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Thread: NSFW - Philippines war on drugs - 6000 lives taken in five months

  1. #76
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    https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/107163...ck-bishops/amp



    Duterte tells ‘tambays:’ Feel free to ‘rob,’ ‘kill’ moneyed bishops who happen by
    President Rodrigo Duterte /PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

    Update

    MANILA, Philippines -There is no stopping President Rodrigo Duterte from attacking the clergy and suggested to bystanders on Thursday to rob members of the clergy.



    “Kaya pagdating ko sabi ko, ‘Hoy, kayong mga tambay diyan, ‘pag dumaan ‘yang obispo ninyo holdapan ‘yan maraming pera ‘yan p***** i** niya. Patayin mo,” Duterte said in a speech during the birth anniversary celebration of Gov. Antonio Kho in Masbate, eliciting laughter from the crowd.



    (To bystanders, if your bishop passes by, rob them, they have lots of money, Kill them.)

    He said he has nothing against the Church, particularly priests, but slammed them for accusing him of extrajudicial killings.

    The President in December urged the public to kill their bishops, whom he described as useless.

    READ: Another joke? Duterte says Catholic bishops useless… kill them

    Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo had already clarified that Duterte’s ‘kill bishops’ remark was just a hyperbole for dramatic effect

    In his speech in Masbate, Duterte again slammed priests for using the pulpit to criticize him.

    “Itong pari, you know, do not use the pulpit,” he said.

    “Magpa-interview ka diyan sa opisina mo. “We do not like the way Duterte is handling the problem because there are so many persons, innocents are killed.” Okay ‘yang ganun,” he added.

    (Have yourselves interviewed in your office and criticize they way I handle problems because many individuals get killed. That’s fine with me). /gsg/ac

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    https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in...eaths-unsolved

    Update on Duterte

    MANILA, Philippines – The memory of the night Manny* was killed remains vivid in the mind of his mother Lita* one year later.

    His lifeless body slumped on the ground with a pool of blood slowly spreading on the ground, turned the gray concrete darker in color.

    It was 10 pm, a few minutes before the vegetables he was supposed to sell were due to arrive. But Manny did not live long enough for the next day’s marketing chores as a man shot him at close range, piercing bullets into his cheek and neck, killing him instantly.

    Just like the perpetrators of several thousand other extrajudicial killings, the suspect was wearing a bonnet, rendering him unidentifiable to possible witnesses. It didn’t help that the act was committed at night and in a place where foot traffic is scarce after the sun sets.

    The absence of a lead that could point to the gunman’s identity remains one of the biggest hindrances to Lita’s pursuit of justice for her son – even if she wants to file a complaint so badly, seek redress before a court, and have judgment rendered on the perpetrator of the killing. (READ: Powering through a crisis: Defending human rights under Duterte)

    “Hindi ko alam kung sino ang kakasuhan ko kasi unang-una, walang nakakilala at takot rin kami kasi noong namatay siya, may nagmanman sa amin,” she said. "Pero kung mabibigyan ng pagkakataon, kahit saan ilalaban ko at kahit mamatay ako basta magkaroon ng katarungan ang anak ko,” Lita added.

    (I don’t know who I will charge in court because first of all, no one saw or recognized him. And we’re also afraid because after he was killed, we felt we were under surveillance. But if given the opportunity, I’ll file a complaint and fight anywhere, even if I die as long as I give justice to my son.)

    Until justice is served, the death of her son – which she likened to losing a limb – will continue to feel like a festering wound.

    “Mahigit isang taon na pero hindi ko pa rin matanggap kasi wala pang katarungan,” Lita said. “Siguro mangyayari lamang na makakalimutan ko na iyong nangyari sa kanya, kung magkakaroon ng katarungan.”

    (It's been a year already but I still can't accept what happened because there’s been no justice. Maybe I will only forget what happened to my son when there’s justice already.)

    Deterrents to solving crime

    Manny's murder is just one among the 1,099 drug-related killings outside of police operations across Metro Manila. The killings stretch from July 2016 (about a month after President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office) until October 2018, with numbers based on statistics kept by the regional police command in charge of the area, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

    Metro Manila is the nation's capital. The cities and one municipality make up one of the most densely populated areas in the world – making it crime-prone.

    Solving these drug-related killings has especially been difficult for Metro Manila. Of the 1,099 vigilante killings, only 327 have shown promising results: 131 have been solved and 196 have been cleared.

    By "solved," cops mean that a case has been filed in court and that at least one suspect has been caught. "Cleared," on the other hand, means that there is already a case in court and at least one suspect has been identified. (READ: PNP says 125 cops punished for drug war-related offenses)

    This means that a big majority of the drug-related vigilante killings, 70.2% of them, have not been filed in court and that no suspect has been identified.

    We mapped the drug-related killings outside police operations during the first 26 months of President Duterte’s administration (see below)

    The city of Manila registered the highest number of drug-related killings outside police operations, with its record standing at 161. Manila is where the presidential residence Malaca?ang is located, and where the administration’s so-called war on drugs was declared first in 2016. Of the 161 killings, only 8 have been cleared and 31 have been solved.

    After Manila is Pasay, the city south of Manila which houses the country’s busiest airports. The city saw 149 drug-related killings, with only 7 cleared and 12 solved.

    Despite its wide area and large population, Quezon City only counted 26 killings, with two cleared and 6 already solved. Financial capital Makati, meanwhile, recorded no drug-related killings outside police operations.

    Pasig and Taguig rank no. 3 and 4 respectively in terms of drug-related killings outside police operations. The former tallied 122, while the latter counted 112 deaths.

    Pasig has the highest number of cases filed in court without any suspects caught, recording 50.

    Manila, meanwhile, saw the highest number of solved drug-related homicides, keeping a tally of 31. It is followed by Pateros, which, despite being the only municipality in the metro, has already solved 26 of the 68 drug-related killings in its area.

    According to NCRPO Spokesperson Police Senior Inspector Myrna Diploma, the cases are moving forward at a glacial pace because their investigators want to be thorough before filing complaints.

    Doing otherwise would risk dismissal at the prosecutor level.

    “Dahil pinag-aaralan po namin nang maigi para maifile namin ‘yung kaso sa court (This is because we are studying the case carefully, so that we can file it in court,” Diploma told Rappler.

    She admitted, however, that solving killings is especially difficult because “it involves the loss of a human life.” Besides, in high-level crimes, criminals usually have a deep motive and a detailed exit plan.

    Diploma said homicide investigators usually end up facing a blank wall because of problems with witnesses. It’s not that there are no witnesses to the killings, but rather a case of them being afraid to speak up.

    “Ayaw nilang madamay dahil natatakot nga sila or meron namang kilala nila kaya takot na takot talaga. Ayaw nilang madamay (They don’t want to be involved because they are afraid. There are some who know [the suspect] that's why they're really very afraid. They don’t want to get involved),” Diploma said.

    Frightened witnesses are not new to policemen.

    There are cases where witnesses could easily be tracked by culprits because of close connections, such as being friends or family. Then there are reported instances under the Duterte administration where families point to their local cops as having engineered the killings.

    In 2017, Rappler reported on Tondo locals naming a cop as being behind killings of members of their community: Police Officer III Ronald Alvarez. When asked for comment, the Manila Police District just dared the witnesses to prove their claims.

    Another reason why cases move forward at a snail's pace is that the witnesses simply don’t want to be bothered with them.

    “Then ayaw din nilang maabala. ‘Yun ‘yung number 1 pa, ‘yung ayaw nilang maabala. Siyempre kasi pag naging witness ka po is maga-attend ka po ng mga court hearing, so hindi sila makakapasok sa kanilang mga, kung may mga trabaho po sila, ganon po,” Diploma said.

    (They also don’t want to be bothered. That’s the number 1 [reason], they don’t want to be bothered. Of course it’s because when you become a witness, you need to attend court hearings, so they wouldn’t be able to go to work.)

    Drug-related cases are also more complex than the non-drug related killings. Cops face the challenge of having to crack the circumstances of the murders, besides also needing to keep an eye out for the drug groups.

    Doing these, former Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa once said, could cost the lives of their investigators.

    The 5,050 killings in police operations are not criminally investigated by cops because, according to them, they are covered by so-called "presumption of regularity." This presumption, however, has already been debunked by a court conviction of 3 cops who murdered 17-year-old Kian delos Santos during a Caloocan City anti-drug sweep in 2017.

    Human Rights lawyers also contest the same principle, saying that according to the PNP manual, deaths take away that presumption of regularity.

    But where cops do not want to investigate, prosecutors should, according to a petition of the Center for International Law (CenterLaw) with the Supreme Court. Their petition seeks to declare the campaign against drugs unconstitutional.

    The Duterte government confirms there have been 5,050 deaths from police anti-drug operations, as human rights groups peg the total death toll at 20,000 if deaths by unidentified assailants or vigilantes are included.

    Yet Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors have only investigated at least 76 “murder and homicide cases allegedly related to the government’s campaign against drugs.”

  3. #78
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    https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world...ows/ar-BBTvMJ9

    The Sri Lankan government has started advertising for hangmen with 'moral character' after the previous executioner quit with stress after seeing the gallows for the first time.

    https://pics.me.me/when-you-lie-on-y...b-17795712.png

  4. #79
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    LOL. Wrong country. Move as needed.

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    https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/110248...okhang-reports

    BAGUIO CITY ? The Supreme Court, holding its summer session here, on Tuesday ordered Solicitor General Jose Calida to submit to the tribunal the police reports on the killings of more than 4,000 people in President Duterte?s brutal war on drugs.

    Calida last year walked back from the government?s commitment to submit the reports to the Supreme Court and to the petitioners who had challenged the legality of the police operations that had led to the killings.


    Argument rejected

    The solicitor general argued then that the reports contained sensitive information the disclosure of which could affect national security.

    The tribunal rejected Calida?s argument and ordered up the reports on deadly police operations from July 1, 2016, to Nov. 30, 2017.

    Calida asked for more time, which Tuesday?s ruling indicated was up.

    ?The court just ordered the [solicitor general] to submit the police reports to the Supreme Court and to copy-furnish the petitioners,? lawyer Brian Hosaka, the spokesperson for the court, told reporters.

    Hosaka gave no details, saying only that the ruling was handed down in connection with the writ of amparo petition brought in 2017 by the Center for International Law (CenterLaw) to protect 26 villages in San Andres Bukid, Manila, from the war on drugs.

    He said the ruling also referred to the constitutionality challenge raised against Oplan Tokhang?the police operations under Mr. Duterte?s war on drugs?by the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG).


    FLAG questioned the term ?neutralize? in the guidelines for the police operations against users and peddlers of illegal drugs.

    All reports with OSG



    Sought for comment on Tuesday, the PNP chief said the reports had already been turned over to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).

    ?I think it?s between the OSG and the Supreme Court,? Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde said.

    Albayalde, a former chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), expressed disbelief at reports that the case records had reached more than 20,000 for the metropolitan police alone.

    ?I don?t think everything is from the NCRPO, because all regions submitted,? Albayalde said.

    ?What I am confident of is during our time even [up to] now, all police operations are being investigated, even the deaths under investigation,? he added, using the police term for the killings allegedly carried out by vigilantes.

    Albayalde said some of the vigilante killings had been solved, though he could not say offhand how many of those cases were.

    Deaths in police operations, he said, were investigated by the Internal Affairs Service.

    According to the PNP count, 5,281 people have been killed since President Duterte launched his war on drugs in 2016. ?WITH A REPORT FROM JAYMEE T. GAMIL



    Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/110248...#ixzz5jz6cvJym
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    https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/110548...-death-threats

    Politician gets killed in a street attack

    MANILA, Philippines — A village councilor in Malabon City was shot dead on Wednesday morning, around three weeks after he started receiving death threats, with the killer claiming the victim was a “hoodlum.”

    Dante Sih, a councilor of Barangay Panghulo, had just parked his motorcycle beside a vegetable stall on Rodriguez Street in the city when a still unidentified man shot him in the back of the head at 8:45 a.m.


    The 53-year-old victim was killed instantly as the gunman left a letter before fleeing on foot.

    Col. Jessie Tamayao, Malabon police chief, said that although the killing occurred during the campaign period, “there was no indication for now” that it had something to do with the elections.

    He added that the Northern Police District had activated a Special Investigation Task Force Group to investigate Sih’s death.

    “It will be much better [to have a] task group because there will be support units [that] will provide support in the investigation,” he explained.

    Victim unaffected by threats

    Maj. Ronald Carlos, chief of the Malabon police’s Station Investigation Division Management Branch, said that Sih had received death threats about three weeks ago although his family said he seemed unaffected.

    According to a police report, the gunman — described by witnesses as around 40 to 45 years old, about 5’3” in height, of medium build and wearing sunglasses, a gray T-shirt and pair of shorts — left behind a letter.


    It was signed by Manuel Salvacion of the Armadong Rebolusyonaryong Manggagawa who claimed that Sih was a known “hoodlum” who was “guilty of abusing residents of [Barangay] Panghulo, Malabon City.”

    Saying that the victim was involved in the killing of several residents, Salvacion accused the barangay chair of allowing Sih to abuse his power.


    Police investigators said they were still validating the contents of the letter. But Ris Sih, the victim’s niece, called the allegations false.

    “When my uncle campaigned for councilor of Panghulo, he did not have money to pay for tarpaulin or T-shirt printing. He banked on camaraderie. He wouldn’t have ranked second (in terms of number of votes) if he was a hoodlum,” Ris said.

    A former barangay official who worked with the victim from 2010 to 2013 also described him as a good man.

    “If you went to him, he would help you. He was a comic and everyone in Panghulo knew that. He was loud but he was super kind. He was a good father, too … There is no reason for him to be shot or killed. We are all shocked,” Alexandra Julian of the Sangguniang Kabataan told the Inquirer.

    Oreta offers P200K reward

    Sih’s killing was condemned by Malabon Mayor Antolin “Len Len” Oreta III who offered a P200,000 reward for information leading to the gunman’s arrest.

    Oreta said that the crime sowed fear among residents and placed Malabon in a “negative light.”

    “We also call on all sides to refrain from using this incident to fuel political competition and to cast doubts and suspicion on the conduct of fair, free and honest elections … ,” said the mayor who is running for reelection.

    His rival for the mayoral seat, Vice Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, also commented on the killing, saying: “We believe in Kagawad Dante’s integrity as barangay official … His death [at] the hands of a vigilante is a clear manifestation that fear and violence reign in our city during election season.”

    Three barangay councilors and a city councilor were shot dead in the city between 2016 and 2018 although Carlos said the four cases were unrelated.



    In November 2018, Oreta’s political officer and barangay kagawad Rodrigo Tambo was gunned down by unknown men.

    City councilor Merlin “Tiger” Ma?alac, another Oreta ally, was killed in front of his house in January 2016.

    Barangay councilors Daniel Villaluna and Bienvenido Reyes Jr., supporters of then Malabon Rep. Josephine Lacson-Noel, were also shot and killed two months before the 2016 elections.



    Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/110548...#ixzz5ktgzimIx
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    https://www.rappler.com/nation/polit...use-of-duterte

    MANILA, Philippines – Otso Diretso bet Samira Gutoc said President Rodrigo Duterte exercises an "overstretch" of power when local leaders refuse to be affiliated with the opposition slate.

    During the CNN Philippines senatorial forum on Saturday, April 27, this was the opposition senatorial candidate's response to a question on whether the Office of the President has "too much power."


    "There is an overstretch of power when local governments are afraid to host the Otso Diretso in their locations," Gutoc said during the event held at the University of Santo Tomas.

    "The silence of the public means there is an overstretch of too much power of our executive, the President," she added.

    Earlier, Otso Diretso campaign manager and Senator Francis Pangilinan sounded the alarm over the lack of local politicians supporting the opposition slate, attributing it to the fear of retaliation from the Duterte government.

    Compared to election sorties by Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Otso Diretso events are seldom hosted nor endorsed by local politician, fearing that they may be added to the list of alleged narcopoliticians if they do so, Pangilinan said.

    To counter this, the opposition bets instead rely on volunteers to do house-to-house campaign for them. (READ: Otso Diretso turns to volunteers to boost struggling campaign)

    Grave abuse of power?

    Gutoc also pointed out there is a climate of fear under the Duterte administration.


    She attributed this to Duterte's "abuse of power" by declaring martial law in Mindanao, as well as arresting journalist Maria Ressa:

    There is overstretch of power when martial law is declared in want part of the country—in Mindanao. There is overstretch of power when journalists are arrested. There is an overstretch of power when local governments are afraid to host the Otso Diretso in their locations. There is overstretch of power when there is fear, and judges are killed, lawyers are killed, and civilians are afraid to go out on the streets.... There is an overstretch of power when we do not question his rape jokes and statements against women. Silence… silence of the public means there is an overstretch of power of our executive, the President," Gutoc said.

    In response, retired general and former police chief Ronald Dela Rosa said the reality is the "opposite" of what Gutoc was saying.

    "Kasalungatan 'yung sinasabi ni Samira. 'Pag nakausap ko [ang mga tao], they feel safer compared to before. Papaano ba na ayaw natin tanggapin ang katotohanan?" Dela Rosa said at the forum.

    (What Samira's saying is the opposite [of what's happening]. When I talk to them, they feel safer than before. Why can't we just accept the truth?)

    But Gutoc told Dela Rosa to personally visit the Commonwealth area in Quezon City, as well as Baseco compound in Manila.

    "Please go to Commonwealth, to Baseco, to these locations. Sila mismo nagkukuwestiyon sa ginagawa ninyo," Gutoc told Dela Rosa. (Residents there are the ones who question whatever you are doing.)

    From October 2017 to May 2018, an average of 4 people a day were killed by riding-in-tandem shooters. This means a total of 880 people nationwide have been shot dead, while 47 others have been injured, according to police records.

    Since Duterte assumed office, the government recorded over 5,000 deaths in the anti-drug campaign from July 2016 to November 2018. But rights groups estimate over 20,000 deaths – a tally which included vigilante-style killings.

    But the police shrugged it off and said it's a "low" number. – Rappler.com

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    https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/10/pn...ug-war-deaths/

    Gen. Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), assailed Monday the United Nations rapporteurs calling for an investigation on the drug war-related deaths and for putting the Philippines in bad light.

    PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde (Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN)
    PNP chief Police General Oscar Albayalde (KEVIN TRISTAN ESPIRITU / MANILA BULLETIN)



    For Albayalde, there is no such thing as official or institutional impunity in the campaign against illegal drugs and that the UN rapporteurs’ concept of ‘unlawful deaths’ was, in itself, a recognition of the existence of a fully- functional justice system that determines what is lawful and what is not.

    While there were indeed lapses and abuses committed, Albayalde said that all of the cases were investigated and those who were found liable are either meted with administrative punishment or kicked out from the police service.

    “The PNP echoes government misgivings over yet another attempt by foreign bodies to meddle into purely national affairs,” said Albayalde.

    “As far as the PNP is concerned, all our actions are governed by a set of operational procedures founded on the basic principles of respect for human rights and always consistent with the rule of law,” he added.

    ADVERTISING

    inRead invented by Teads
    More than 5,000 suspected drug pushers and users have been killed since the drug was launched by President Duterte in July 2016.

    Albayalde said all of those cases were investigated as a matter of police protocol that dictates conduct of investigation if suspects are either wounded or killed in police operations.

    The government through the Office of the Solicitor General, however, refused to provide the Supreme Court with copies of the report of the police operations that resulted in the deaths of drug suspects, until the High Court compelled the government to do so.



    Aside from the deaths during police operations, drug war critics are also raising a howl over thousands of deaths allegedly carried out by vigilante groups, with some critics alleging that some of those vigilantes are policemen themselves.

    But the PNP is also crying foul over insinuations that all deaths in the past three years were mostly drug-related.

    “Homicide cases with all sorts of motives cannot be categorized under the war on drugs. All deaths during anti-drug police operations have been properly investigated,” said Albayalde.

    The PNP, however, stopped disclosing the number of homicide cases it has been investigating since December 2016 after its decision to regularly publish data on deaths across the country was allegedly misconstrued as part of the drug war.



    Albayalde then stressed that the PNP always adheres to what is and lawful in carrying out drug operations.

    “With utmost respect for human rights, the PNP upholds the rule of law, follows strict protocols in all of its anti-illegal drugs operations, and will never tolerate any wrongdoing of its personnel,” said Albayalde.

    “Those found to have violated standard police rules and procedures were charged either administratively or criminally, or both, and were slapped with either administrative sanctions or dismissal from the service,” he added.

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    https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/112858...of-ph-killings

    MANILA, Philippines—The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday (June 10) rejected appeals, one of them coming from Vice President Leni Robredo, for the government to allow the United Nations (UN) to send over an independent team to investigate allegations of summary killings of drug suspects and state-sanctioned attacks on human rights defenders.

    Salvador Panelo, presidential spokesperson and chief legal counsel, said the rare joint statement of 11 UN special rapporteurs and other UN human rights investigators was just a repeat of “the same false narratives against this government.”

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    The statement expressed alarm at what it said were unabated killings in Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs and attacks on human rights workers being committed with alleged impunity.

    “Their basis on the war on drugs, on violation of human rights, all came from the opposition and the detractors of the President, which have not been proven,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

    Robredo, in her radio show on Sunday (June 9), said the Duterte administration should welcome the independent investigation if it had nothing to hide.

    But Panelo said the claims made by the 11 UN rights experts who signed the statement were all lies, including what the statement said was the continued killings of drug suspects in vigilante-style street executions or questionable police operations. The government has acknowledged up to 7,000 deaths in Duterte’s drug war but human rights groups, including the New York-based Human Righs Watch said the figure could be as high as 20,000.


    Panelo said accusations of human rights abuse against Duterte had been recycled.

    “Those issues were specifically raised during the election campaign and the electorate repudiated these overwhelmingly,” he said, pointing to results of the May elections for senator which showed a shutout of the opposition.

    “And so these rapporteurs should realize by now that the issues they have been raising were not true,” he added.

    Panelo slammed the UN for concluding that the human rights situation in the Philippines had worsened even before an investigation had been conducted, which Duterte repeatedly said he would not allow, however.

    “Moreover, how can you be asking for an investigation when you’ve already concluded that this country has violated certain human rights and has killed many people? So what’s the use of investigating if you already have a conclusion?” he said. (Editor: Tony Bergonia)



    Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/112858...#ixzz5qSHB3Pq6
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    https://www.npr.org/2019/04/03/70881...-against-churc


    I will agree with president Duterte on this one.
    . Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte harbors a no-holds-barred hostility toward the Catholic Church and he's been hurling barbs at it as he stumps for candidates in the upcoming midterm election.

    "Almost 90 percent of the priests are homosexual," he has declared. He also insinuated that others have secret relationships with women.

    He cast bishops as "greedy" and urged people to "rob" and even murder them.

    "These bishops, kill them, those fools are good for nothing. All they do is criticize," he said in December, prompting titters from his audience, and alarm from the clergy.

    Duterte has said he was sexually abused as a boy by a priest, which some Filipinos believe may partly explain his strong antagonism toward the Catholic Church, the country's largest religious institution by far.

    The president's chief legal counsel and spokesman, Salvador Panelo, says Duterte's anti-clergy tirades should not be taken literally. "These are jokes. These are hyperbole. These are said in jest," Panelo told NPR.

    However, the church is not laughing. At least five bishops and priests say they received death threats in recent weeks. Each one has been a vocal critic of Duterte's bloody war on drugs, arguing that it has targeted the urban poor and left drug lords largely untouched.


    Duterte's anti-drug operations killed 5,281 people from the time they began in July 2016 through February 2019, according to Derrick Carreon, spokesman for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. Human Rights Watch says that figure does not include nearly 23,000 others who police say were killed by unidentified gunmen or vigilantes, widely considered extrajudicial killings. Duterte denies involvement in summary executions and taunts human rights defenders with vows to widen the war on illegal drugs, which he says are making the country "insane."

    Albert Alejo, a priest and social anthropologist who teaches at Ateneo de Manila University, says his work protecting whistleblowers in the drug war has put him at risk. He says he began receiving death threats in mid-February in the form of "incessant" profanity-filled phone calls, which later became invective-filled text messages.

    "Big capital letters, as if to scream, and laden with 'son of a b****' ... saying that he'll kill me. ... It's shocking," says the 61-year-old priest and academic. One text message warned clergymen to "prepare" for their "wake."

    Alejo has no car or personal security. He travels on foot, hopping from bus to jeepney. He has restricted his movements and varied his routine. Alejo joined fellow clerics in declining an offer of protection from the Philippine National Police, saying it would be "ironic" to accept security from an institution they have doubts about.

    Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Has A New Adversary ? The Church
    PARALLELS
    Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Has A New Adversary ? The Church
    "Right now, we're vulnerable," he says, speaking of targeted clergy.

    Alejo first learned about Duterte during his Jesuit training in Davao City, on the country's southernmost island of Mindanao, where Duterte constructed his strongman image. Human rights advocates including Alejo say Davoa became the "safest" city in the country ? by killing suspected criminals and drug addicts.

    Alejo says the tough-on-crime approach swept Duterte to the presidency in 2016, when he scaled up the drug war, going after small-time peddlers and users of narcotics, mainly meth or shabu as it is popularly known in the Philippines.

    "Mostly very poor guys, in rubber slippers, riding in tricycles. It's really very painful," Alejo says of the fatal victims.

    Arturo Lasca?as, a police officer from Davao City, put a face to a gruesome rumor that had long swirled: He testified to the Philippine Senate in 2017 that he had led a death squad under then-Mayor Duterte and that he personally killed 200 people.

    "All the killings that we committed in Davao City, whether they were buried or thrown in the sea, were paid for by Mayor Duterte," Lasca?as said at the time.


    Retired police officer Arturo Lasca?as takes his oath during a Senate hearing in Manila on March 6, 2017. The former police aide of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he was part of a "death squad" that took part in hundreds of killings when Duterte was a city mayor.
    Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images
    The former police officer had previously denied the allegations. But Lasca?as confessed he had killed two of his own brothers, and the torment from all the killing compelled him to ultimately come forward.

    Duterte denies permitting any death squad as president or during his 22 years as mayor of Davao. With Alejo's help, Lasca?as fled to a safe haven overseas. (NPR is not disclosing the location for safety reasons.) Alejo says his work is now finding political sanctuary for such witnesses.

    "Those who can reveal the truth," Alejo says, "the dark stinking truth behind this whole administration."

    Flavie Villanueva, a priest who runs the St. Arnold Janssen Kalinga Center that serves the poor and the homeless in Manila, says he has been under government surveillance since he held a forum on extrajudicial killings 2 1/2 years ago. He has now received death threats. Closed-circuit TV footage has picked up masked men skulking around his center.

    Villanueva notes that three priests were killed in the span of six months last year, and that none of the cases has been solved.

    "One might ask, 'What does that got to do with Duterte?' My point simply is he created a culture that it's OK to kill," he says.

    Villanueva says Duterte's clergy bashing ? unique among Philippine presidents ? "has polarized the church."

    Villanueva used to use drugs. Now he ministers to relatives of victims of the drug war, a heavy crackdown that he says is proof the president "has loose screws in his head."

    Other priests, nuns and laity are helping the drug war's traumatized families, but quietly. Many more, says Villanueva, choose not to get involved for "fear of putting their life on the line."

    In January, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines apologized for not being more vocal against the government attacks on drug users, the church and its teachings.

    "What's left to be seen" in the change of heart, says Villanueva, "is that collective voice on how to specifically respond to the growing evil."

    U.S. Returns Balangiga Church Bells To The Philippines After More Than A Century
    WORLD
    U.S. Returns Balangiga Church Bells To The Philippines After More Than A Century
    Alejo says, from the top down, the clergy has been intimidated into silence.

    "Worse than that ? some bishops, some priests and even some sisters felt that maybe we should give this guy a chance," referring to Duterte, saying, "who are we to judge the way he tries to cleanse the society," Alejo says.

    For President Duterte, the church's international sexual abuse scandals provide license to condemn it for hypocrisy, a criticism that many Filipinos believe is legitimate.

    Author and sociologist Walden Bello says the church is "on the defensive." It is prevented from taking a strong principled stand "because of the fear that Duterte could start naming names" ? names that could include clergy suspected of having secret wives or of sexually abusing children. "It could be a very, very lurid process that could cost the church a great deal of moral legitimacy."

    But Alejo says drug war killings are the moral issue of the day. And despite its own sins in the sex abuse scandal, the church must find its voice, even as it is being maligned.

    "I accept the fact that we are wounded but at the same time we must be healers," Alejo says. "We cannot survive just keeping our mouths shut, and playing safe."

    Alejo says that with the drug war entering its third year, "We have had enough and the church should be waking up by this time."

    In a country where more than 80 percent identify as Catholic, the priest says the institution of the church has a reach, and an obligation, like no other.

    "Being the most capable of responding to this crisis, the church has the heaviest burden and responsibility for finding out the truth."

    As for his own predicament, Alejo says, "I'm not a very pious guy. I mean some people want to be martyred." He lets out an impish laugh. "I don't want to be a martyr."

