Rights group backs UN rapporteurs critical of Rody

Human rights group Karapatan has expressed support for the UN special rapporteurs who were criticized by Palace officials for “embarrassing” the Duterte administration.

Karapatan, in a statement, said they are one with Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, and Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, special rapporteur on internally displaced persons, who both raised concerns last week on the alleged human rights violations in Mindanao.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque has said the remarks of Corpuz and Damary were very partisan as he appealed to both to refrain from using their positions just to embarrass the government.

The two UN special rapporteurs claimed that the ongoing militarization in Mindanao has “massive and potentially irreversible” effect on the rights of some lumad (indigenous peoples).

Karapatan said there were at least 29 persons, mostly members of peasant and indigenous organizations, who fell victim to extrajudicial killings in Mindanao. It also noted 15 documented cases of torture and 58 illegal arrests and detention.

It called on the international community to support the campaign against the Duterte administration’s fascist attacks as it expects more violations because of the government’s drive against insurgency, terrorism and drugs.

Karapatan cited the death of Italian missionary Fr. Fausto Tentorio in 2011 as an example of extrajudicial killing, claiming it had something to do with the counter-insurgency program. It described the filing of charges six years after as long overdue.