Palace dismisses Leni’s call on UN drug war probe

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday dismissed Vice President Leni Robredo’s call for the administration to cooperate with a United Nations probe on the drug war as it stressed that criticisms against the campaign were based on false claims.

Eleven special rapporteurs have asked the UN Human Rights Council to investigate what they described as the “staggering” number of “unlawful” deaths and police killings related to the drug war and the supposed killings of human rights defenders.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has rejected the call, saying it was made in “bad faith” by parties who seek to undermine domestic process and spread “disinformation.”

Robredo disagreed with the DFA’s position, saying the administration should welcome a probe because it would serve as an opportunity to disprove all allegations against the drug war.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, however, stood by the DFA’s view, saying the rapporteurs’ claims were based on unproven accusations of President Duterte’s critics.  

“Their basis on (their claims against) the war on drugs, on violation of human rights, came from the opposition and the detractors of the President that were not proven. They keep on repeating the same false narratives against this government,” Panelo said at a press briefing.

“Moreover, as I said, those issues were specifically raised during the election campaign, and the electorate repudiated overwhelmingly. And so these rapporteurs should realize by now that the issues they are raising are not true,” he added. 

Panelo also claimed that the rapporteurs have prejudged the administration’s campaign against narcotics, which has left more than 5,000 dead based on police data. 

“How can you be asking for an investigation when you already concluded that this country has violated certain human rights and has killed many people? So what’s the use of investigating if you already have a conclusion?” the spokesman said.

Officials have denied that the drug war is encouraging unlawful killings and human rights abuses but have regarded criticisms and probes by international bodies as interference with Philippine sovereignty.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde yesterday hit back at the UNHRC rapporteurs for pushing for an independent probe into the alleged human rights violations in the government’s war on illegal drugs. – Emmanuel Tupas, Paolo Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe