The Philippine delegation in Geneva, Switzerland led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra faced more than 100 representatives of the member-countries of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in defending the country’s human rights record.
Cayetano explained there was a deliberate attempt to bloat the numbers on alleged extrajudicial killings.
The Philippine delegates answered questions on drug-related killings under the Duterte administration.
Cayetano said that the killings were not state-sponsored and were due to criminal activities.
“Make no mistake, any death or killing is one too much. However, there is a deliberate attempt to include all homicides as EJKs or killings related to the campaign against criminality and illegal drugs, and that these are state-sponsored, which is simply not true,” Cayetano said.
He then explained that the current administration under President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to protect the human rights of all Filipinos.
“The new administration is committed to real change, to institute reforms and to protect the human rights of all Filipinos. The new administration continues to be committed to the obligations accompanying the various international treaties ratified in the previous years,” Cayetano said.
“Hence, the Duterte administration has vowed to integrate the human rights agenda in its development initiatives to protect all, especially the most vulnerable sectors, including but not limited to, the indigenous people, children, women, migrant workers, elderly, domestic workers, persons with disabilities, farmers, laborers and members of the LGBT community,” Cayetano said.
He also said that the government vowed to address the threats on human rights.
“President Duterte and his administration are exerting all efforts to address this threat and to bridge differences across our region so that regional peace, stability and sustainable development can cease being a dream and become a reality,” Cayetano added.