  11. #86
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    Philippine drug war deaths pile up as Duterte admits losing control


    Philippine police commanders on Wednesday revealed that 1,600 people had been killed in the past six months in the war on drugs, with the latest figures coming just days after President Rodrigo Duterte admitted having lost control of the crackdown.
    The latest figures from the Philippine National Police brings the official death count to more than 6,600.
    It immediately prompted campaigners to demand a full investigation into Duterte’s crackdown, which human rights groups claim may be responsible for as many as 30,000 deaths when vigilante deaths are included.
    Last week, Duterte appeared to admit losing control of the crackdown, saying the Philippines was being “swallowed by narcotics”. “Drugs, I cannot control, son of a b …, even if I ordered the deaths of these idiots,” he said.
    ‘A lot of mini-Dutertes’: drugs war blamed as murders soar in Philippines
    The last set of data provided by authorities came in December last year, when the fatality count had just passed 5,000 deaths. National Police spokesman Colonel Bernard Banac said “at least” 1,600 further deaths had occurred between January and May this year, and that most of these targets had been resisting arrest.
    “The increase was due to suspects putting up armed resistance to operatives,” Banac said when asked what was behind an apparent uptick in the rate of deaths.

    He said 49 police officers had died during that time, while 144 had been injured during legitimate operations nationwide.
    He also said that police investigations did not end when suspects were killed: “It does not mean that just because they died in police operations, we will not investigate it.
    “As much as possible, no one should die in our anti-drug operations,” he added.
    Banac cautioned that the latest figures had not been cross-checked with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
    Is Duterte involved in drug trade? Whistle-blower says yes
    The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) called for urgent scrutiny of the drug war killings.
    HRW researcher Carlos Conde said the increasing number of deaths during so-called legitimate police anti-drug operations cried out for a full investigation by either The Hague-based International Criminal Court or the UN Human Rights Council.
    “The claim by the police that all these deaths are the result of the suspects fighting back is not credible,” he said. “UN member states should not let another session of the Human Rights Council go by without adopting measures that will put serious human rights violations in the Philippines under scrutiny.”
    Duterte, 74, who withdrew the Philippines from the International Criminal Court, is currently facing two murder complaints before the ICC.

    https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south...-admits-losing

    Here is an Update.

  12. #87
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    https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/socie...ar-philippines

    ‘A lot of mini-Dutertes’: drugs war blamed as murders soar in Philippines


    Freelance photographer Vincent Go has been documenting death in the shanties and slums of Metropolitan Manila for nearly three years. In that time he has photographed at least a thousand bodies, the casualties of an unrelenting policy of killing that echoes the country’s vicious past and suggests a brutal future.
    It is traumatic work, and has taken a psychological toll. “I’m always looking over my shoulder, looking for an escape route, looking for guys ‘riding in tandem’,” Go says, referring to the motorcycle pillion passengers that in the Philippines are often harbingers of sudden violent death. “I’m paranoid,” he says.
    Freelance photographer Vincent Go. Photo: Fernando G. Sepe, Jr.
    Freelance photographer Vincent Go. Photo: Fernando G. Sepe, Jr.
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    Go’s work has become an obsession. He meticulously documents each death in individual files: the time, the place, the circumstances: looking for patterns, trying to make sense of the killing. His family have begged him to stop, but he has ignored their pleas. His dedication is all-consuming and rooted in something he will never forget – the disappearance of his father during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos when Vincent was just 11 years old.
    Officially, more than 5,000 people have been gunned down in President Rodrigo Duterte’s three-year “war on drugs”, but nearly 30,000 more killings during that time remain unsolved.
    In Philippines, Duterte’s drug war finds a new target: 9-year-olds
    The Philippine homicide rate is now approaching three times what it was before Duterte came to power and five times the average for Southeast Asia, fuelling fears that the methods of the anti-drug campaign are spilling over into other fronts.
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    “At no time since Marcos have police had so much power, and they have been emboldened to use the methods of the war on drugs across a wider spectrum,” says Carlos H. Conde, a researcher for Human Rights Watch in the Philippines.
    “In addition, we are seeing an increase in political killings, vigilantism, turf wars, violent land grabs and the settling of scores, all enabled by the president’s approval of extrajudicial killing.”
    The body of village councillor Dante Sih of Malabon lies covered in a blanket. The councillor was shot by unknown assailants near a public market as he was about to mount his motorcycle on April 10, 2019. Photo: Vincent Go
    The body of village councillor Dante Sih of Malabon lies covered in a blanket. The councillor was shot by unknown assailants near a public market as he was about to mount his motorcycle on April 10, 2019. Photo: Vincent Go
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    The excesses of the nearly 14 years of martial law imposed by Marcos from 1972 remain a bloody stain on Philippine history, but the lessons of that era appear to have been largely forgotten. Just three years into a presidency during which Marcos has been reinvented as a national hero, the declared death toll from state-sanctioned violence now far exceeds that of the former dictator’s regime.
    Whistle-blower claims Duterte’s family took millions in drug kickbacks
    The numbers are conflicting and an accurate account elusive, but there is no question that killing on an industrial scale is occurring under Duterte’s watch. Officially, the number of dead attributed to the “war on drugs” – relaunched ominously as “Oplan Double Barrel Reloaded” after two brief suspensions in 2017 – is now somewhere north of 5,300. But in a televised interview in March, a spokesman for the Philippine National Police said that in addition to the killings confirmed as resulting from drug suppression operations, some 29,000 homicides since mid-2016 remained “under inquiry”.
    Together with the official drug-related body count, that brings the annual non-conflict homicide rate in the Philippines to about 22 per 100,000 people, up from less than 9 per 100,000 before Duterte came to power, according to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime. The average for Southeast Asia is 4.3 homicides per 100,000 people.

    The body of an unknown victim shot and killed by unknown assailants in Caloocan City, Philippines, on July 14, 2018. Photo: Vincent Go
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    Some people fear the campaign against drugs is masking other motivations to murder. Studies show that just 55 per cent of those killed in official police operations had any overt connection with drug use or trafficking. Official records show one in four of the acknowledged victims were named on hit lists compiled by police and local officials from the lowest levels of government, while more than 40 per cent were murdered by unknown assailants or found dead with gunshot or stab wounds, the only link to drugs often a scrawled sign declaring the body was that of a dealer.
    Is there a Hollywood ending to Duterte’s drug war?
    Rights advocates say many of the dead do not fit the profile of the drug war’s intended targets, and that extrajudicial killings have also targeted civil servants, businesspeople, judges, lawyers, activists, journalists, and even Catholic priests.
    “The Philippines has always been a very dangerous place for those who are critical of power,” says Roneo Clamor, deputy secretary general of Karapatan, an alliance of Philippine rights groups. “Assassinations came to prominence under the Marcos regime, and we are seeing Marcos again in the war on drugs’ questionable rules of engagement, in a surge of killings, in the harassment and vilification of critics of the government and the powerful.”
    Since mid-2016, Karapatan has documented 250 non-drug-related extrajudicial killings and 392 failed assassination attempts, together with thousands of cases of illegal arrest, torture, disappearance, forced evacuation and destruction of property. Local media has meanwhile reported the killing of five judges, 38 lawyers, and five priests since Duterte’s ascension to power. Last year, 38 political figures were murdered – twice as many as in 2017. Father Flavie Villanueva blesses the casket of Jerito Garganta, 34, who was shot and killed by unknown assailants in Caloocan City, Philippines, on May 6, 2019. Photo: Vincent Go
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    Journalists are among those most at risk. In its December 2018 Southeast Asia Media Freedom Report, the International Federation of Journalists concluded the Philippines was the deadliest peacetime country in which to be a reporter. It said 12 had died violently since mid-2016 – most killed by agents of the state.
    Explained: dictator Marcos, Duterte’s drug war
    Advocates for land rights and the environment are even more at risk. Global Witness, an NGO that works to expose abuses of power, said the Philippines accounted for 48 of the 201 activists murdered worldwide last year. Soldiers working as private militia for agribusiness, forestry and mining projects were implicated in most of the deaths.
    “We’ve always had this problem, but the war on drugs has further legitimised violence and murder,” says Conde of Human Rights Watch. “It’s hard to quantify, but the frequency of assassination now is really quite alarming.”
    Few of the killers are ever brought to justice. The Philippines was rated the worst of 69 countries in the 2017 Global Impunity Index, a measure compiled by the Centre of Studies on Impunity and Justice (CESIJ). And life is cheap in a country where “loose weapons” number in the millions and change hands for a few hundred dollars, and a gunman can be hired for as little as US$100 per hit.

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    https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/socie...ar-philippines

    UNFAZED
    Yet many Filipinos seem unfazed by the epidemic of murder and approve of both the “war on drugs” and its commander-in-chief.
    A former congressman and “the death squad mayor” of the southern city of Davos, Duterte was elected president in May 2016 with less than 40 per cent of the vote. His public satisfaction rating is now twice that.
    Perhaps a tolerance for violence is hard-wired into the Filipino psyche, through a violent history of invasion, resistance, rebellion, insurgency and dictatorship. Perhaps there is a collective loss of memory in a country where at least 60 per cent of the population was born after Marcos fled into exile in 1986, leaving a legacy of 70,000 people imprisoned, 35,000 tortured, 3,250 murdered and an unknown number of “disappeared”.
    Philippines drug war: what’s behind surge of deaths in Luzon?
    Duterte has made no secret of his admiration for Marcos, and has worked hard to rehabilitate the former dictator’s image. Casting aside a record of cruelty and corruption, Duterte has referred to the former dictator as the greatest Philippine president and fulfilled an election promise to bury his remains in Manila’s Heroes Cemetery. Duterte has since consolidated his grip on power. Following midterm elections in May – and in addition to controlling the House of Representatives – his supporters now hold 20 of the 24 seats in the Senate.
    One of the newly elected senators is the former dictator’s daughter, Imee Marcos.
    Imee Marcos, daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, visits her father’s tomb at the Heroes Cemetery in Manila, Philippines. Photo: AFP
    Imee Marcos, daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, visits her father’s tomb at the Heroes Cemetery in Manila, Philippines. Photo: AFP
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    Some commentators have taken to describing the current state of affairs as “Democrazy”; others are less frivolous. “The Philippines is not just a malfunctioning democracy, we are a failed state,” says one seasoned observer. “The people are at the mercy of drugs cartels, rogue police officers, private armies, and political leaders who are willing to kill. And the killing is just the apex of a pyramid of injustice and the abuse of power, of illegal detention and torture, rape, extortion and theft.”
    But that story is apparently losing its interest, with the international media and its fickle audience now bored with the routine character of killings in the Philippines.
    Go, the photographer, remains obsessed by documenting the carnage, but says he now has difficulty getting his pictures published. “Foreign editors want something new,” he says. “I had one tell me he had enough photographs on file to last a lifetime.” He says the number of “Night Crawlers” – local photographers and reporters covering the killings – has fallen from about 20 two years ago to just a handful today as editors reassign staff to other beats.
    The “Night Crawlers of Manila”, a group of reporters who cover unexplained killings in the Philippine capital. Photo: Vincent Go
    The “Night Crawlers of Manila”, a group of reporters who cover unexplained killings in the Philippine capital. Photo: Vincent Go
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    Meanwhile, rights advocates fear Duterte’s political success has emboldened provincial politicians and city mayors to imitate him and the methods of his drugs war. They fear worse is to come.
    “We are creating a generation of political leaders who are much more ready to use violence and brute force to win and keep power,” says Conde of Human Rights Watch. “My very great concern is that we will soon have a lot of mini-Dutertes spread across the country, and that is going to make the Philippines much more dysfunctional than it already is.” ■

  14. #89
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    It"s good you saw through it & it's 100% on topic for you to talk about your opinions of Duterte in here since he's the driving force behind it all & most of us don't know much about him.


    But yeah, it's some scary shit. Police already kill innocent people in every country - even in places with govts that denounce extra-judicial killing. So when you get a govt that openly condones it, police stop showing any restraint at all. It gives them a license to kill with impunity. Anyone can be a target, including people who voted for the regime.


    Also, I just checked & the people I know are still sharing stuff from Sass Rogando Sasot which seems pretty pro-Duterte as far as I can tell. To be fair, they were sharing stuff on the Moro massacre, not Duterte, but I'm still surprised they interact with those fb pgs at all considering that with the latest news they could be targeted themselves when they go home to visit family. They haven't been shy with their political leanings in Australia & I doubt this latest threat will be limited to active members of communist groups, it'll eventually spread to anyone with socialist or left leaning views. Even here we have conservative politicians conflating the centre left with socialists & communists.


    Actually, now that my coffee's kicked in I think I'll give them a pass on this. Maybe they're just trying to make sure the views they've expressed in Australia don't get elderly relatives targeted back home

    It's the only thing that really makes sense
    Well I looked at the Irish Republican Army and they do the exact same shit as Duterte. Only difference here is the leader of the vigilante death squad is the president of the country.

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    https://www.rappler.com/nation/23380...erious-concern

    MANILA, Philippines – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday, June 24, expressed concern over the “extraordinarily high number of deaths” in the Philippines in the context of President Rodrigo Duterte’s continuing anti-illegal drugs campaign.

    "Even the officially confirmed number of 5,425 deaths would be a matter of most serious concern for any country," she said in a statement delivered during the 41st session of the council in Geneva, Switzerland.


    “My office is following the situation of human rights in the Philippines very closely,” Bachelet added.

    The number cited in the rights chief’s statement only covers suspected drug personalities killed during police operations, as stated by the government. Human rights groups peg the total death toll to more than 20,000 to include those killed vigilante-style. (READ: The Impunity Series)

    Out of all the killings, Rappler found that the government has let thousands go unsolved.

    Bachelet also said she supports the calls of UN special rapporteurs for the UN Human Rights Council to conduct an independent investigation into the killings.

    “There should also be comprehensive and transparent information from the authorities on the circumstances around the deaths, and investigations related to allegations of violations,” she said, adding that transparency “could dispel any false allegations and help regain trust for the authorities.”

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) echoed the calls of both Bachelet and UN experts.

    “States at the Human Rights Council should urgently follow through and support the resolution initiated by Iceland, putting Philippines on the council’s agenda,” HRW deputy director Laila Matar said.

    “The killings continue in the Philippines on a daily basis and action by the UN’s premier human rights body is crucial to stem the violence ensure accountability,” she added.

    Duterte’s so-called war on drugs has earned criticism from both local and international organizations, which hit the disregard for human lives in the implementation of the campaign.

    The Supreme Court is expected to decide on petitions seeking to declare unconstitutional the campaign against illegal drugs.

    The International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor, meanwhile, is also closely following the situation as it conducts a preliminary investigation. – Rappler.com

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    https://www.rappler.com/nation/23387...-investigation

    MANILA, Philippines – If there would be another Senate probe into extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs, senator-elect Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said on Tuesday, June 25, that he would participate in it.

    Dela Rosa made the statement in response to questions on the sidelines of an orientation for neophyte senators at the Senate.





    "Bakit ako mag-inhibit? Bakit, ako ba pumatay? Di naman ako pumatay (Why should I inhibit? Why, was I the one who killed them? I didn't kill them)," Dela Rosa told reporters, reflecting a slight change in his position on the matter.

    Dela Rosa was the brains behind the Duterte administration's campaign against illegal drugs. (READ: The Impunity Series)

    The former top cop is poised to chair the Senate comittee on public order and dangerous drugs in the 18th Congress, a panel headed by Senator Panfilo Lacson – also a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief – in the 17th Congress.

    In late May, opposition Senator Leila de Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 1041, seeking a Senate investigation into the “unprecedented record of deaths” in Central Luzon due to the PNP’s anti-illegal drug operations. (READ: Central Luzon: New killing fields in Duterte's drug war)

    Dela Rosa earlier told dzBB that he would be willing to inhibit from any investigations into the war on drugs, adding that if he decided to do so, the concerned Senate panel has a vice chair who could preside over the hearings.

    On Tuesday, however, Dela Rosa categorically said he would participate if there would be a new Senate inquiry into drug-related killings, and that he would "not be biased" since he was no longer a cop.

    "Dapat lalabas 'yung katotohanan, 'di ba? Do you think, kung hindi ako mag-inhibit, di lalabas ang katotohanan?… Iba na ako ngayon. Senador na, hindi na ako pulis," Dela Rosa said.

    (The truth should come out, right? Do you think that if I don't inhibit, the truth will not come out? I'm different now. I'm a senator now; I'm no longer a cop.)

    Dela Rosa led the first few years of President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody anti-illegal drug campaign. Duterte promised during the presidential elections of 2016 to eradicate illegal drugs "in 3 to 6 months," but later admitted that the problem was so huge that it would likely not be solved withing his term.

    Based on the latest government data, a total of 5,050 drug suspects had been killed in law enforcement operations. But human rights groups estimate over 20,000 deaths including vigilante-style killings in the campaign. – Rappler.com

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    https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/0...n-the-country/

    CBCP official says killing suspects does not solve illegal drugs problem in the country
    By Samuel P. Medenilla - June 27, 20193
    Last updated on June 27th, 2019 at 11:21 pm

    An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) opposed the proposal of senator-elect Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to bring back death penalty.

    CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) Executive Secretary Rodolfo Diamante said killing drug suspects will not solve the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.

    He said this was already proven by the government’s ongoing bloody war against illegal drugs, which have claimed the lives of so many suspects, but still failed to achieve its purpose.

    “If the extra judicial killings that is going on in the country that victimize the alleged drug users and traffickers have not stop the trafficking of drugs, how much more the firing squad of convicted felons,” Diamante told reporters in an interview.

    Rather than focusing on drug suspects, Diamante said, the government should focus instead on ending the root cost of illegal drugs.

    “We advice the senator-elect to focus instead on stopping the entry of drugs, the arrest, and prosecution of the drug traffickers, drug lords, and their protectors and financiers, instead of the penalty, which is the last stage of the criminal justice process,” Diamante said.

    Dela Rosa said on Wednesday he wants as his first legislative agenda, to revive public execution against drug suspects so it will serve as deterrent to other people involved in drug trafficking.

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    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...=.4888a5bb46c5

    PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE of the Philippines is not introspective about the violence he has unleashed against supposed drug users and dealers. The extrajudicial killings have resulted in at least 5,000 deaths, perhaps thousands more, with no due process. Speaking in Tokyo last month, Mr. Duterte was unapologetic. “I don’t care how many of you have died,” he said, “just don’t f--- with me on drugs.”

    This brazen refusal to be held to account for a slaughter is one more reason to take seriously the need for an impartial and outside investigation, which Mr. Duterte has repeatedly rebuffed. In recent days, 11 human rights special rapporteurs at the United Nations have called on the body’s Human Rights Council to start such an investigation. This is a potential case of crimes against humanity, and only a thorough, independent probe can begin to establish the facts.

    “We have recorded a staggering number of unlawful deaths and police killings in the context of the so-called war on drugs, as well as killings of human rights defenders,” the special rapporteurs said in a statement. “Very few independent and effective investigations have taken place, independent media and journalists are threatened, the law has been weaponised to undermine press freedom, and the independence of the judiciary is undermined. We are extremely concerned over the high number of killings which are being carried out across the country in an apparent climate of official, institutional impunity.”

    The group said it has raised concerns 33 times with the Philippines during the past three years about “a range of gross human rights violations,” including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The drug war Mr. Duterte declared after taking office in 2016 has involved police and motorcycle-riding vigilantes shooting to kill people they think might be drug users or dealers, leaving families to grieve without any accountability for the death squads. More recently, there have been indications that Mr. Duterte, who effectively received a vote of confidence in the recent midterm elections, is expanding the use of drug-war tactics in other areas, such as against political activists. He has also sought repeatedly to squelch free speech.

