QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — Several members of the United Nations Human Rights Council expressed grave concern over the alleged incidents of extra-judicial killings in the Philippines, this after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano gave an account of the human rights record of the Philippines before the international body in Geneva, Switzerland.
The delegates from the United States and Australia said that it was important that the government look into the alleged 7,000 reported incidents of extra-judicial killings to identify who was really behind the incidents.
“We believe that it is important that the Philippine government investigate the allegations of the more than 7,000 deaths associated with the counter-narcotics campaign since July 2016, including over 2,600 killings by security forces and more than 4,000 by unknown assailants,” Jessica Carl, Secretary of the United States mission to the UN in Geneva, said.
“We ask the Philippine government to investigate these crimes, hold accountable those who are responsible, and bring justice to the victims,” the American delegate added.
Canada also made a call to end extrajudicial killings.
France, meanwhile, recommended that the Philippines abandon the re-imposition of the death penalty in the country.
China offered to support the Philippines drug war campaign.
Cayetano reiterated there was no “state-sponsored extrajudicial killings” in the Philippines, and asked the UNHRC to visit the country so they could see for themselves the true situation and the real numbers.
“However, for the current administration, a different definition is being used. EJK now refers to any death outside of those caused by natural causes, accidents or those ordered by the courts,” Cayetano said.
“We are asking you, through the mechanisms of this Honorable Council, to interview our people, to go our communities, to visit the Philippines to see for yourself the truth, real numbers, which ones are real news, which ones are fake news,” Senator Cayetano added.
Below is a list of countries which have expressed concerns over the alleged extrajudicial killings, or asked the Philippines to refrain from reinstating capital punishment:
- Austria
- Australia
- Belgium
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Holy See
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Moldova
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Zambia
