Crishelle Phoebe Yu ||

Since June 2016, human rights violations in the Philippines have become a more prevalent issue following President Rodrigo Duterte’s election in the position. The problem intensified in 2018 as Duterte continued the “War on Drugs” campaign even in the face of mounting international criticism.

Malacañang made it certain that the Philippines has a properly functioning judicial system to guarantee that human rights are secured. Thus, the proposal of the newly launched international commission to investigate suspected human rights violations in the region was disregarded.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque mentioned that the Palace is uninterested in the Commission’s decision to send a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating that the Duterte administration strives to defend human rights.

“We are not worried about that because it is the obligation of a country, when it comes to human rights, to ensure that the victims have remedies in their institutions that work,” Roque stated. He emphasized that our legal system is functioning and that if the people have complaints, they may file cases before the National Bureau of Information or the police.