    Mr. Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the International Criminal Court in March after it launched a preliminary inquiry into the extrajudicial killings of his drug war. He quickly rejected the latest call for a U.N. investigation, with his government saying the Philippines is a democracy with rule of law, rejecting “unpardonable intrusions” and saying the criticism was a “biased and absolutely false recital of facts.” Considering that the 47-member Human Rights Council has a number of members with records of gross violations, such as China, Cuba, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the prospects for launching a serious Philippines investigation are challenging. The Philippines is also on the council. But the proposal is a good one. A commission of inquiry such as the one that probed North Korea a few years ago can have lasting impact and ensure that crimes against humanity are not hushed up.
    https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rodrigo...bsn-originals/

    Rodrigo Duterte, the outspoken and polarizing populist president of the Philippines, is best known for his aggressive war on drugs, which, according to human rights groups, has resulted in the extrajudicial killings of tens of thousands of people in his country.

    Duterte has stated publicly, multiple times, that the lives of both drug dealers and users are essentially expendable and that he would gladly exterminate them himself if he could. With his blessing, police on the street act as judge, jury and executioner.
    Philippines Duterte's Foul Mouth
    Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses troops in 2017. Bullit Marquez / AP

    Beyond his rhetoric on the drug war, Duterte has not shied away from insulting his critics, the media, women, fellow heads of state, and even the pope.

    A "dictator's playbook" is threatening democracy. This woman is fighting back

    Here are 10 instances, both before and during his presidency, where his words went far over the line.
    "Hitler massacred 3 million Jews ... there's 3 million drug addicts. There are. I'd be happy to slaughter them."

    - Said during a September 2016 press conference, where he compared himself to Adolf Hitler. He added, "At least Germany had Hitler. The Philippines wouldn't."

    Duterte's statement got a basic historical fact wrong – the Nazis are estimated to have killed 6 million Jews during the Holocaust.
    "Just because you're a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you're a son of a bitch."

    - Comment made in June 2016 after learning of a journalist's death in Manila.
    "Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum."

    - Duterte made this remark about then-President Barack Obama, in advance of a planned summit meeting in Laos in 2016, leading Mr. Obama to cancel the trip. He also said Mr. Obama coud "go to hell." Duterte has since apologized for the statement.
    "I was angry because she was raped, that's one thing. But she was so beautiful, the mayor should have been first. What a waste."

    - Before becoming president, Duterte was mayor of Davao City. He made this comment during a campaign rally in April 2016, in reference to an Australian missionary who was assaulted and killed in 1989.
    "I wanted to call him: 'Pope, son of a whore, go home. Do not visit us again.'"

    - In May 2016, Duterte made this comment after Pope Francis' visit to Manila caused heavy traffic jams.
    "Do the lives of 10 of these criminals really matter? If I am the one facing all this grief, would 100 lives of these idiots mean anything to me?"

    - Duterte's aggressive drug war drew international condemnation, with estimates of casualties in the tens of thousands. Duterte has defended the campaign as necessary, and said the above in August 2016 about the casualties.
    "Tell the soldiers. There's a new order coming from the mayor. We won't kill you. We will just shoot your vagina so that ... if there is no vagina, it would be useless."

    - In February 2018, Duterte made this comment about women fighting with insurgent forces. Human rights groups condemned him for encouraging sexual violence and war crimes.
    "Please don't order me around. … Or would you rather that I declare martial law?"

    - After a supreme court chief justice wrote in a statement that only the high court was allowed to discipline judges, Duterte took it as an affront to his drug war and said the above in August 2016.
    "If you are corrupt, I will fetch you using a helicopter to Manila and I will throw you out. I have done this before. Why would I not do it again?"

    - Duterte said this in December 2016 after confirming that, earlier in his career, he'd thrown a Chinese rape and murder suspect out of a helicopter.
    "I believe in women's competence, but not in all aspects."

    - Said during a speech on May 24, 2018.

  19. #94
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    https://www.rappler.com/nation/23459...lateral-damage

    MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Human Rights on Thursday, July 4, condemned the “death of another innocent life” during a buy-bust operation in Rodriguez, Rizal.

    In a statement, CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said the death of 3-year-old Myca Ulpina and other minors caught in the crossfire of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign “are simply not collateral damage.”

    “She would’ve turned 4 by the end of July, but [her] life was cut short in the hands of those who swore to protect her,” she said. “[The minors] are victims. Their hopes and dreams fall short once [a] bullet enters their bodies.”

    Ulpina was killed during an operation that targeted her father, Renato Dolorfina, and another unidentified cohort early morning of June 29.

    According to the police, Dolorfina used his child as a “human shield” when the shootout happened. But his said in an interview with GMA News that the family was sleeping on the floor when the cops barged into their home.

    The 3-year-old sustained a gunshot wound in the head and died in the hospital the following day. Her father died on the spot.

    The CHR, which dispatched a team to investigate the incident, called on the government to “expedite the investigation…and allow the rule of law to prevail.”

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    “The Commission supports the end of illegal drugs in the country, but we continue to echo the sentiment that the end does not justify the means,” De Guia said.

    She added that the success of the government's campaign should not be measured based on the number of drug suspects killed, "but rather to the multitude of lives changed."

    Detained opposition Senator Leila de Lima also expressed outrage over the death of Ulpina.

    “Isang buhay na naman ang nasayang at nadagdag sa mga libu-libong inosenteng biktima na nagbuwis ng buhay sa huwad na kampanyang ito ng pamahalaan na walang kinahinatnan,” she said in a statement.

    (A life was again wasted and added to the thousands of innocent victims who lost their lives in this fake government campaign that's going nowhere.)

    Ulpina is just one of the minors and college students killed in President Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs, either caught in the crossfire or targeted such as 17-year-old Kian delos Santos. (LIST: Minors, college students killed in Duterte's drug war)

    At least 6,000 suspected drug personalities have been killed in operations while human rights groups pegged the number to reach more than 20,000 to include those killed vigilante-style.

    Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a statement, said the deaths of children and thousands of adults should push the United Nations Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution urging the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate and report on the violations in the Philippines.

    “The resolution on the table is a modest first step, but if passed and implemented it can make significant inroads towards stopping the carnage in the Philippines,” Carlos Conde of HRW Asia Division said.


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    “The ‘drug war’ has also damaged countless Filipino children who continue to grapple with the psychological, emotional, social, and economic impact of the killings of their loved ones, who were often their family’s breadwinner,” he added. – Rappler.com

  20. #95
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    https://www.rappler.com/nation/23465...gs-philippines


    MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) ? Iceland on Thursday. July 4, filed a draft resolution that will push the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to call for concrete actions against the rising number of killings in the Philippines, including those under the violent anti-illegal drug campaign.

    If approved, the UNHRC will request rights chief Michelle Bachelet to prepare a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines that will be presented to the council.

    The draft resolution also urges the government to cooperate with UN offices and mechanisms by facilitating country visits and ?refraining from all acts of intimidation or retaliation.?

    The draft resolution noted the ?repeated expression of concern? on the Philippine situation by Bachelet and other special rapporteurs, including Agnes Callamard who has been threatened by Duterte himself.

    The UNHRC is expected to vote whether or not to adopt the draft resolution before the 41st session ends on July 12.

    Duterte?s violent war on drugs has led to at least 6,000 suspected drug personalities killed in police operations while human rights groups pegged the number to reach more than 20,000 to include those killed vigilante-style

    Bachelet, during the opening of the 41st session, said that her office is closely monitoring the situation as the confirmed number of deaths ?would be a matter of most serious concern for any country.?

    She also said she supports the calls of UN special rapporteurs for the UN Human Rights Council to conduct an independent investigation into the killings.

    Various human rights groups have been lobbying for action from international organizations, including the UN, against the worrisome situation in the Philippines.

    Ellecer Carlos of In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity (iDEFEND) told Rappler that they are hopeful that the draft resolution will be adopted though it will be a ?close shave.? (READ: Human rights: How to deal with Duterte, the biggest challenge?)

    ?This is a make-or-break situation,? he said.

    iDEFEND said in a statement that it hoped "a majority of the members of the Human Rights Council will appreciate the urgency of the resolution and vote favorably for its adoption."

    "More importantly, the government should end its embarrassing crusade against international scrutiny, recognize the magnitude of the country?s human rights crisis and cooperate towards a meaningful probe into extrajudicial killings,? it said.

    iDEFEND said it expected the Philippine government ?to vigorously oppose the measure, as government officials have been traveling to Europe to vilify and discredit Philippine human rights defenders, and to peddle fraudulent statements about the drug war to the international community.?

    ?The government delegations? shocking behavior at the UNHRC has exposed their frustration at the failure of their year-long operation to bury the issue. Their curses and insults are only matched by the courage of Filipino human rights defenders who continue to raise the truth,? it added.

    In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the rights council is needed to act immediateley as thousands of Filipinos are and continue to be killed in the Philippines, including minors such as 3-year-old Myka Ulpina. (READ: CHR: Minors killed in drug war 'simply not collateral damage?)


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    The Philippines, it added, ?should no longer be able to escape the scrutiny of the international community.?

    ?This Council can no longer stay silent in the face of the killing of thousands of men, women and children and the devastation of their families,? HRW said. ?For children like Myka, and all the other victims, this Council should urgently ensure an investigation into the human rights situation in the Philippines.?

    Meanwhile, the Children?s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) said Dela Rosa's comment on Ulpina's death "further justifies CRC?s appeal to the UN Human Rights Council to immediately conduct an impartial investigation into numerous incidents and cases of human and child rights violations and abuses in the Philippines."

