Outcry vs war on drugs growing, says Callamard

United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard believes that the outcry against the killings related to the Philippine government’s war against illegal drugs is quickly growing locally and among the international community.

“Outcry within and outside the country is growing. Fast,” Callamard posted on Twitter after 39 countries issued a joint statement calling on the Philippines to end killings associated with the war on drugs.

Her remark also coincided with the release of surveys showing half of Filipinos doubting the police in its conduct of anti-drug operations, particularly in the so-called “nanlaban” deaths or those who allegedly fought it out with the authorities so they were killed.

The joint statement – delivered by Iceland through its representative Högni Kristjánsson at the Human Rights Council session in Geneva on Thursday – expressed serious concern over the human rights situation in the country, particularly the alleged extrajudicial killings in connection with the campaign against illegal drugs.

“We remain particularly concerned about the thousands of killings and climate of impunity associated with the war on drugs, and note the government’s recent stated commitments to observe due process in investigating these crimes,” the statement read.

“We urge the government of the Philippines to take all necessary measures to bring these killings to an end and to cooperate with the international community to pursue appropriate investigations into these incidents, in keeping with universal principles of democratic accountability and the rule of law,” it added.

In addition to Iceland, the countries that signed the joint statement were Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States and Ukraine.

The group welcomed the participation of the Philippines in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), but regretted its decision not to accept more than half of the recommendations, including calls to allow Callamard to conduct an official inquiry without any conditions.

Callamard earlier said the death of 17-year-old Grade 11 student Kian Loyd delos Santos in August was a turning point in the Philippine government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Also yesterday, militant farmers urged international human rights bodies and institutions to support the call of Filipino farmers to end the intense militarization campaign carried out through the Oplan Kapayapaan counterinsurgency plan of the Duterte government. KMP secretary-general Antonio Flores said attacks against civilians in the countryside happen daily and the bombing of peasant communities in Batangas City recently took place just as the Philippine government boasted of its “socalled victory” at the UN UPR.