MANILA: Most of the thousands of killings of poor suspected drug offenders during Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown appear to be extrajudicial executions and may constitute crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said Wednesday.
The London-based human rights group urged Duterte’s government to adopt an approach that respects human rights in its fight against drugs and crime, and called on the police and judiciary to prosecute officers involved in unlawful killings.
After investigating the deaths of 59 people, the group said it concluded “the vast majority of these killings appear to have been extrajudicial executions.”
It said it interviewed 110 witnesses, relatives of slain suspects, drug users, police officers and even hired killers from November to December.
The group said it is “deeply concerned that the deliberate and widespread killings of alleged drug offenders, which appear to be systematic, planned and organized by the authorities, may constitute crimes against humanity.”
Duterte’s spokesman, Ernie Abella, acknowledged “extrajudicial deaths” have occurred but said they were not state-sanctioned and did not elaborate further. He cited a Senate committee finding that the government has no policy condoning unlawful killings and that the anti-drug campaign was being carried out “within legal processes.”
On Tuesday, Aldrin de Guzman, 24, was gunned down outside his home before midnight in circumstances all-too-familiar for the dwellers of Manila’s poorest neighborhoods.
Another man was shot and killed in a crumbling shophouse not too far away, at around the same time.
Mystery gunmen on a motorcycle shot de Guzman repeatedly, according to police, following the same pattern as thousands of other vigilante-style killings of drug dealers and users.
De Guzman’s mother, Elisa, said her son had no enemies, but had used drugs in the past.
“That’s a long time ago. If the person is already reforming, they still do this?” she said, tears building in her eyes.
“They should stop all these shootings... many are caught in between, just like my son. They should stop claiming lives.”
No witnesses saw the killers.
Rebels to end unilateral cease-fire
Philippine communist rebels said Wednesday they will end their unilateral cease-fire next week because the government has not freed all political prisoners and has encroached on rebel-held areas, though they said they continue to support peace negotiations.
The Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People’s Army, said that the Aug. 28 cease-fire will expire Feb. 10. The rebels and the government had separately declared a cease-fire as they resumed their peace talks.
Founded in 1968, the rural-based guerrillas have unsuccessfully tried to negotiate an end to their rebellion and sought inclusion in government with six Philippine presidents, including Duterte.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said troops will continue to enforce the government’s cease-fire unless Duterte decides otherwise.
Troops will not carry out operations against the rebels but will maintain peace and order. The military does not recognize any area under control of the New People’s Army and will not allow guerrillas to move around with their weapons, he said.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines still believes in and would want to give peace a chance,” military spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said.
The London-based human rights group urged Duterte’s government to adopt an approach that respects human rights in its fight against drugs and crime, and called on the police and judiciary to prosecute officers involved in unlawful killings.
After investigating the deaths of 59 people, the group said it concluded “the vast majority of these killings appear to have been extrajudicial executions.”
It said it interviewed 110 witnesses, relatives of slain suspects, drug users, police officers and even hired killers from November to December.
The group said it is “deeply concerned that the deliberate and widespread killings of alleged drug offenders, which appear to be systematic, planned and organized by the authorities, may constitute crimes against humanity.”
Duterte’s spokesman, Ernie Abella, acknowledged “extrajudicial deaths” have occurred but said they were not state-sanctioned and did not elaborate further. He cited a Senate committee finding that the government has no policy condoning unlawful killings and that the anti-drug campaign was being carried out “within legal processes.”
On Tuesday, Aldrin de Guzman, 24, was gunned down outside his home before midnight in circumstances all-too-familiar for the dwellers of Manila’s poorest neighborhoods.
Another man was shot and killed in a crumbling shophouse not too far away, at around the same time.
Mystery gunmen on a motorcycle shot de Guzman repeatedly, according to police, following the same pattern as thousands of other vigilante-style killings of drug dealers and users.
De Guzman’s mother, Elisa, said her son had no enemies, but had used drugs in the past.
“That’s a long time ago. If the person is already reforming, they still do this?” she said, tears building in her eyes.
“They should stop all these shootings... many are caught in between, just like my son. They should stop claiming lives.”
No witnesses saw the killers.
Rebels to end unilateral cease-fire
Philippine communist rebels said Wednesday they will end their unilateral cease-fire next week because the government has not freed all political prisoners and has encroached on rebel-held areas, though they said they continue to support peace negotiations.
The Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People’s Army, said that the Aug. 28 cease-fire will expire Feb. 10. The rebels and the government had separately declared a cease-fire as they resumed their peace talks.
Founded in 1968, the rural-based guerrillas have unsuccessfully tried to negotiate an end to their rebellion and sought inclusion in government with six Philippine presidents, including Duterte.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said troops will continue to enforce the government’s cease-fire unless Duterte decides otherwise.
Troops will not carry out operations against the rebels but will maintain peace and order. The military does not recognize any area under control of the New People’s Army and will not allow guerrillas to move around with their weapons, he said.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines still believes in and would want to give peace a chance,” military spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said.