    "Without such action from the international community, the slaughter of Filipinos, mainly from the poor, would continue as shown by the ever-growing record of violations and abuses caused by the drug war and the culture of impunity in our country," it added. ? Rappler.com

  21. #96
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    https://www.news.com.au/world/asia/w...2bc64dd78caf9a

    A three-year-old girl — one of the youngest known victims of the war on drugs — has been farewelled at a funeral in Southeast Asia, after she was killed during a police raid of her home.

    Kateleen Myca Ulpina was allegedly used as a human shield by her father, who police claim pulled a gun on armed undercover officers during a drugs sting in The Philippines, and was killed in the crossfire, according to reports.

    Her tragic death last month generated media attention after the former top commander of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, described it as “collateral damage”. He has since apologised for his comments.

    Police claim Myca’s father, Reanto, was armed during a police operation in Rizal province, near Manila, on June 29 this year. They say undercover cops had tried to buy drugs from Reanto during the operation when he pulled a gun on them, shooting one of their officers and using his young daughter as a human shield.

    The family has rejected the police version of events, with little Myca’s mother, who didn’t want to be identified, claiming police burst into their home without a warrant while the family slept. She said her daughter was killed by a stray bullet, according to The National Post.

    A priest at the funeral has claimed he has never known a victim of the war on drugs to “fight back” when dealing with police.

    “I can’t count how many masses I’ve held for victims of the war on drugs, but one thing I’ve discovered is none of them fought back,” priest Noel Gatchailan, said at the mass commemorating little Myca’s life on Tuesday.

    “Sorry Myca, for I wasn’t able to protect you … Sorry that you were born at a time when the poor are targeted and killings are rampant.

    “Sorry if they’re saying you’re collateral damage.”


    Following her death, Senator de la Rosa caused outrage by defending the actions of the drug enforcement officials, telling media, “Sh*t happens.”

    A picture of young Myca at her funeral on Tuesday, after she lost her life as ‘collateral damage’ in the war on drugs. Picture: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
    A picture of young Myca at her funeral on Tuesday, after she lost her life as ‘collateral damage’ in the war on drugs. Picture: Ezra Acayan/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

    Media reports quoted him saying, “Sh*t happens during operations. I admit, there are instances where, during the course of operations, honest to goodness there will be collateral damage.”

    He later apologised to the family for the remarks.

    The service for Myca was held under a tarpaulins held up by bamboo poles, outside and open plastic chairs, and attended by dozens of mourners, who crammed into the funeral.

    Outside, activists gathered, wearing “Justice for Myca,” and “Stop the attacks against the poor” T-shirts.

    Little Myca’s death is one of the most recent casualties from the war on drugs in the Philippines. Police say in the last three years of their crackdown on drugs, led by Mr Duterte, some 6600 have been killed. Activists puts the numbers much higher, at about 27,000.

    “Here we are three years later with 27,000 killed, among the most impoverished, in a massive crackdown. That is a conservative estimate,” a Manila-based activist, Ellecer “Budit” Carlos, told Reuters.

    These claims have been rejected by the government and law enforcement, with a spokesman for Mr Duterte previously saying foreign governments were being “misled by false news and untruthful narratives”. They’ve claimed the government’s high approval rating is evidence of the program’s success.

    Police have claimed little Myca’s father was armed at the time of the raid, and resisted arrest, using his daughter as a human shield. Other deaths attributed to raids have also been linked to alleged offenders being armed.

    The United Nations Human Rights Council was preparing to vote this week on a proposed investigation into the Philippines war on drugs, following pleas from activists to take a deeper look into the national crackdown.



    I guess if these deaths are worth it to President Duterte an allies then you made your omlette then.

  22. #97
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    https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2...imonial-dinner


    MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte, known for his off-color remarks, told lawmakers and politicians that he had killed people because he felt Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wanted him to during her presidency.

    The remarks, said at a testimonial dinner for Arroyo on Tuesday evening, were met with laughter by the president's audience.

    Duterte was all praises for the former chief executive and House leader, calling her “a true living icon in Philippine politics and an embodiment of strong political will.”

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    “Madam President, we raise our glasses tonight for the invaluable contributions that you have made as a public servant. May your legacy shine through and inspire millions of Filipinos as we move forward in realizing our dream of building a better and more prosperous Philippines for all,” Duterte said.

    'Of course, I didn't kill anyone on her orders'
    But before he ended his speech, Duterte recalled the time when he—as Davao City mayor— “worked” for Arroyo.


    “Of course, wala akong pinatay na tao na utos niya. Pinatay ko na lang kasi feeling ko gusto niya,” Duterte said, drawing laughter from the crowd of legislators.

    (Of course, I didn’t kill under her direct orders. I just killed because I felt like she wanted it.)

    Duterte has been accused of being involved in the so-called "Davao Death Squad," a vigilante group that is said to have summarily executed people in Davao City and other cities in Mindanao.

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    inRead invented by Teads
    Philip Alston, special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, visited the Philippines in 2008 to look into reports of EJKs, including vigilante killings in Davao City attributed to the "Davao Death Squad."

    "[I]t has become a polite euphemism to refer vaguely to 'vigilante groups' when accounting for the shocking predictability with which criminals, gang members, and street children are extrajudicially executed. One fact points very strongly to the officially-sanctioned character of these killings: No one involved covers his face," Alston wrote in his report on the visit.

    "The men who warn mothers that their children will be the next to die unless they make themselves scarce turn up on doorsteps undisguised. The men who gun down or, and this is becoming more common, knife children in the streets almost never cover their faces. In fact, for these killers to wear "bonnets" is so nearly unheard of that the witnesses I interviewed did not think to mention the fact until I asked," he also wrote.

    In 2009, Human Rights Watch said in a report on the killings that "the failure to dismantle the Davao Death Squad and other similar groups, prosecute those responsible, and bring justice to the families of victims lies not only with local authorities."

    "The administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has largely turned a blind eye to the killing spree in Davao City and elsewhere," it also wrote, adding "the continued death squad operation reflects an official mindset in which the ends are seen as justifying the means."

    Elaine Pearson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch at the time, also said: "In the face of evidence pointing to local government involvement in these murders, President Arroyo's continued silence could be seen as tacit acceptance of death squad killings."

    Malaca?ang often explains Duterte’s controversial statements as jokes, noting even the president is entitled to cracking one now and then.

    Sought for comment, Cristina Palabay, secretary general of rights group Karapatan said on Wednesday: "Both of them are murderers and they both deserve to be accountable for their crimes."

    Arroyo thanks Duterte for plunder acquittal
    At the same event, Arroyo thanked Duterte for “providing the atmosphere” that led to her acquittal from plunder charges.

    “Most of all, I thank you that when you became president, you provided the atmosphere in which the court had the freedom to acquit me of the trumped-up charges of my successor and your predecessor, so that the court voted 11-4 in my favor, including half of those who were appointed by my successor,” Arroyo said.

    In July 2016, barely a month after Duterte became president, the Supreme Court acquitted Arroyo of plunder over the alleged misuse of funds of the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

    The Supreme Court ruling allowed Arroyo to walk free after nearly four years of hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial and Medical Center.

    She was arrested in October 2012 during the presidency of Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party, the administration party at the time.

    Arroyo, however, said her sole regret in her relationship with Duterte was that he had found her “difficult to deal with.”

    “It was never my intention to be difficult with you,” she said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico


    Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2...QXmVlsY62sA.99

  23. #98
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    https://www.rappler.com/nation/23485...ational-report

    MANILA, Philippines – The human rights violations under President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign have “reached the threshold of crimes against humanity,” Amnesty International said.

    In its latest report, “They Just Kill,” published on Monday, July 8, the human rights group said the extrajudicial killings are “deliberate and systematic” in nature and appear to be part of a “government-orchestrated attack against poor people” allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

    Duterte’s violent war on drugs has led to at least 6,000 suspected drug personalities killed in police operations. Human rights groups meanwhile pegged the number at more than 20,000 including those killed vigilante-style. (READ: The Impunity Series)

    There is already sufficient evidence to conclude that these incidents constitute crimes against humanity, which are defined as “widespread or systematic attacks directed against any civilian population,” Amnesty International said.

    The report is the second the group released on Duterte's drug war with its 2017 report detailing stories of alleged police corruption and abuse.

    Same patterns

    The human rights group investigated 20 incidents (18 in police operations with two by unknown individuals) with a total of 27 people killed in Bulacan. The team interviewed a total of 58 people, including families of victims and witnesses of the executions. (READ: Central Luzon: New killing fields in Duterte's drug war)

    The report identified patterns in “practically all cases” it examined, including police claims that the victims fought back despite families saying their killed relatives did not own a gun as they have no money to even get one. (READ: In the PH drug war, it's likely EJK when...)

    “The victims of the drug-related killings examined by Amnesty International were overwhelmingly from poor and marginalized communities, in line with past research findings showing that the government’s anti-drug efforts chiefly target the poor,” it said.

    The findings of the latest report corroborate previous documentations by Amnesty International and other groups, which also include a “consistent pattern of police tampering with crime scenes, rigging evidence, and falsifying reports.”

    Families are also unable to file cases against those responsible. They told Amnesty International that their requests for documents, including police reports or blotters, are denied. (READ: Duterte gov't allows 'drug war' deaths to go unsolved)

    “Police reports that describe the circumstances of their loved one’s death are necessary for challenging the police’s version of events,” the report said. “As such, building a case almost always hinges upon the sharing of documents by police, which is now a dead end.”

    They are also “turned away from police stations, either informed that the relevant investigator was not there, or given the runaround from station to station.”

    These findings are consistent with what other groups, including the Commission on Human Rights, have said pertaining to requests. State agents, mainly the Philippine National Police, have repeatedly denied the release of documents related to the war on drugs. (READ: Evading probes? The many times Duterte admin didn't give drug war documents)


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    In April 2018, the Supreme Court ordered the release of tens of thousands of documents related to the killings to the Center for International Law (CenterLaw) and the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG). The decision thumbed down Solicitor General Jose Calida’s argument that arguing the release will put national security at risk.

