PHILIPPINES
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
THIRD CYCLE UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW
27TH SESSION
9 AM, Monday, 8 May 2017
Room XX, Palais des Nations
CLOSING STATEMENT
Atty. Menardo I. Guevarra
Senior Deputy Executive Secretary
Office of the President of the Philippines
and Head of the Philippine Delegation to the UPR
Mr. President,
Allow me to sum up what our national report and the interactive dialogue that has transpired this morning really established.
Fact No. 1: We have shown that our country has consistently adopted and maintained a culture of respect for human rights. After being the first state to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Philippines has acceded since 1948 to several international treaties of human rights. The 1987 Philippine Constitution contains many specific provisions on the advancement of human rights including the creation of an independent Commission on Human Rights with the power to investigate all forms of human rights violations.
Fact No. 2: We have shown that the relevant mechanisms and institutions to enable the country to comply with its treaty obligations are all in place and functioning properly. To ensure the institutional mechanisms are moving in one direction, the Presidential Human Rights Committee, under the Office of the President, coordinates all policies and leads in the development of human rights for the next cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Fact No. 3: Our country observes the principle of inclusiveness in its compliance with its human rights obligations by encouraging participation in both policy formulation and program implementation of all stakeholders including NGOs, civil society organizations, international organizations, and our Commission on Human Rights.
Fact No. 4: Since the 2nd Cycle Review in 2012, the Philippines has made significant strides toward the further promotion and protection of the human rights of the vulnerable sectors of society. The members of our delegation have reported what the respective agencies have done to protect and advance the basic human rights of women and children, migrant workers, Indigenous Peoples, older people and people with disabilities, domestic workers, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, among others, in response to the recommendations made by our fellow member-States during the last Cycle Review.
Fact No. 5: Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has emphasized that there is no state policy that promotes, sanctions, or encourages extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the Philippines, and that the President has clearly instructed that all enforcement operations in pursuit of the anti-illegal drug campaign shall be conducted within the boundaries of law.
Mr. President,
We thank you and the entire Human Rights Council for giving our country the opportunity to present to the international community the significant progress that we have made for the protection and promotion of the rights of the poor, underprivileged, and marginalized sectors of our society.
We also thank you for giving us the opportunity to present an accurate picture of the nature and extent of the illegal drug problem and to explain that the drug problem in the country is not a simple health issue, but in fact a serious threat to the prosperity and security of the greater majority of the people. We assure you that our institutional mechanisms for the investigation and prosecution of any wrongdoing are functioning fully and properly, should deaths or unintended injuries in our law enforcement operations occur. We only ask for your patience, for your trust that due process and the rule of law are observed in our country, and for your understanding that what the government is doing in the Philippines today is for the security, prosperity, and well-being of the generations to come.
Mr. President,
We thank with all sincerity our fellow member states for their constructive comments and recommendations. We shall bring them back to Manila and give them the due consideration they deserve. We thank in advance the UPR Working Group Troika -- Switzerland, Paraguay, and Kenya -- who will assist us in preparing our outcome report.
Once again, on behalf of my co-head, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, and the members of the Philippine Delegation, I thank all of you for this productive dialogue. We shall see you again in 2021.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas (Long live the Philippines)!