As the world commemorates International Human Rights Day, Malacañang yesterday assured the public that the Duterte administration does not condone extrajudicial killings.
“We are one with all the Filipino people and all those celebrating worldwide with the Human Rights Day. We do not condone human rights violations and we are against any extrajudicial killings,” said Communications Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag in an interview over State-run Radyo ng Bayan.
Local and international groups have claimed that human rights have taken a serious beating since President Duterte launched his war on illegal drugs.
Police data showed that 5,882 persons have been killed nationwide in a span of six months in connection with the government’s campaign against drugs. Many of the victims have been gunned down on streets by vigilantes.
But the President had stressed that these vigilante killings are not State sanctioned.
It was observed that there is little effort by authorities to address the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country but Banaag said the Philippine National Police would best address the issue.
“Mas maganda siguro na ang PNP ang mag comment on that kasi sila ang gagawa ng investigation,” the official said.
“Of course, the President would like that anything for that matter, anything that is related to any crimes committed, ‘yung mga nangyayaring mga krimen sa loob ng ating bansa eh maimbestigahan ng PNP,” she added.
Streets protests were held yesterday to denounce not only the government’s bloody crackdown on illegal drugs but also the burial of President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan mg mga Bayani in Taguig City and the continued detention of political prisoners.
“The sneaky burial of the dictator Marcos was an assault on the thousands of human rights victims of the dictatorship,” said the militant group Bayan in a statement.
“The unjust detention of more than 400 political prisoners is a continuing human rights violation and a breach of signed rights agreements by the Philippine government,” it also stated. (Elena L. Aben)
