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[av_heading heading=’ LETTER TO THE EDITOR On Duterte’s threat to shoot human rights defenders’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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THE CENTER for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) condemns in the highest degree the latest pronouncement of President Duterte to shoot human rights advocates. This statement can be construed as state policy and will definitely put the lives of many human rights advocates at risk and target for killing spree by State security forces.
In a speech during the 19th founding anniversary of the Volunteers Against Crimes and Corruption (VACC), Duterte said, “Sabihin mo, ‘Pulis, barilin mo na ‘yang kasali diyan, para makita talaga kung anong klaseng human right. (Tell them, police, shoot him/her who are participating there [referring to protests against war on drugs] so they will see what kind of human right).”
This in itself is a declaration of war against human rights defenders and advocates. Not only does he exacerbate the culture of impunity, he actually instigates it.
Does this mean that these pronouncements will be implemented the way the war on drugs is being carried out? The war on drugs must be stopped. CTUHR has staunchly criticized the war on drugs that has killed thousands of lives as anti-poor and will not solve the country’s ails.
Human rights organizations have been calling on the government to address the drug problem of the country in a holistic way – by running after the big drug dealers in his “narco list”, including those in the bureaucracy and military with connections to foreign drug suppliers. Yet, President Duterte has put the blame on human rights organizations for the swelling number of drug users. He said the latter defend their rights and are silent about heinous crimes. Addressing heinous crimes is not the responsibility of human rights defenders, it is the responsibility of the state, particularly the police.
President Duterte curses the church, media, critics and everyone who oppose or criticize his campaign against drugs. His administration is zealously claiming that there were only 78,941 recorded crime cases from July 2016 to March 2017 – a 50 percent drop compared to the 158,879 crime cases during the Aquino administration.
But he does not mention the staggering increase in the drug war’s murder cases, which stand at 13,000 and 67 victims of political killings, in his administration’s first year in office. The murder of Kian De los Santos, the Grade 11 kid, should be a telling reminder that his war on drugs has to end now.
CTUHR reiterates its call to stop the war on drugs and stop the killings, and calls on President Duterte to retract its open threat to human rights advocates. People have enough of the bloodshed. – Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, Culmat Building, E. Rodriguez Ave., Quezon City
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