News Roundup 12 September 2022
Sep 12, 2022 • 4 min Read
UN rights council urged to pass reso to address ongoing abuses in Philippines | PHILSTAR.COM – The United Nations Human Rights Council should recognize that the human rights crisis in the Philippines persists and adopt a strong resolution addressing the situation, a human rights organization said Monday. In a policy paper submitted to UN member states, Human Rights Watch said that extrajudicial killings in the government’s “war on drugs” still continue. The UN Human Rights Council will hold its 51st session from September 12 to October 7 in Geneva, Switzerland. “UN member states should not be fooled by the baseless claims from the new Philippine government that the rights situation has suddenly improved,” McKernan said. HRW called on the 47-member council to pass a resolution creating expanded human rights monitoring mechanisms and continuing the UN Joint Program. The joint program was the UNHRC’s response in 2020 to the clamor to stop human rights violations linked to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs. It stopped short of an independent probe into the human rights situation that groups were calling for at the time. The resolution should also explicitly request continued reporting by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation in the country, the HRW said. HRW said the resolution should call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to unequivocally end the “war on drugs,” and form a “truth commission” that will gather testimony from witnesses and victims and make recommendations for achieving justice and ensuring payment for reparations.
Killing criminals only ends their suffering, says PNP chief | INQUIRER.NET – Killing criminals instead of putting them behind bars will only end their suffering, said Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. Asked about his comment on Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa saying police officers nowadays do not seem as aggressive in their crackdown on criminality – especially after recent reports of kidnapping incidents, Azurin said he has “high respect” for the former PNP chief-turned-lawmaker, but he reiterated that it is the mandate of police officers to ensure safety instead of promoting fear. “For me kasi, the very reason why sinasabi natin that we value the preservation of life and that hindi po natin kailangan pagtatakutin ang ating mga kriminal, because very clear naman po ang guidance ng ating Presidente — to make this country a safe place whether they are inside or outside their home,” he said in a press briefing on Monday. (For me, the very reason why we say we value the preservation of life and there is no need to instill fear among our criminals is that this is the government’s instruction – to make this country a safe place whether they are inside or outside their home.) The country’s top cop also argued that police forces should investigate crimes, identify suspects, file complaints, and ascertain jail time for criminals instead of resorting to violence or killings. “Ang aking pananaw diyan ay kapag ang isang kriminal, pinatay mo na, we just ended iyong suffering niya at an instant. But when we start investigating, filing cases, arresting these criminals and placing them behind bars, if they still have 30 years to live in this world, sa araw-araw po na paggising nila, araw-araw nilang pagsisisihan ang krimen na nagawa po nila sa ating taumbayan,” he further explained. (In my perspective, if you kill a criminal, you only end their suffering instantly. But when we start investigating, filing cases, arresting criminals and placing them behind bars, if they still have 30 years to live in this world, they’ll wake up every day, regretting the crime they committed against others.) When the time comes that the criminals are pardoned, or their set punishment comes to an end, Azurin said they will now have a choice to either go back to their old ways and risk being caught again or change their way of living. But with police officers using violence toward others, including criminals, Azurin restated that it should only be done in instances of self-defense.
Face mask use now voluntary outdoors but… | INQUIRER.NET – Wearing face masks in “open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with good ventilation” is now voluntary, Malacañang announced Monday. Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 3, allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings while reiterating the public’s continued adherence to minimum health standards. “Naglabas tayo today ng EO No. 3 allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings and reiterating the continued implementation of minimum public health standards during the state of public health emergency relating to the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said in a Palace briefing. (We issued today EO No. 3 allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in outdoor settings and maintaining the enforcement of minimum public health standards during the state of a public health emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic. ) EO No. 3, however, stated that immunocompromised individuals, senior citizens, and those who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are “strongly encouraged” to continue wearing face masks even while outdoors. The order, Cruz-Angeles said, will take effect immediately.
