United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights called for investigation against Duterte.
The United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights said Tuesday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte committed murder when he himself declared that he killed suspected criminals while he was mayor of Davao City.
High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, in a statement, called on the authorities in the Philippines to conduct an investigation against Duterte over his admission that he “personally” killed when he was sitting as the mayor of Davao City.
“The killings committed by Mr. Duterte, by his own admission, at a time when he was a mayor, clearly constitute murder,” said Zeid.
He added that: “It should be unthinkable for any functioning judicial system not to launch investigative and judicial proceedings when someone has openly admitted being a killer.”
According to the high commissioner, the acts of the current president while he was still mayor “directly contravene” the rights of the Filipinos under Article III of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It also violate international law, including the right to life, freedom from violence and force, due process and fair trial, equal protection before the law, and innocence until proven guilty.
The official also said Duterte may also have incited the Filipinos to commit violence when he encouraged others to follow his example in killing suspected criminals, referring to the drug personalities.
This was the official statement of the UN official after Duterte’s admission on December 14, that he led by example to the members of the Philippine National Police and joined them in operations and personally patrolling the streets to “personally” kill criminals when he was still Davao mayor.
“In Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys that, if I can do it, why can’t you? And I go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around and I would just patrol the streets and looking for trouble also,” Duterte said.
“Talagang naghanap ako ng engkwentro para makapatay,” he added.
According to Duterte, he killed three kidnappers during a police operation.
According to Zeid, the repeated calls of Duterte for the police, military and the general public to engage in a “war on drugs” has fostered an environment of “alarming impunity and violence” in the Philippines.
“Despite police investigating thousands of the deaths perpetrated by vigilantes, there is surprisingly little information on actual prosecutions,” Zeid said.
“Children as young as five years old have been the innocent victims of this appalling epidemic of extra-judicial killings,” he added.
He added that the assurance of the chief executive to give immunity to police officers who would end up killing criminals in the line of duty were “a direct violation of all democratic safeguards that have been established to uphold justice and the rule of law.”
“Credible and independent investigations must be urgently re-opened into the killings in Davao, as well as into the shocking number of killings that have occurred across the country since Mr. Duterte became president,” said Zeid.
“The perpetrators must be brought to justice, sending a strong message that violence, killings and human rights violations will not be tolerated by the State and that no one is above the law,” he added.
Based on the reports, a total of over 6,100 people have been killed either by police, or by vigilantes and mercenaries, since Duterte assumed office in June 30.
