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A Philippine delegation taking part in the upcoming Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council has urged the Marcos administration to be truthful, saying that 鈥渘othing short of an honest admission of the human rights situation in the Philippines would make [it] believable in the eyes of the world.鈥� 鈥淚f the Philippine government wishes respect, it must sincerely promise to stop human rights violations and prosecute past perpetrators,鈥� said the Philippine UPR Watch amid its expectation that the administration would 鈥減resent again鈥� an ideal picture of the country鈥檚 human rights situation.
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The group, which had already left for Geneva to attend the UPR set next week, said it would 鈥渃onfirm and validate firsthand to the international community that the Philippine government has reneged on its commitment to respect and uphold the rights of the Filipino people, and it perpetuated and institutionalized impunity for violations.鈥�
The Philippine UPR Watch delegation this year is composed of individual advocates and human rights defenders from Karapatan, National Union of Peoples鈥� Lawyers, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Kalikasan People鈥檚 Network for the Environment, Coalition for People鈥檚 Right to Health, Council for Health and Development, Ibon Foundation, Bayan, Rise Up for Life and for Rights, Ramento Project of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Sandugo-Movement of Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self-Determination, and Cordillera People鈥檚 Alliance.
Representing civil society, the group has been actively engaged in the UPR process since the first cycle in April 2008.
The UPR, which evaluates the human rights records of the UN鈥檚 193 members, bases its assessment on information provided by the state under review which can take the form of a 鈥渘ational report鈥�; information contained in the reports of independent human rights experts and groups known as the Special Procedures, human rights treaty bodies, and other UN entities; and information from other stakeholders, including national human rights institutions and civil society groups.
Committee recommendations
The Philippine UPR Watch delegation said it would compel the government to observe the recent recommendations of the UN Human Rights Committee.
In its advanced, unedited 13-page report dated Nov. 3, the 18-member committee of human rights experts recommended that the Philippines 鈥渟trengthen cooperation with international human rights bodies, including the ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid continuing reports of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under the drug war.鈥�
The expert panel was 鈥減articularly concerned鈥� by reports of incitement to violence by both past and present government officials, including former President Rodrigo Duterte, as well as the 鈥渃ontinued failure鈥� of local authorities to promptly and independently investigate EJKs and bring perpetrators to justice.
The committee urged the government to 鈥減ut an end to EJKs and [take] steps to replace an exclusively punitive approach to drug control with an approach fully in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.鈥�
Its recommendations were part of a long list of human rights issues and recommendations made just before the country submits itself to the UPR process.
Red-tagging
Last month, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla met with the UN in Switzerland to reaffirm President Marcos鈥� commitment to the drug war. He also pushed back against criticisms that 鈥淩ed-tagging鈥濃�攁ccusing someone of being a communist or a sympathizer鈥攚as a threat, saying it was part of democracy.
But the UN committee appeared unconvinced and even called on the government to end Red-tagging and promptly investigate all human rights violations against rights defenders, activists and journalists.
For Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes, the language used by the committee showed that Remulla鈥檚 claims 鈥渄id not sit well with [it].鈥�
鈥楴ot convinced鈥�
鈥淭he committee clearly recognized that Red-tagging was a threat to human rights defenders and must therefore be stopped. It is not protected speech, contrary to the claims of the justice secretary,鈥� he said.
The committee further recommended that all victims of human rights violations should have access to compensation schemes similar to the Human Rights Victims Reparation and Recognition Act which sought to indemnify martial law victims.
It also asked the government to review and amend the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and refrain from using counterterrorism and criminal legislation to curtail freedom of expression and assembly.
At the same time, it sought the release of former Sen. Leila de Lima, who is still detained on what her supporters say are fabricated charges of drug trafficking.
According to Reyes, the list of recommendations showed that the experts 鈥渄o not appear swayed by the claim that the justice system in the country is working for the victims of human rights violations.鈥�
鈥淭hey are not convinced that the human rights situation has greatly improved,鈥� he said. INQ