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Friday, March 29, 2024

Palace slams use of UN as platform of attacks vs Rody

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THE Duterte administration is “fed up” with the practice of using the United Nations as a platform to echo the “baseless criticisms” of the opposition against the government, Malacañang said Thursday.

“We are fed up with this practice of using the UN as a platform to parrot baseless criticisms of local interest groups who are supported by resentful politicians belonging to the opposition,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“For too long has the UN been used by these detractors as a tool for vilification.”

In other developments:

• The government continues to uphold the rule of law and ensure that alleged human rights violations in the country are “properly investigated,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.

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The agency made the statement in response to the unpublished report of a United Nations rapporteur on the state of human rights defenders in the Philippines.

Michael Forst, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, launched his “world report” that provides a comprehensive analysis on the situation of HRDs in 140 countries.

• The Commission on Human Rights on Thursday urged the Duterte administration to search for alternative ways of protecting the lumad community from communist influence instead of keeping them in “hamlets.”

“There are other ways to protect the lumad from the [New People’s Army], CHR spokeswoman Jackquieline de Guia said.

“That is what we are urging the government to do.”

Panelo made his statement after Forst called on the Duterte administration to end all forms of violations against human rights defenders.

In his report, Forst said Duterte “has fostered very harmful rhetoric against human rights defenders, labeling them as anti-nation, protectors of drug lords, communists and terrorists.” 

He also highlighted Duterte’s relentless crackdown on drugs, adding it had created a climate of insecurity and impunity for extra-judicial killings that affect human rights defenders.

The report irked the Palace and described Forst’s call as “reckless and irresponsible.”

“The recent call of United Nations Special Rapporteur Michel Forst not only is reckless but irresponsible as well for it not only demeans the integrity of the UNSR system but the entire UN mechanism itself,” Panelo said. 

He said the UNSRs should be less gullible in its actions because those were reinforcing Duterte’s contempt for them.

Panelo said human rights defenders in the country could fully exercise their rights to air their grievances toward the government.

“If Mr. Forst [had] only checked his facts first, he would have known that organizations presenting themselves as so-called human rights defenders never had it so good under the Duterte administration,” he said.

“They continue to fully exercise all their rights to air issues and concerns related to their advocacies in an environment that is free and secure from any threat or harassment.”

Believing that some opposition groups in the country were pulling the strings of the UNSR,  Panelo challenged the local groups who had claimed abuses to submit their cases to the proper authorities. With PNA

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