AI: Duterte among leaders who ‘undermine rights of millions’

For the second straight year, the human rights watchdog group Amnesty International ranked President Rodrigo Duterte among the leaders who are "callously undermining the rights of millions."

In a statement following the release of AI's State of the World's Human Rights report for 2017 to 2018, AI secretary general Salil Shetty said hatred and fear now loomed large in world affairs.

"We have few governments standing up for human rights in these disturbing times. Instead, leaders such as al-Sisi, Duterte, Maduro, Putin, Trump and Xi are callously undermining the rights millions," Shetty said.

The AI annual report covered 159 countries and aimed to deliver the most comprehensive analysis of the state of human rights in the world.

"For the second consecutive year, President Duterte is identified with the worst performing leaders in terms of human rights," Joel Noel Olano, AI section director, affirmed in a press briefing in Quezon City.

In Southeast Asia, AI pointed out the policies that allegedly led to thousands of deaths in the Philippines and in Myanmar.

Myanmar was scored for the crimes against humanity allegedly perpetrated in the Rakhine State to the Rohingya, an indigenous ethnic group that continues to experience what AI considers is "state-sponsored apartheid" since they were rendered stateless in 1982

The Philippines was called out for the "war on drugs" and its implementation in the urban poor communities.

AI also mentioned the internal armed conflict, attacks to human rights defenders, and threats to Filipinos' freedom of expression.

Extrajudicial killings

The spate of killings of alleged drug offenders appeared once again on the international human rights' group's list of major human rights issues.

"Meaningful investigations into killings of alleged drugs offenders failed to take place; no police officers were known to have been held to account. Relatives of victims continued to be fearful of reprisals if they filed complaints against police," AI's report read.

The report mentioned the continued denial of authorities of responsibility over the killings and its supposed focus on the poor despite evidence and the demographics of suspects.

It also highlighted the high-profile cases of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, a teen allegedly killed in a police operation, and Jee Ick-Joo, the Korean national tortured within Camp Crame.

AI on February 2017 released a report on the Philippines' cases of extrajudicial killings, with data from the Philippine National Police and media suggesting at least 7,000 killings at the time.

"We did communicate to the PNP if in fact these are the numbers, but we never received any comment or information from the PNP on the matter of extrajudicial executions," Olano said.

While they could not verify the PNP's claim that it had become more "professional" in conducting its anti-illegal drug operations, Olano said it was possible that killings have de-escalated.

"We cannot verify if, in fact, there's been a decrease because what has happened, what is observable, is there's been less reports in media. But that doesn't man there's been less killings," Olano said.

"There's no actual empirical data to show that there is a decrease. What we know is that maybe it is not on the same scale as before, but it is still happening," he added.

Olano said that if there was a decrease in the killings, credit should be given to the civilians, the media, and human rights organizations who decried the deaths in police operations.

"We called the attention of government, then they became more sensitive. And that's why we should continue to do it so eventually, it doesn't happen anymore," Olano said.

Zipped shut

Threats to freedom of expression and the right to protest were considered a regional issue in Southeast Asia.

"In Southeast Asia and the Pacific, repression in some countries seemed to embolden leaders in others to do the same. There was an alarming narrowing of the space to voice opinions in almost all countries in the region," Shetty said.

The Philippines was cited for the killings of radio broadcaster Rudy Alicaway in Zamboanga del Sur,  columnist Leodoro Diaz in Sultan Kudarat, Christopher Iban Lozada in Surigao del Sur, and recent efforts to close independent news site Rappler.

Myanmar's arrest of two Reuters journalists for allegedly violating a "state secrets" law despite making use of publicly available information to report on the Rohingya crisis was also criticized.

Cambodia was also hit for its "dramatic backslide on human rights" for shutting down media outlets, causing opposition leaders to flee into exile or arrested on trumped-up charges, and using the courts as a tool of repression.

Attacks on defenders, ill-treatment of victims

The detention of Senator Leila de Lima, an outspoken critic of the Duterte administration; the increase in arbitrary arrests and detentions; and the attempt to pass a budget of P1,000 for the Commission of Human Rights were mentioned as attacks against human rights defenders.

In terms of the persistent internal armed conflict in the country, AI said the extrajudicial killings, mass hostage-taking, and extensive looting of civilian property by militants allied with the Islamic State during the Siege of Marawi "may have amounted to war crimes."

The looting of civilian property, ill-treatment of fleeing civilians, and extensive bombing of militant-held areas also put into question the Philippine military's compliance with international humanitarian law.

AI noted that the Armed Forces of the Philippines vowed to probe all allegations of war crimes, amid concerns that the extension of martial law over the affected region in December may allow for "further human rights abuses."

Free speech has "colossal importance" in 2018

AI stated that social activism is growing to oppose "the slide towards oppression" worldwide.

"While there is state-sponsored hate, it has also spurred a new era of social activism. But the action of prominent leaders have emboldened those who promote bigotry, and it has inspired far more people to campaign for a more hopeful future," Olano said.

Olano said Filipinos need greater education on the importance of free speech and human rights to get them to realize that they have a right to life.

"Despite the efforts of governments to shut down NGOs, undermine the media, take away people’s right to protest and jail campaigners, people refused to be silenced. And in this climate of fear and intimidation, it is all the more vital that we continue to speak out," AI said. —NB, GMA News