Duterte tells police: Do not talk to UN rapporteur
By Arjay L. Balinbin
President Rodrigo R. Duterte has instructed the police to ignore any special rapporteur tasked by the United Nations (UN) to investigate the alleged large-scale violations of human rights that stem from his administration’s nationwide crackdown against illegal drug trafficking.
“So, I would like to announce…when a human rights [team] arrives or whoever the rapporteur is, my order is do not answer. Do not bother,” Mr. Duterte said during the opening ceremonies of the National Special Weapon and Tactics (SWAT) Challenge held at Team Davao Firing Range in Davao City on Thursday evening, March 1.
The President added that it is pointless for his administration to provide information on the matter.
“Why would we be answering? Who are they? And who are you to interfere in the way I would run my country? You know very well that we are being swallowed by drugs…If we give inputs, well of course, there would be a lot of [speculations]. They would say he’s dictator and he doesn’t like elections,” he said.
“That is my order. Do not talk to people who will produce lies out of your statements, and who can twist it forever to the angle that they would like it to,” the President stressed.
For his part, Presidential Spokesperson Herminio Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in an interview with ANC on Thursday morning that a state, like the Philippines, cannot be compelled to allow an investigation by a special rapporteur as stated “under the Special Rapporteur System of the UN Human Rights Council.”
“The whole system is built around sovereignty and decisions made by sovereign states,” the spokesman added.
Mr. Roque pointed out that there are specific qualifications for a special rapporteur who may be allowed to conduct an investigation in the country.
“Number one, a rapporteur that you can trust. How do you trust a Rapporteur: that he is really an authority in the specific area that he will be investigating; that he is a person of integrity; that he will be objective; and that he is not partisan?”
“Now, under these criteria — I mean Agnes Callamard — flunks all of it. She is not really an expert on extra-legal killings; she is a freedom of expression person; she cut the objectives; she has prejudged us; she is not neutral and she’s even glared partisan, because she works closely with the Soro’s Open Society Institute.”
Asked what the government plans to do next, Mr. Roque said: “Let’s just wait. We are considering other rapporteurs to come.”
