Philippines calls UN human rights experts to respect its sovereignty

June 26, 2020

The United Nations human rights experts should respect the sovereignty of the Philippines as its courts have been functioning, Malacañang said on Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after the UN human rights experts asked the international body's member states to initiate sanctions and criminal prosecution against Philippine government officials who have "committed, incited, or failed to prevent human rights abuses" in the country.

"The conclusions they have reached and the sanctions they have demanded confirm the lack of impartiality that has unfortunately tainted the human rights mechanisms of the United Nations when it comes to the Duterte Administration," he said.

He said the Philippines has continuously discharged its obligations to punish violations of human rights. 

"We have legislation and mechanisms against torture and enforced disappearances, laws to the enforce international humanitarian law, and penal laws that have been crafted to protect and promote human rights as enshrined in our Constitution," Roque said.

He said the country has a working and independent judiciary that deals with violators of human rights, regardless of who they may be.

Reiterating the government's earlier response to the Office of the High Commissioner's report, Roque added the Philippine courts stand ready to receive and rule on any complaints.

"We call on the special rapporteurs to respect our legal system and the Philippines as a sovereign state," he stressed.

But he said that these UN special rapporteurs are not employees of the UN and their views did not reflect the UN body perse. Celerina Monte/DMS