UN rights commissioner condemns Duterte threats vs Callamard

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations human rights office on Tuesday condemned “in the strongest terms” President Rodrigo Duterte for the threats and insults hurled at Agnes Callamard, its special rapporteur on summary executions.

“The High Commissioner (Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein) also deplores the repeated insults and threats of physical violence against UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Agnes Callamard, by the president of the Philippines and his supporters,” United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesperson Rupert Colville said.

Colville cited Duterte’s threats to slap Callamard should she investigate him for alleged extrajudicial killings in the government’s war on drugs.

READ: Duterte warns Callamard: If you investigate me, I'll slap you

He noted that the special rapporteur has been subjected to online abuses “during what appears to be a prolonged and well-orchestrated trolling operation across the internet and on social media.”

Colville said that “this campaign, coupled with the repeated personal attacks on Ms. Callamard by President Duterte, seems to be designed to intimidate her into not carrying out the mandate bestowed on her by the Human Rights Council.”

He added: “We condemn this treatment of Ms. Callamard and the disrespect it shows to the Human Rights Council that appointed her in the strongest terms.”

Duterte has had harsh words for Callamard in the past, hurling invectives at her in August for commenting on the death of Kian Delos Santos, a 17-year-old boy killed in a Caloocan City police operation.

After learning that Callamard is French, Duterte erroneously claimed that in France, suspects are presumed guilty until proven innocent. The French Embassy refuted Duterte’s statement, saying the presumption of innocence is the core of France’s judicial system.

The president has also challenged Callamard to a debate as a condition for allowing her to investigate the killings. She declined, saying these are not within the UN terms of reference for such visits.

"An official visit without respect for the victims, respect for the law, respect for due process would be unacceptable," Callamard said in August.

"An official visit is not a vehicle for entertainment, theatrics or politicking," she added.

Duterte’s war on drugs, which has claimed over 12,000 lives according to rights watchdog, has received strong criticisms at home and abroad.

The government has disputed these numbers. According to the latest #RealNumbersPH data release, there have been 3,967 drug suspects killed in government operations since July 2016. Government officials, including Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, said all of those killed were drug pushers.

The data releases no longer include information on "deaths under investigation," a tally of murders and homicides that police have yet to determine motives for.

READ: Pardon his French: Duterte curses at Callamard for comments on Kian case