    Investigations needed

    Amnesty International called on Duterte to end his drug war and enforce a policy that “puts the protection of people’s health and rights at the center,” among others.

    The UN HRC, it said, should “adopt a resolution to create an independent, impartial and effective investigation into human rights violations in the context of the ‘war on drugs,’ including into the commission of crimes under international law, to establish the facts and circumstances, and take steps toward ensuring justice for the victims and their families.”

    A resolution filed by Iceland seeking actions against the killings is up for voting at the UN HRC. If approved, it will request rights chief Michelle Bachelet prepare a comprehensive report and will urge the government to cooperate with UN offices and mechanisms by facilitating country visits and “refraining from all acts of intimidation or retaliation.”

    The ICC, meanwhile, is conducting its own preliminary examination which will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish that the case against Duterte falls under its jurisdiction. (READ: Duterte throws out decade-long fight for the International Criminal Court)

    In December 2018, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor said it has “further closely followed relevant developments in the Philippines and will continue to do so.” – Rappler.com

  24. #99
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    https://thewire.in/world/un-to-probe...rug-war-deaths

    Geneva: The UN Human Rights Council voted on Thursday to set up an investigation into mass killings during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called ‘war on drugs’, a step that activists said was long overdue.

    Duterte’s government says police have killed about 6,600 people in shootouts with suspected drug dealers since he was elected in 2016 on a platform of crushing crime. Activists say the toll is at least 27,000.

    The first-ever resolution on the Philippines, led by Iceland, was adopted by a vote of 18 countries in favour and 14 against, including China, with 15 abstentions, including Japan.

    Also read: Indonesia: President Widodo Orders Officers to Shoot Drug Traffickers

    “This is not just a step towards paying justice for the thousands of families of victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, but it is also a message that we collectively send out to those who have praised President Duterte,” said Ellecer “Budit” Carlos of the Manila-based rights group iDefend.

    “This war on drugs, as we have repeatedly said, it’s a sham war,” he told a news briefing in Geneva.


    Jennelyn Olaires, 26, cradles the body of her partner, who was killed in a street by a vigilante group, according to police, in a spate of drug-related killings in Pasay city, Metro Manila, Philippines. Photo: Reuters

    Philippine activists say tens of thousands are being killed as police terrorise poor communities, using the cursory drug “watch lists” to identify suspected users or dealers, and executing many in the guise of sting operations.

    Police deny that, saying all their killings were in self-defence.

    Also read: ‘Police Can Kill If People Resist Arrest’, Says Phillipines’s Duterte

    Myca Ulpina, a three-year-old killed on June 29 near Manila, was among the latest and youngest known victims. Police say her father, Renato, had used his daughter as a human shield.

    ‘Maliciously Partisan’

    Duterte’s spokesman, Salvador Panelo, questioned the validity of a resolution not backed by the majority of council members, saying Filipinos overwhelmingly backed the president’s unique leadership and approach.

    “The resolution is grotesquely one-sided, outrageously narrow, and maliciously partisan,” Panelo said in a lengthy statement issued overnight.

    “It reeks of nauseating politics completely devoid of respect for the sovereignty of our country, even as it is bereft of the gruesome realities of the drug menace.”


    Activists and families of drug war victims display placards during a protest against the war on drugs by President Rodrigo Duterte in Quezon city, Metro Manila in the Philippines. Photo: Reuters/Eloisa Lopez

    The delegation from the Philippines, which is among the council’s 47 members, had lobbied hard against the resolution, which asks national authorities to prevent extrajudicial killings and cooperate with UN human rights boss Michelle Bachelet, who is to report her findings in June 2020.

    Philippines ambassador Evan Garcia said the Duterte administration was committed to upholding justice, adding, “We will not tolerate any form of disrespect or acts of bad faith. There will be consequences, far-reaching consequences.”

    Also read: Sri Lanka Reinstates Death Penalty, HRW Terms It ‘Extremely Disturbing.’

    Laila Matar of New York-based Human Rights Watch criticised his comments.

    “It was quite clear that they threatened consequences for those who had supported the resolution, which in turn makes us concerned for the many human rights defenders, civil society activists and journalists on the ground,” she told the briefing.

    Duterte, asked by reporters in Manila whether he would allow UN rights officials access to investigate, said, “Let them state their purpose, and I will review it.”

    If Duterte permitted the investigation and it proceeded impartially, Panelo said, “We are certain its result will only lead to the humiliation of the investigators, as well as of Iceland and the seventeen other nations.”

  25. #100
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    https://thediplomat.com/2019/07/fili...defenders-law/

    During President Rodrigo Duterte’s three years in office, 134 human rights defenders have been killed in the Philippines, a trend that has increased at an alarming rate in recent months. Two of the most recent victims are Ryan Hubilla and Nelly Bagasala, members of the human rights organization Karapatan. They were killed in broad daylight on June 15 by unknown gunmen in Sorsogon province. Cristina “Tinay” Palabay, Karapatan’s secretary-general, called these killings evidence of the Duterte regime’s “promotion of the culture of violence and impunity among its uniformed men and vigilante-styled assailants… These murders indicate that the human rights crisis in the Philippines is only getting worse.” Karapatan also reports that its workers have experienced military and police surveillance.

    Human rights groups are confronting this crisis from multiple angles — including a legislative solution that seeks to improve the security and basic protection of human rights defenders. For more than a decade, a range of grassroots, justice, and women’s groups have worked with progressive lawmakers in the country to push for the Human Rights Defenders Bill (or House Bill 9199). This proposed law would recognize HRD rights and clarify the state’s obligation to protect 17 HRD freedoms, including freedom from intimidation. It would also create a HRD Protection Committee, which could take action against violators of the law, and outlines steps for redress for activists, including specifying gender-based attacks against women HRDs and LGBTQ activists. Two of the bill’s primary authors are representatives from GABRIELA Women’s Party (GWP), Arlene Brosas and Emmi de Jesus.

    HB 9199 recently passed in the House of Representatives, and will now move to the Senate where detained opposition lawmaker, Leila de Lima, authored the same initiative. The Senate will likely take up a vote in July.

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    A Culture of Impunity

    Why is this important? In 2018, the Philippines was the most dangerous country in Asia for environmental and land defenders, according to Global Witness. Front Line Defenders’ 2018 global analysis revealed that these defenders are also among the highest risk groups across Asia, targeted by states, corporations, local vested interest groups, and paid thugs. The Philippines saw a record-high 60 HRDs killed in 2017 alone, and, according to Karapatan, at least 613 defenders have been killed since 2001. Along with Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, the Philippines is among the six countries that account for 80 percent of the deaths of rights defenders worldwide.

    Since he assumed power in 2016, President Duterte has openly expressed his aversion towards human rights. “I don’t care about human rights, believe me,” he said in 2016. In 2017, he was more explicit: “Do not believe these human rights activists. I’ll kill you along with drug addicts; I’ll decapitate you.” In this context, justice groups have taken a two-pronged strategy: continue to lobby for the HRD bill, while also continuing to do their human rights work at great risk. HRDs are preparing for the worst, especially now that Duterte has consolidated his power with majority support in all three branches of government.

    “The murders, harassment, and intimidation are part of an orchestrated move of this government to normalize their repressive policies and to inculcate into Filipinos’ minds that state violence and intimidation are the only way to solve the ills of society,” Palabay said. Duterte has already used his executive powers to legitimize the crackdown on HRDs. In addition to the repressive martial law in Mindanao, there is the Oplan Sauron in Negros, an internal security operation plan against alleged leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines. In major cities, the SEMPO plan (Synchronized Enhanced Management of Police Operations) employs “shock and awe” tactics: synchronized besieging of targeted villages, premeditated killings and arrests, and continued issuing of warrants, even signed blank warrants for whomever the police and military wish to arrest or kill. These operational plans all fall under the national-level counterinsurgency program previously called Oplan Kapayapaan (Operational Plan Peace) and now Joint Campaign Plan Kapanatagan (Stability), which increasingly target human rights workers, on top of peasants and indigenous people.

    Women at the Forefront of HRD Protection

    Women human rights defenders here face elevated threats of sexual violence and gendered attacks. Yet Women HRDs across the Philippines are organizing communities, building collective protection, and mobilizing urgent action while also advocating for HRD protection legislation with allies inside Congress. Among many feminist and women-led organizations, GABRIELA and Karapatan illustrate the convergence of “inside and outside” strategies – an alignment of lobbying and organizing.

    GABRIELA, one of the largest grassroots women’s organizations in the country, formed a women’s political party in 2001 to promote the rights and welfare of marginalized people. Today, GABRIELA Women’s Party files more pro-women and pro-people’s bills than any other political party. In a recent JASS Southeast Asia webinar on the changing context in the region, GABRIELA member Sharon Cabusao-Silva said, “We are trying to link with as many organizations are possible to help us in our fight against this dictatorship in our country,” which is why GABRIELA relies on the power of grassroots activism and public policy.

    Meanwhile, human rights organization Karapatan is focused on pushing all levels of governance – from city councils to the National Congress – to adopt protections for HRDs and pass resolutions in support of the HRD bill (the Iloilo City council recently did just that).

    With the eyes of the world on the Philippines, the Duterte administration may find it harder to violate human rights at will. With international pressure and solidarity, and the passage of the HRD bill, there’s hope yet for improvements in the safety and protection of human rights defenders across the country. “With the human rights situation in the Philippines deteriorating, we now appeal to the international community to stand with us,” said Cabusao-Silva. “Along with solid grassroots organizing in the communities, global solidarity is critical at this time.”

    Reversing these trends will require more than an HRD bill, but the passage of this bill would create formal accountability for Duterte and others in government, which would make it harder for them to act with total disregard for human rights. “This bill, if passed into law, should provide stronger accountability measures for state actors who systematically and routinely violate people’s rights,” said Palabay.

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