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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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Friday, February 24, 2017
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MANILA – Sen. Leila de Lima, who is facing three counts of drug charges before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court, was invited to be part of a panel of discussion on the country’s human rights abuses in Geneva, Switzerland.
The forum entitled “Philippines: A License to Kill” will be held on March 18. It is organized by the United Nations (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. Agnes Callamar, special rapporteur on summary executions and Rosemarie Trajano, secretary general of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates were also invited to participate in the human rights forum and attend the 15th International Film Festival, which will showcase French journalist Chloe Remond’s 20-minute film Philippines: Tirs a veu sur les dealers.
“Your tireless advocacy of the respect of fundamental rights in your country has earned you the unanimous respect and admiration of the human rights community around the world,” said general and program director of International Festival and Forum on Human Rights Isabelle Gattiker in a letter of invitation sent to the senator.
The former secretary of Justice and Commission on Human Rights chairperson, according to Gattiker, is the “most qualified” and “distinguished person” to participate in the Geneva event.
In September last year, de Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 153 seeking the foreign affairs department to invite Callamard to probe the spate of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and summary executions on the government’s war on drugs.
Multilateral organizations like the UN and the European Union have expressed grave concerns over the drug-related killings in the country, urging the administration to put a stop to EJKs, she added.
“The average number of persons killed daily for the past two and a half months is 42.3. By any standard, the statistics are alarming and staggering. And judging from both official and media sources, there is no showing that we will soon experience a downtrend in the figures,” de Lima said./PN
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