaults on the country’s press freedom, which include the shutdown of ABS-CBN and the harassment of Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.
‘Duterte admin can’t probe itself’
Amnesty said the UN Human Rights Council must not be fooled by the government’s initiative to review more than 5,600 cases of killings during police operations.
The creation of the inter-agency panel, which was announced during an HRC meeting in July, is “designed to shield the Duterte administration from scrutiny,” it said.
“All we know of this panel is it will include the very same agencies responsible for the killings, the attacks, and the harassment which they are supposed to investigate. This is a clear example of being both judge and party, and shows its complete lack of independence,” Chhoa-Howard said.
“It’s obvious the Duterte administration has no intention of delivering justice to thousands of bereaved families, all while the President repeatedly incites violence and promises to protect perpetrators,” she added.