MALACAÑANG on Thursday slammed a “thoughtless and irresponsible” report by Human Rights Watch saying the first six months of President Rodrigo Duterte in office had been a “human rights calamity” for the Philippines.
“The observation that the Philippines is in the midst of a ‘human rights calamity’ is thoughtless and irresponsible,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
In its 117-page report License to Kill, Human Rights Watch said Duterte could be held liable in an international court for his role in extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
“Duterte and his chief subordinates could be held criminally liable in the Philippines or by a court abroad for their role in these killings,” the group said.
“No evidence thus far shows that Duterte planned or ordered specific extrajudicial killings, but his repeated calls for killings as part of his anti-drug campaign could constitute acts instigating law enforcement to commit murder.
“His statements encouraging the general population to commit vigilante violence against suspected drug users could be criminal incitement.
“Duterte, senior officials and others implicated in unlawful killings could also be held liable for crimes against humanity, which are serious offenses committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on a civilian population.”
HRW details how Duterte incited and instigated the police forces to commit extrajudicial killings.
But Abella denied the allegations against the policemen, saying those must be substantiated by solid evidence, eyewitness accounts and sworn statements.”
“Recovered firearms from drug suspects are kept in custody and subsequently presented before legal proceedings. Authorities have noted that there are cases when recovered firearms were traced to have been used in other crimes, [and] most of these are loose and/or unregistered,” Abella said.
“In short, all these accusations of circumventing police procedures should be proven in a competent court and if found meritorious should result in appropriate sanctions against the perpetrators. Failing these, such claims are mere hearsay.”
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo described the reports as “baseless” for saying Duterte was liable in an international court for the extrajudicial killings linked to his administration’s war on illegal drugs.
“What I am saying is there is no basis that the President is behind all these killings. He is saying that there are corrupt policemen; that doesn’t mean he is behind the corruption of these policemen,” Panelo said.
“They’re saying that there are policemen who killed; that doesn’t say that he [Duterte] is the one behind these killings. That’s what I’m saying.”