Press Release
Don’t make the war on drugs a war on human rights, new HR group told President Duterte
August 12, 2016 – Newly formed human rights coalition, In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDefend) calls on President Rodrigo Roa Duterte not to make his government’s war on drugs a war on human rights.
In their joint statement, the group emphasized that no matter who is extrajudicially killed or whose rights are violated, he or she is a human being with rights and dignity and that human rights are for all, especially for the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable.
Since May 2016, more than 700 people have been killed by police and vigilantes in the Philippines for being suspected of using or dealing drugs, as a direct result of President Duterte’s campaign to get rid of illegal drugs within six months. In addition, more than 600, 000 alleged pushers and users have already surrendered to authorities under the “Oplan Tokhang” out of fear and humiliation.
The international community has already expressed serious concern with the increasing number of reported extrajudicial killings and other forms of human rights violations in the name of drug control measure. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) even reiterated that such actions contravene to the provisions of the international drug control conventions and will not help to ensure that all people can live a life in good health, dignity and peace, and with security and prosperity.
Prompted by this alarming human rights situation, more than 30 non-governmental organizations of human rights defenders joined hands to form today a new coalition called In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement or iDefend. The group believes that the arbitrary killing of suspects that bypasses the fundamental due process endangers everyone in the Philippine society as anyone can now be accused of any crime or involvement in illegal drugs and be executed before and without having a chance to publicly defend themselves in court.
”Illegal drugs are harmful. But by encouraging the police to use their guns to deal with it is even more dangerous and will not stop the vicious cycle of violence. It only creates a climate of fear, insecurity and helplessness.” Ms. Rose Trajano, Convenor of iDefend said.
The iDefend challenges the Duterte administration that if the government is really sincere in curbing crime and drugs trade, it should do it by introducing policies that will alleviate poverty, stamp out corruption at all levels of government and reform the criminal justice system.
“We can’t cow to silence when day after day people are being killed. There is no compromise to human rights. We can’t allow this abnormal situation to become normal. We need to have unrelenting courage and determination to defend and to advance our human rights,” Ms. Trajano added
iDefend
Don’t make the war on drugs a war on human rights, new HR group tells Duterte
PHILIPPINE HUMAN RIGHTS INFORMATION CENTER (PHILRIGHTS)·VENDREDI 12 AOÛT 2016

Photo Philrights
August 12, 2016 – Newly-formed human rights coalition, In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) called on President Rodrigo Duterte not to make his government’s war on drugs a war on human rights.
In a statement released today, the group stressed that no matter who is extrajudicially killed or whose rights are violated, they are human beings with rights and dignity and that human rights are for all, especially for the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable.
Since May 2016, more than 700 people have been killed by police and vigilantes in the Philippines for being suspected of using or dealing drugs, as a direct result of President Duterte’s campaign promise to get rid of illegal drugs within six months. In addition, more than 600,000 alleged pushers and users have already surrendered to authorities under the “Oplan Tokhang” out of fear and humiliation.
The international community has already expressed serious concern about the increasing number of reported extrajudicial killings and other forms of human rights violations in the name of drug control measures. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) even reiterated that such actions contravene the provisions of international drug control conventions and will not help to ensure that all people live a life of good health, dignity and peace.
Prompted by this alarming situation, more than 30 non-governmental organizations of human rights defenders joined hands to form today a new coalition called In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement or iDEFEND. The group believes that the arbitrary killing of suspects that bypasses fundamental due process endangers everyone in Philippine society, as anyone can now be accused of any crime or involvement in illegal drugs and be executed before and without having a chance to publicly defend themselves in court.
“Illegal drugs are harmful. But by encouraging the police to use their guns to deal with it is even more dangerous and will not stop the vicious cycle of violence. It only creates a climate of fear, insecurity and helplessness.” Ms. Rose Trajano, Convenor of iDEFEND said.
iDEFEND challenged the Duterte administration to show sincerity in its drive to curb criminality and the illegal drugs trade by introducing policies that will alleviate poverty, stamp out corruption at all levels of government and reform the criminal justice system.
“We will not be cowed into silence when day after day people are being killed. There is no compromise to human rights. We cannot allow this abnormal situation to become normal. We need to have unrelenting courage and determination to defend and to advance our human rights,” Ms. Trajano added.
Philrights
‘Don’t make war on drugs war on human rights’
In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDefend) emphasized the need to deal with the cause of drug addiction in the Philippines—poverty.
Around 30 private groups gathered in Quezon City yesterday to launch iDefend, intended to “fill a vacuum” left by the collapse of the political opposition, as well as to provide legal services to families of victims of extrajudicial killings and police operations in Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs.
People oppose killings
Former Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello, spokesperson for iDefend, said the movement aimed to show the administration that there were people who opposed its policy of killing drug suspects.
The movement also aims to remind the Duterte administration of the Philippines’ commitment to international human rights treaties, Bello said.
The spate of killings of drug suspects indicates that the Duterte administration is “simply addressing the symptoms instead of the principal cause of illegal drug use,” he said.
