Palace to work only with probers “objective to conduct a fair investigation”: Roque

March 3, 2018

The Palace expressed willingness to cooperate only with credible human rights investigators to look into its anti-drug program.

“We will only cooperate to the people who do not yet have conclusion and objective to conduct a fair investigation before making a conclusion,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque in a briefing in Zamboanga del Norte on Saturday.

Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police not to entertain any human rights group or foreign rapporteur who would investigate the human rights violation in the country because he does not trust United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard.

“The president thinks that the UN Rapporteur who wants to enter is bias and already has a conclusion before the investigation,” Roque said.

“Why will we cooperate with a rapporteur who already has a conclusion and what she only need is something to support her conclusion?” he added.

Although Duterte does not trust the (UN) Special Rapporteur, Roque emphasized Callamard is still welcome in the country.

“She has entered the Philippine without invitation before. She is welcome because after all we welcome all tourists. However , she should not show that she wants to investigate because entering the Philippines does not mean that she can investigate,” he said.

“So if she enters we will invite her to swim in the cold water of Pasig River,” he added.

When asked about the transparency on the government’s anti-illegal drug war, Roque said Duterte has ordered to charge and punish rouge policemen.

“All of the killings in the ongoing war on drugs (s) because it is a legal operation, and if there are illegal killings like what happened to Kian ( de los Santos), the president has ordered to charge and punish the police,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS