‘Propaganda,’ Palace calls Karapatan letter to UN

From Malaya Business Insight (Dec 4): ‘Propaganda,’ Palace calls Karapatan letter to UN

PRESIDENTIAL spokesman Harry Roque yesterday dismissed as “propaganda” the submission of a “letter of allegation” by the leftist human rights group Karapatan to United Nations special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and Michael Forst about extrajudicial killings (EJK) in connection with President Duterte’s anti-insurgency drive.

Roque said he has yet to see the letter submitted to the rapporteurs, and he has yet to determine if Karapatan had filed complaints before local courts before going to the international body.

“It’s useless to go to go the UN without filing cases before the fiscal’s office. Filing directly with the UN is only for propaganda purposes because there are institutions in the Philippines that could address it,” Roque said.

Karapatan on Saturday said it informed Callamard, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary execution, and Forst, special rapporteur on human rights defenders, about 47 EJKs, first last April.

In the second and latest letter, Karapatan said there were 25 cases of EJKs perpetrated by security forces in relation to the administration’s counter-insurgency program.

Karapatan said it has so far documented 104 victims of EJKs under Duterte’s counter-insurgency program from July 2016 to October 2017.

Roque said: “We find it unfortunate that human rights group advocate Karapatan wrote two separate letters to the United Nations… in connection with alleged cases of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. The State – not international bodies like the United Nations – is duty-bound to investigate alleged cases of EJKs. Karapatan knows that it can avail of all domestic remedial mechanisms.”

Roque said the criminal justice system in the Philippines remains to be effective and legal processes are well-functioning.

He also said a special body has been created by the Duterte government to specifically look into alleged extrajudicial killing cases.

“We therefore hope that they will file their complaints in the proper courts, not before the so-called human rights rapporteurs who have politicized views of the Philippines’ campaign against illegal drugs. Certainly, Karapatan knows the cases will not prosper there in the UN. It is the political mileage they are after in pursuit of their continued intent to malign this administration, through the special rapporteurs who only seem too willing to act based on fake political information,” he added.

Karapatan last week slammed Duterte for his repeated attacks against Callamard, the latest was when he said she would “slap” the rapporteur if she investigates EJKs being linked to his war against the illegal drugs trade.

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