EU reminds Philippines of pledge to ensure accountability for rights abuses after Calabarzon killings
MANILA, Philippines — The European Union to the Philippines reminded the government of its commitment to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses following the killing of nine activists during police and military raids in Calabarzon.
In a statement Wednesday night, the EU delegation said it welcomed the government’s move to investigate the killings of nine individuals by the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on March 7.
“Reports on the use of excessive force against unarmed individuals and alleged irregularities in the law enforcement operations have raised concerns,” it said.
The EU delegation reminded the Philippines of its commitment made with the regional bloc last February 5, where both parties “agreed on the need to acknowledge and protect human rights defenders and enable their work in accordance with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.”
“We recall the commitment undertaken by the Philippines at the Human Rights Council to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses, in accordance with due process under national courts of law and in full compliance with its international human rights obligations,” it added.
Eight men and one woman were killed as police and military personnel executed search warrant Sunday in Batangas, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces. They were all activists or members of left-leaning organizations, which state forces repeatedly accuse of being fronts for communist rebels.
Authorities also arrested six others during the raids.
The killings came two days after President Rodrigo Duterte told security forces they could kill communist rebels and “ignore human rights.”
The United Nations human rights office said it is “appalled by the apparently arbitrary killing of nine activists” and called on the government to refrain from rhetoric that may lead to violations.
A report of UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet in June 2020 documented a serious lack of due process in police operations, and near-total impunity for the use of lethal force by security forces.
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