BY CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT ON OCTOBER 14, 2018
The Philippines emerged victorious in its bid to keep a seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), despite calls from human rights watchdogs to reject the country’s candidacy, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
On Friday, the country won 165 of the 192 votes to retain a seat in the council, an intergovernmental body “responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.”
With the victory, the Philippines will get to serve a fresh three-year term in the 47-member council based in Geneva from 2019 to 2021.
The Philippines first served in the Council from 2007 to 2009, and then from 2012 to 2014. It was reelected for the third time in 2015.
The result of the voting was announced by the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), Teodoro Locsin Jr., who is set to become the next foreign affairs secretary.
Aside from the Philippines, the other member-states elected to the council by the UN General Assembly were Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eritrea, Fiji, India, Italy, Somalia, Togo and Uruguay.
‘Repudiation’
Malacañang on Saturday welcomed the Philippines’ victory, saying it was a “repudiation” of the critics of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
In a statement, newly designated Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said the country’s reelection to the UNHRC was “a recognition that our government respects human rights and will not tolerate abuse by those in authority.”
“Getting a seat in the UN Human Rights Council is a repudiation of the critics and detractors on President Duterte’s unrelenting war against illegal drugs,” he said.
With the county’s re-election, Panelo said Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, corruption, and criminality “has, in effect, been acknowledged by the international community as essential to the protection of the right to life, liberty and property of every peace-loving and law-abiding citizen of our State.”
“The community of nations has viewed the drug menace as a global problem requiring its utmost attention in forcefully dealing with it and forging a united front against the purveyors of its proliferation across the frontiers of the world. The Philippines is at the forefront of this gigantic fight and is showing the way how to slay the dragon of destruction,” he said.
“We thank and commend the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the States that supported our country’s bid, for affirming the Philippines’ brand of human rights advocacy under the Duterte administration as truly responsive to our people’s needs and aspirations for a better and more dignified life,” Panelo added.
Iceland hit
Outgoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano lashed out at Iceland, which he said was the leading campaigner against the Philippines. Iceland, he said, should deal with its No. 1 human rights problem — domestic violence.
“If you want to talk human rights, we’re here. Let’s sit down and discuss it. But [if] you just want to criticize us from afar and don’t want to give solutions, and just keep saying you’re right and we’re wrong, it’s helping no one,” he added.
Cayetano, in a statement issued shortly after he was informed of the election results, said: “Our election to another term in the Human Rights Council would not have been possible without the support of other UN Member-States who clearly understood where we are coming from.”
Earlier this year, the council urged the Philippines to cooperate with the UN for an assessment of the country’s human rights situation.
The Duterte administration has faced allegations of being behind summary killings of drug suspects. Officials have many times denied this, saying those slain in police raids had resisted arrest.
More than 4,200 drug suspects have been killed since 2016, but human rights groups and government critics claim this figure is understated.
New York-based Human Rights Watch urged UN members to kick the Philippines and northeastern African state Eritrea out of the council, citing the Duterte administration’s drug war and attacks on human rights defenders.
“Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s abusive ‘war on drugs’ has been a killing frenzy that has left thousands dead,” the HRW said.
The group also cited Duterte’s intolerance of any kind of opposition and his verbal attacks against critics of the drug war such as UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard, and High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
‘PH has no right to be part of rights council’
Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano on Saturday said the Philippines had no right to be part of the UNHRC because of the drug war.
“A big irony took place this week when the Philippines won a seat at the United Nations Human Rights Council in New York. A country that has numerous cases of human rights violations has no place in the council. This is a blatant disrespect to the families of the victims of human rights violations under the Duterte Administration,” Alejano said in a statement.
Speaking to reporters, he said: “It would be ironic that we will become a member of a commission that will uphold and affirm respect for human rights in the whole world. I think that the Philippines has no right to be part of it.”
“How will the Philippines fulfill its responsibilities which come with its seat at the Human Rights Council when killings and violations are widespread in her own backyard?” he added.
“It cannot be denied that thousands have died in the war on drugs and human rights were violated).”
With a reports from NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS AND MA. REINA LEANNE C. TOLENTINO
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