HRW: Comments from Duterte men put rights defenders at risk
March 26, 2018 | 5:40pm
HRW pointed out that Cayetano and Roque failed to provide evidence to back up their claims. Composite photo: Joey Dalumpines, Presidential Photo/Joven Cagande
MANILA, Philippines — Human Rights Watch on Monday criticized President Rodrigo Duterte's men for alleging without evidence that drug lords may be using human rights groups to discredit the administration's war on drugs.
HRW Asia Director Brad Adams called the pronouncements of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and presidential spokesperson Harry Roque "shockingly dangerous and shameful."
Adams stressed that the accusations of the chief executive's officials might put the lives of human rights defenders at risk.
"Are they trying to have death squads target human rights activists?" he said.
Rights defenders have also criticized a Justice department move to have a court declare more than 300 alleged communists as terrorists, which could subject them to warrantless arrest.
Among those named are former party-list lawmaker Satur Ocampo, UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, and other activists.
Citing that Cayetano and Roque failed to provide evidence to back up their claims, the HRW executive called on the two to withdraw their statements immediately.
In a statement Monday, Roque said that the administration is not discounting the possibility that "some human rights groups have become unwitting tools of drug lords to hinder the strides made by the administration."
He added: "To continue to do and thrive in the drug business, these drug lords can easily use their drug money to fund destabilization efforts against the government."
The presidential spokesperson did not give details nor support for his claim and had previously used the same phrase to justify an allegation that a US-based woman linked to the Liberal Party could be conspiring with the International Criminal Court.
Roque's pronouncement reflected an earlier statement by Cayetano that some non-governmental organizations are "unwittingly" being used by drug lords.
"Now, it’s name-and-shame. It’s being used for politics, for business," the DFA secretary said.
Both did not mention any human rights group, but HRW and Amnesty International are among the most vocal critics of the government's anti-narcotics campaign.
AI Philippines has yet to reply to Philstar.com’s request for a comment.
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