The United Nations (UN) will send the names of the new team of special rapporteurs that will conduct the investigation on the administration鈥檚 vicious campaign against illegal drugs, Malaca帽ang said on Thursday.
鈥淲ell, I withheld my recommendation when I found out that there was already communication between the UN Sec Gen himself and our Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Let鈥檚 await the list of possible names to be given by the UN Secretary General,鈥� Presidential Harry Roque said in a press briefing.
Roque said in February that he would recommend another UN rapporteur to conduct the investigation on the Duterte administration鈥檚 fight against illegal drugs, noting the partiality of UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard against the government鈥檚 so-called war on drugs.
READ: Palace open to UN probe on drug war but not conducted by Callamard
鈥淎ng hindi po mapatawad natin eh si Callamard, pumasok ng Pilipinas uninvited and made her conclusions na para bagang nag-imbestigasyon na siya,鈥� Roque said.
(What we cannot forgive is that Callamard entered the Philippines uninvited and made her conclusions as if she already conducted her investigation.)
鈥淪iguro po matatagalan bago mahilom iyong mga sugat na nagresulta doon sa ginawa ni Callamard,鈥� he added.
(Maybe it will take time to heal the wounds caused by Callamard.)
Roque was referring to Callamard鈥檚 unannounced visit in April 2017, when she attended a human rights forum at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City.
The Palace official鈥檚 statement came a day after UN Human Rights Council聽Zeid bin Ra鈥檃d al-Hussein criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for ordering the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ignore the possible UN investigation on the government鈥檚 anti-illegal drug campaign.
鈥淚 deplore the President Duterte鈥檚 statement last week to elite police units that they should not cooperate 鈥榳hen it comes to human rights, or whoever rapporteur it is鈥� and the continued vilification of this Council鈥檚 Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial killings by the authorities,鈥� Hussein said.
鈥淭he Government has a duty to uphold human rights and to engage with persons appointed by this Council,鈥� he added.
搁贰础顿:听Ignore UN rapporteurs, police told
The UN rights chief also criticized the 鈥渄eepening repression and increasing threats鈥� against the opposition, citing the continuing detention of Senator Leila de Lima as well as the filing of impeachment complaints and dismissal petitions against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and official of the Office of the Ombudsman.
Roque, however, disputed Al Hassad鈥檚 claims, emphasizing that while the Philippine government has obligations under the international human rights law, the Council should not disregard a member-state鈥檚 sovereignty.
鈥淢y reply to His Excellency, the Prince of Jordan, is it鈥檚 a two-way street 鈥� the entire human rights mechanism of the UN is built around sovereignty, and it will not work if rapporteurs become untrustworthy as far as sovereign states are concerned,鈥� he noted.聽聽 /kga