NGO protests delisting 625 cases from UN disappeared cases

The Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND) non-governmental organization protested the Philippine government's plan to delist 625 cases of Filipinos who were disappeared from 1975 to 2012 from the United Nations Working Group on Enforced and or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWFEID).

FIND characterized the delisting as a deceitful attempt to to sweep the hapless victims of involuntary disappearance under the rug.

The plan, alleged hatched in the Office of the President "put the cart before the horse" as the Presidential Human Rights Committee failed to first recommend the Inter-agency Committee (IAC) conduct of a thorough and impartial investigation

Presidential Human Rights Committee should have first recommended to the Inter-agency Committee (IAC) chaired by the Department of Justice the conduct of a thorough and impartial investigation.

After which the IAC should have informed the concerned families of the disappeared.

"If the Duterte administration desires to clear the Philippines of its reputation of having the biggest number in Southeast Asia of enforced disappearance allegations reported to the UN WGEID, then it must adhere to international norms of seeking truth and justice. Duplicity by any party should not sully well-meaning UN mechanisms," FIND suggested. — DVM, GMA News