Group warns of rise in rights abuses under Duterte government
While Filipinos are about to welcome Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the country’s new president, an international rights group warned that his administration might pave the way for more human rights abuses.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) cited its report in 2009, which showed that Davao City officials and police were directly involved in the killings of hundreds of people, including 14-year-old children in Davao City.
“Although there is no evidence showing Duterte ordered the killings, we found proof that city officials and policemen were involved in this. And Duterte was publicly applauding the targeted killing of what he called ‘criminals,’” the group said.
Phelim Kine, HRW Asia deputy director, said that in May 2015, Duterte invited him and his colleagues for some rest and relaxation in Davao City.
In a statement on Tuesday, Kine quoted Duterte as saying: “To all the bleeding hearts of US-based Human Rights Watch, you want a taste of justice, my style? Come to Davao City, Philippines, and do drugs in my city. I will execute you in public.”
Kine said it was a threat, a response of Duterte to the HRW’s criticisms of the mayor’s public support for the gangland-style killings as an anti-crime measure.
The group said Duterte’s response was no one-off, careerending, slip of the tongue.
“It embodies the key elements of his political rhetoric, which lumps together crime and universal human rights (and their advocates) as twin toxic threats to Philippine society. Duterte delivers that message in crude, hyper-aggressive language that’s as lurid as it’s unrepentant,” Kine said.
The HRW official said Duterte’s successful presidential campaign espoused political positions that are as disturbing as they are unlawful.
“He has managed to convince the Philippine electorate that he would solve drugs, criminality and corruption in three to six months – by whatever means necessary.”
. Out of context
However, Duterte’s campaign spokesman Peter Laviña described as unfortunate Kine’s interpretation of the mayor’s statement.
Laviña said Kine took Duterte’s statement out of context and made it appear that the Davao mayor specifically threatened him and his colleagues.
“No such threat on the personal safety of HRW personnel was made. What Duterte said was that he would execute them if they do drugs in Davao City – a threat that stands for anyone who makes the mistake of engaging in illegal drug activities in the city,” Laviña said.
The context of the statement, given through a text message to Davao journalists in May 2015, was HRW’s call for the Aquino administration to probe Duterte’s possible involvement in the series of summary killings committed since the late 1990s.
Duterte dared the HRW and all other crime watchdogs to visit Davao City to see for themselves his brand of justice.
Meanwhile, former justice secretary Leila de Lima has joined the mounting opposition to Duterte’s plan to restore the death penalty.
De Lima, who is among the winning senatorial candidates set to be proclaimed, said the re-imposition of capital punishment is not the solution to deter heinous crimes.