30-6-2023 (MANILA) A year into his presidency, President Bongbong Marcos has “done little” to improve the human rights situation in the Philippines, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The New York-based advocacy group examined the President’s efforts in addressing human rights-related problems since the time of his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, whose administration is accused of killing thousands in his brutal war on drugs.
Despite Mr. Marcos pledging to protect human rights during his term, HRW said that drug war killings continue, albeit at a lower rate. Philippine authorities are still accountable for alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests of activists and government critics, the group said. It also pointed out the “baseless prosecutions” of journalist Maria Ressa and former Senator Leila de Lima, with the latter still in detention.
Citing the University of the Philippines’ Third World Studies Center, HRW said that there had been 336 drug-related killings since Mr. Marcos assumed power, most of which were carried out during police operations. The group urged the President to rescind the orders and policy statements that underpinned Duterte’s “war on drugs.” It also called on concerned government agencies to provide adequate support to the families of drug war victims, particularly children.
In addition, HRW reiterated its call on Mr. Marcos to cooperate with the investigation of charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed by Duterte by the International Criminal Court.
According to Bryony Lau, HRW’s deputy Asia director, Mr. Marcos needs to show his “genuine commitment” to human rights by taking concrete action. “Without concrete action to break old patterns of abuses and secure accountability for past crimes, his words have little credibility,” she said. “Marcos needs to demonstrate a break from the past and show concrete, measurable progress on human rights.”
