MANILA – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) interference in the Philippines’ war on drugs is not needed if only local police are cooperative.
CHR commissioner Karen Dumpit on Monday said the UNHRC will not seek a report into the Philippines’ anti-narcotics drive if the local police shared details of their campaign.
“The police have not responded to CHR’s verbal and written requests for details on these deaths,” Dumpit said.
“They have not done what they said they will do, that they will turn over the information they have so that we can also probe properly. We wouldn’t have come to this point if the government has been open about all these investigations,” she added.
Dumpit said the CHR has not “even scratched 10 percent of the numbers that are out there.”
“It’s just not counting how many deaths, it’s actually locating where these investigations are. If it just falls to and ends in the (Philippine National Police) Internal Affairs Service, then there’s something wrong with that because you’re not allowing impartial, thorough, transparent investigation from being conducted,” she added.
The UNHRC adopted Iceland’s resolution last week calling for a comprehensive report of the crackdown.
Eighteen countries, mostly from Europe, voted in favor of the UNHRC resolution, while 14, including China, voted against it. Fifteen others abstained./PN
