HRW tells UN it is ‘not too late’ to investigate PHL drug war killings

NEW YORK-BASED Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the United Nations (UN) to conduct an investigation on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, saying the members states of the international organization have “stoody by” despite the killings and other violations in the Philippines. “The Philippines’ descent into an all-out human rights crisis, with thousands of extrajudicial executions and a crackdown on basic liberties, has generated an outcry, but no strong action, from United Nations members states,” said HRW Deputy Director Laila Matar in a statement released late Monday. “UN member states stood by while thousands were killed, but it’s not too late for them to act to prevent the killing of thousands more. When the Council convenes in Geneva today, they have an opportunity to do just that — by urgently establishing an international investigation,” she added. HRW cited the findings of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that an estimated 27,000 people had been killed, with no one brought to justice.” Ms. Matar said, “The police deny this figure but do admit to killing more than 6,600 people, only underscoring the need for serious investigations, which the government has unsurprisingly been unwilling to undertake.” She noted that the Philippines “is a member of the UN Human Rights Council and thus is expected to uphold the highest standards of human rights.” — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras