Statement of
HON. PERFECTO R. YASAY, JR.
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Republic of the Philippines
High Level Segment
34th Session UN Human Rights Council
27 February 2017, Geneva
Mister President,
Your Excellencies,
The Philippines is proud of its longstanding history as an active champion of human rights in the United Nations.
In 1947, the Philippines was among the members of the first UN Commission, which drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Six decades later, in 2006, we became a founding member of the Human Rights Council.
The Philippines is signatory to the eight core UN human rights conventions and other human rights instruments and we are deeply committed to carrying out our obligations within such frameworks.
Beyond these obligations, our abiding respect for human rights is deeply rooted in our consciousness as a nation forged by our historical experiences. The Philippines was a colony of Western powers for over four centuries, during which we endured untold brutalities and dehumanizing campaigns against our people. In our recent past, our nation struggled against oppression under the regime of martial law for two decades.
This is why fundamental freedoms and the bill of human rights are vital to our people and our nation, which are held sacrosanct by our laws.
Our people take pride in our state policy enshrined in the Constitution that protects the dignity of every human being and guarantees full respect for human rights, which begins at conception. We are also fiercely committed to the maintenance of peace and order, the protection of life, liberty, and property, and promotion of the general welfare.
Last year, the overwhelming majority of Filipinos elected Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the 16th President of the Philippines in free and democratic elections. He won on the platform to address corruption and criminality with toughness and political will, particularly against the use and trade of illegal drugs.
In the war against illegal drugs, we stand firm in our adherence to due process and strict observance of the rule of law and to the country’s obligations under existing human rights treaties.
The Philippines has a big base of a young population. Among our 103 million people, over 30% of Filipinos are under the age of 14.
Like any other country, we want safe communities that will develop and nurture our people – especially our young – into becoming citizens, who are fully abloom with their potentials.
It is within this context that we must view the campaign against the drug menace. Its widespread use and distribution pose a great danger to our people. More crucially, the magnitude of the drug problem, unless swiftly and effectively dealt with, will inexorably lead the Philippines becoming a Narco State.
Those behind the proliferation of illegal drugs – that include law enforcement agents, key officials in local government units and in the national government – have contributed to our worsening crime situation and the spread of graft and corruption in the public and private sectors.
While the adverse effects cut across generations, the most negatively affected are the young population. The lives of our youth have been ruined, and their future compromised by these drug merchants of death and their collaborators and accomplices.
That’s the overriding reason why our government is going full blast in wiping out this deadly scourge in our country once and for all. It is a crucial move to save our people from the deadly effects of the illegal drug trade. It is a key dimension to our imperative national objective of real, comprehensive, and positive transformation. It is a vital decision we have made in the exercise of our sovereignty and right of self-determination.
Drug lords and their syndicates are not only destroying our young men and women; they are violently breaking our families apart and wreaking havoc upon our communities.
There can be no middle ground for the well-being of our people. We will not be kind, and we will not hesitate to destroy criminals who seek the wholesale destruction of our society.
The human rights issue must, therefore, be viewed from the perspective of protecting our entire country and keeping the greater majority of our population out of harm’s way. This is the right thing to do and we will do so with toughness and without ambivalence or equivocation.
The higher and larger human rights issue is the right to life, to a bright tomorrow, and the pursuit of happiness and progress for our countrymen. When the drug menace results in maiming or killing our people, and destroying the nation, it is THE ultimate in violating our human rights.
These are the stark realities that we face, which must be addressed within the framework of our laws and urgent needs.
It is lamentable that international observers are more focused on the so-called human rights of criminals but have done nothing to help in eliminating the drug problem that has grown to pandemic proportions. They instead depict a violent picture of law enforcement operations against these ruthless malefactors, who will not hesitate to violate the human rights of their victims or to kill any man, woman and child that comes in the way of their lucrative trade.
And yet, our law enforcement authorities are unjustly cast in the news as the villain and the enemy. There is hardly any media interest on the risks our dedicated law enforcers face in fighting these hardened criminals, let alone to actively report on those killed or injured in the line of duty and how their respective families are struggling to cope with their sacred ultimate sacrifice to protect our communities. On the contrary, the actions of these critics and watchdogs have only served to encourage, support, and even protect – wittingly or unwittingly – the illicit drug trade.
The government understands the importance of carrying out the anti-drug war correctly and in a manner that does not undermine the legitimacy and integrity of the campaign.
As a matter of practice, all law enforcers are held to abide by established procedures. Human rights enforcers ensure that operational protocols are aligned with the law and existing international practices, which are to be strictly followed.
Law enforcers suspected of violating established rules of engagement are placed under investigation and subjected to immediate prosecution before our courts. Furthermore, our built-in system of checks and balances in government and the freedom of our media ensure that abuses are exposed and prevented.
Our obligation to defend and protect the rights of our people is mandated by our solemn duty to uphold due process and the rule of law as required under our justice system.
Let me assure you that the Philippines will remain resolute in continuing to promote, protect, and uphold human rights of all persons within its jurisdiction.
Allow me to end my remarks with the words of no less than President Duterte, which best sum up our uncompromising stand in protecting our people’s lives with dignity and respect, and secure for them a better and brighter future. I quote:
“My administration shall be sensitive to the State’s obligations to promote, protect, and fulfill the rights of our citizens, especially the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable and social justice shall be pursued, even as the rule of law shall at all times prevail.
My administration shall implement a human approach to development and governance, as we improve our people’s welfare in the areas of health, education, adequate food and housing, environmental preservation, and respect for culture.
Human rights must work to uplift human dignity. But human rights cannot be used as a shield or an excuse to destroy the country,” unquote.
Thank you, Mister President***