Rody threat vs rights activists serious – Leila

MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte’s latest threats to kill human rights activists and to pull out the Philippines as a treaty party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) should not be merely brushed aside, Sen. Leila de Lima said yesterday.

She said now more than ever, the public should fight for what is right and defend human rights in the country.

“As president, Duterte’s statements must be taken seriously. We cannot take these statements as mere jokes. Action must be taken to assure that the government respects and abides by the human rights of everyone,” De Lima said in a statement.

“We must defend those who defend human rights in this country and oppose all initiatives and actions that would make international accountability for HR violations and abuses difficult,” she added.

In a speech on Monday, Duterte accused human rights activists of contributing to the worsening drug problem. 

“Sabi ng human rights, pinapatay ko raw, sabi ko ‘sige na maghinto tayo, paramihin natin.’ Para ‘pag panahon ng harvest time mas marami na tuloy mamatay, isali ko na kayo kasi kayo ang nagpalaki eh (Human rights advocates said I am behind the killings. I said okay, let’s stop, we’ll let them increase. When it’s harvest time, many more will die. I will include them because they are the ones who let them increase),” he said.

Groups viewed the statement as a veiled threat to human rights advocates and stressed that the war on drugs should not be used to jail critics.

The President also threatened to withdraw the country from the ICC because of the supposed desire of the United States to try him before the body.

“President Duterte must not be allowed to kill human rights activists and absolve himself of their murder by pulling out of the ICC. His impunity, both in words and actions, must be put to a stop and end soon,” De Lima said.

“There is no other way to do this but to continue to fight for what is right, and to defeat the great evil that now pervades in this country,” she added.

Rody’s statement ‘erroneous, reckless madness’

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Amnesty International Philippines and other activists also expressed alarm over Duterte’s threat against rights activists.

“We hope that everyone will understand that we are supporting the campaign against drugs and that the issue is the method (with which it is being implemented),” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said yesterday.

“We hope that the rule of law will prevail and that everyone will remain vigilant against actions that may undermine our democracy and existing laws,” she added. 

Edre Olalia of the National Union of People’s Lawyers called the statement of the President as “reckless madness stemming from a non-sequitur.”

“Principled criticism is not obstructionism but cooperating to achieve a common purpose in the right way while preserving higher values,” he said.

“Yet we cannot hallucinate or go berserk in our fixation to quell this pandemic. We have to know who our real enemies are,” he added. 

De Guia also rebutted Duterte’s claim that rights activists critical of summary killings are supposedly the reason of the swelling number of drug addicts. 

She said being a “human rights defender” does not mean that they are defending drug suspects. 

“When we refer to human rights defender, we refer to people standing for the rights of the youth, women, old, indigenous peoples, underprivileged, disabled and all other persons in general,” she added. 

The local chapter of human rights watchdog Amnesty International also expressed alarm over Duterte’s statement. 

“This pronouncement is erroneous, furthermore adding that he will include human rights defenders during the ‘harvest’, referring to the number of individuals with drug offenses to be killed, is not only damaging but in itself is inciting hate towards anyone who expresses dissent on his war against drugs,” the group said.

“Amnesty International Philippines emphasizes that these extremely polemical attacks on human rights defenders deliberately give the public inaccurate information on human rights work,” it added. 

The watchdog also stressed that international human rights law provides for the governments’ obligations to refrain from acts that are counter-progressive to promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups.

“Amnesty International believe that the government’s support for the rights of human rights defenders is one of the most important ways it can ensure human rights for all,” the group said.

“Without human rights defenders, injustices go unchallenged, the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our societies will not have a say, people have little protection from abusers of power and governments and businesses can act with impunity,” it added. 

Palace: Rody not a threat to human rights

But Malacañang is insisting that Duterte does not pose a threat to human rights and freedom of expression.

Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan yesterday said the public should “decide on the President’s actions more than his talk.”

“There is no censorship at all in media or in human rights groups or in any of those who protest against the government,” Ablan said in a press briefing.

“We respect the right to assemble. We respect free speech. We appeal that citizens observe that the President walks the walk rather than his talk,” he added.

Duterte has been criticized for his tough talk and off the cuff statements that often stir controversy.

Barely six months in the presidency, Duterte threw tirades against the United States, European Union and United Nations, all of whom he accused of interfering with his war on drugs.

Ablan denied that the President was issuing a threat, saying he was expressing frustration.  

“There is no threat at all. As you have been covering the President, you know his frustrations with working in government as well as with, you know, being President. So, I think his statement last Monday was just another expression of his frustration on the difficulty of running the country,” Ablan told journalists.

“But in a way is his statement a statement on curtailing media or his critics or curtailing free speech? None of that because as you know you are asking questions here, anyone can post a report. So there is no censorship,” he added.