MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations should stop interfering in the country's domestic issues, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa said Tuesday in response to recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Committee in a recent review of the situation in the Philippines.
Dela Rosa, a former national police chief, claimed the panel's recommendations to help the Philippines comply with international obligations trampled on the country's sovereignty.
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"Our justice system is functioning. Mayroon tayong sariling gobyerno. Sana huwag na sila mangialam sa atin. Huwag na tayo nilang diktahan. Kasi naman, ano bang gusto nilang i-impose sa atin? Hindi naman tayo mga subjects nila,” Dela Rosa told reporters Tuesday. "Respetuhin nila iyong ating kasarinlan."
(Our justice system is functioning. We have our own government. I wishe they would not meddle here. They should not dictate upon us. Why do they want to impose on us? We are not their subjects … They should respect our sovereignty.)
Asked if the Philippines should take the recommendations of the panel of human rights experts monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Dela Rosa said, "we should demand our freedom from these people."
Dela Rosa stressed that the Philippines has its own ways of doing things.
"Ang mga tao po namin ay happy sa nangyayari sa amin. Bakit ho kayo mag-insist na diktahan kami kung ano ang dapat namin gawin?" the senator said.
(Our people are happy with what is happening here. Why are you insisting on dictating on us what we should do?)
As Philippine National Police chief, Dela Rosa was among the architects of Oplan Tokhang, the previous administration’s flagship anti-illegal drug program that saw thousands of drug suspects killed in police operations. Thousands more died in what police said were done by vigilantes or by warring drug syndicates.
The Philippines, as a party to the ICCPR, is required to submit periodic reports on the policies being implemented to align the country with the international treaty.
In its most recent review, the UN rights panel issued a flurry of observations and recommendations on the human rights situation in the country, which include concerns over reports that authorities continued to fail to promptly, effectively and independently investigate extrajudicial killings and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Other recommendations include cooperation with the International Criminal Court probe, amending the Anti-Terrorism Act, the release of former Sen. Leila de Lima from detention, and the passage of measures on abortion, anti-discrimination and divorce, among other proposals. — Xave Gregorio