‘Baseless’ drug links put HR defenders at risk — CHR

The Duterte administration continues to catch the ire of human rights advocates for its bloody war on drugs and for hitting those who criticize the campaign, even to the point of blaming them for the menace.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) denounced the government for claiming that some human rights organizations have become unwitting tools of drug syndicates to discredit the government’s war against illegal drugs.

Sen. Leila de Lima also called on the international community to continue exerting pressure on the Duterte administration to put an end to its bloody war on drugs.

Various groups have also slammed the government, particularly presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. and Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano, who claimed last week that some human rights organizations are being used by drug lords to discredit the Duterte administration without offering proof.

The CHR said this is dangerous and opens human rights defenders to unsolicited attacks.

“Criticisms of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs are neither clear links to drug lords nor a sign of destabilization plot. In a democracy, constructive criticisms on government programs are viewed as points of improvement meant to better achieve their goal of providing a better life to everyone,” the agency said.

“The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) even admit that further investigation is needed to give credence to this assertion. It means that, at point, it remains no more than a baseless allegation,” it added.

Instead of giving too much attention to the allegation, the CHR said the government should investigate the deaths and alleged human rights violations in connection with the war on drugs.

“At this point, it is but rational for the government to demonstrate sincerity in protecting the human rights of all and, as government, lead in raising the discourse by speaking only of truth in all aspects of its governance,” it added.

De Lima, for her part, said the international community should condemn and make the Duterte administration accountable for its “murderous war on drugs that lack moral and legal justification.”

The senator’s office released yesterday her message read during the recentlyconcluded 61st Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drug in Vienna, Austria, where she noted how the Duterte administration has failed to view the country’s drug problem as a public health issue.

“He is bent on resolving the drug problem in his own unjustified way, at the expense of the rule of law and human rights and despite the lessons learned by countries which adopted the same hard stance against the drug menace and failed,” De Lima said.

“How many more lives are going to be cut short? How many more Filipino families are going to suffer? How far will my country regress in the name of Duterte’s war on drugs? Until when do we reach the tipping point and say, as a collective people, enough is enough?” she said, citing the thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.

In spite of the huge number of deaths recorded, De Lima said only a handful are being investigated and prosecuted by authorities.

She also noted how the war on drugs has always targeted and victimized low-level dealers and users among the marginalized sectors of the society.

“It fails to target, as part of an integrated and comprehensive approach, the middle and big operational layers of the problem. Big time drug suppliers remain scot free and even the names of those close to Duterte have been dragged into yet another shipment of billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs,” De Lima said.

De Lima, who is currently detained on illegal drug charges filed by the administration, said it is vital for all parties to work together in unity “against Duterte’s immoral and illegal war on drugs.”

Not supporting criminals

In a separate statement, the CHR also called out Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for claiming that the increase of crimes can be attributed to human rights defenders protecting criminals.

“Holding the accused innocent until proven guilty in the court of law is one of the most crucial principles of the Philippine justice system, and the commission continuously reminds the government and the public that this principle is something we must all uphold,” the CHR said.

“Ensuring that this right is protected is not endorsing criminality nor is it defending criminals, and any rise in crime in any place in the Philippines cannot be attributed to human rights defenders who strive only for the justice system to work as intended,” it added.

The CHR noted that it is also providing support to victims of crimes, contrary to allegations made by its critics.

“Our mandate extends to ensuring these victims are given the proper support and assistance they require to return to their lives; our extensive work with victims of various human rights abuses is a testament to our dedication to ensuring the rights of victims are well-protected and cared for,” it said.

The CHR also said Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III is misinformed if he believes that the CHR is only focused on political crimes and the war against illegal drugs.

CHR commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana maintained that the commission is also looking at other human

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