“Most studies have shown that while only a small minority of the poor are drug users, illegal drug use is most prevalent among the poor and underprivileged, and the most likely reason is to escape from the harsh realities of poverty, hopelessness and powerlessness,” he said.
Scale of the problem
Bello said the drug wars initiated by Colombia, Mexico and the United States had shown that “repressive drug policy does not work.”
“The administration doesn’t even know the scale of the problem it is dealing with … Getting rid of drugs and crime by extrajudicial murder won’t be accomplished in the promised three to six months. It won’t be finished in six years,” he said.
The former lawmaker said that unless the government generates jobs for all to enable them to live in dignity, the drug problem will persist.
“It all boils down to a war against the poor. We can be sure that even with a high kill rate, we will still have a massive drug problem after six years,” Bello said.
As of noon on Friday, the Inquirer’s Kill List showed 601 drug suspects had been killed since Mr. Duterte took office on June 30. More than 200 of the killings have been attributed to vigilantes.
Virginia Suarez, Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya chair, said the government was equally responsible for the killings committed by vigilantes.
“Every citizen has the right to live and be protected in his own country, and that is the government’s responsibility. It has the duty to resolve those killings [carried out] by vigilantes,” Suarez said.
‘Ineffective’ campaign
She noted that the explanation that drug suspects are killing each other all the more shows that the campaign against drugs is “ineffective.”
“Instead of safeguarding the people, the people are rendered more insecure and unsafe, and that shows immediately how ineffective the campaign of the government is,” she said.
Suarez said the government must clarify how it looks at drug dependents.
She said drug users should not be looked at as criminals, but as “victims” in need of intervention.
The victims may have been forced into drugs because of poverty, she said.
Bello said that in the coming days, the movement would start working with the Commission on Human Rights and organizing people to call for the upholding of due process and the rule of law in the war on drugs.TVJ
Jovic Yee
@inquirerdotnet
* Philippine Daily Inquirer. 05:30 AM August 13th, 2016
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/805816/dont-make-war-on-drugs-war-on-human-rights
Duterte urged to deal with root cause of drug addiction
Human rights groups launched In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDefend), a movement which will help the families of victims of extrajudicial killings and police operations in the campaign against drugs.
– Former Anakbayan Representative Walden Bello said that the Duterte administration must address the real cause of the illegal drug trade in the country which is poverty
– iDefend will work in cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights and they call on the government to uphold the rule of law in its all-out war on drugs
The all-out war against the illegal drug trade in the Philippines should not be a war on human rights according to a coalition of human rights advocates who called upon President Rodrigo Duterte to address the pressing issue.
The movement ‘In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement’ (iDefend) pointed out that poverty is the real cause of drug addiction and therefore the government must address the root cause first.
Last Friday, August 12, 30 private groups launched iDefend which aims to extend its help to families of victims of extrajudicial killings and police operations in the President’s campaign against drugs by providing legal services to them. iDefend is also created to “fill a vacuum” that was left when the political opposition collapsed.
According to former Akbayan Representative Walden Bello, the movement aims to show that there are groups of people who are against the administration’s policy of killing drug suspects.
‘… [The administration] is simple addressing the symptoms instead of the principal cause of illegal drug use. Most studies have shown that while only a small minority of the poor are drug users, illegal drug use is most prevalent among the poor and underprivileged, and the most likely reason is to escape from the harsh realities of poverty, hopelessness, and powerlessness,’ said Bello.
The movement further reminded the current administration that the Philippines has expressed its commitment to several international human rights treaties which the country has to abide.
Bello further said that repressive policy on drugs does not prove to be efficient as shown by the drug wars initiated by Colombia, Mexico, and the United States.
‘The administration doesn’t even know the scale of the problem it is dealing with. Getting rid of drugs and crime by extrajudicial murder won’t be accomplished in the promised three to six months. It won’t be finished in six years. It all boils down to a war against the poor. We can be sure that even with a high kill rate, we will still have a massive drug problem after six years,’ Bello noted.
Meanwhile, Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya Chairwoman Virginia Suarez stated that the government is equally responsible for all the crimes happening in the country due to the campaign against drugs.
Suarez said, ‘Every citizen has the right to live and be protected in his own country, and that is the government’s responsibility. It has the duty to resolve those killings [carried out] by vigilantes.’
Furthermore, she agrees with Bello that the campaign is “ineffective” since drug suspects are killing each other.
‘Instead of safeguarding the people, the people are rendered more insecure and unsafe, and that shows immediately how ineffective the campaign of the government is,’ added Suarez.
iDefend will start working with the Commission on Human Rights according to Bello. Moreover, they will also call for the government to uphold the rule of law and due process.
Since the President took office, 601 drugs suspects have been killed and 200 of these deaths are caused by vigilante killings. – Kami Media
Nathan Bayasen
* UPDATED: A DAY AGO
https://kami.com.ph/40457-pagasa-five-days-heavy-rains-luzon-western-visayas.html