JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has taken a “deeply human approach” in its anti-illegal drug campaign with criminal masterminds as the target and not small-scale drug users on the streets.
In his speech before the 51st Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, where he is leading the Philippine delegation, Remulla assured the use of force in anti-illegal drug operations would be the last resort for law enforcers.
Any use of force, according to Remulla, must be reasonable, accountable, justifiable, and utilized only when necessary.
Remulla’s statement is in contrast to the bloody war on drugs campaign during the previous administration of Rodrigo R. Duterte where thousands of alleged drug pushers and users were killed by law enforcers during operation.
These killings are now being sought to be investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC), despite the government’s insistence that the latter has lost jurisdiction over the country after its withdrawal as a member-state in 2019.
Under the Marcos administration, the justice secretary said there would be greater focus and resources on the rehabilitative and preventive aspect of the anti-illegal drug campaign, as well as education and assistance to victims and their families.
“We are on a new pathway towards an inclusive and empowering ecosystem of social justice. President Marcos is a consensus-builder and has a deeply human approach to law enforcement and the anti-illegal drug campaign,” Remulla said.
“President Marcos has refocused the anti-illegal drug campaign—tackling the source of the problem. He has stated that criminal masterminds must be apprehended and punished, not small scale users on the street. He has emphasized the need for rehabilitation, prevention, education and assistance to victims and their families,” he added.
Remulla also stressed, “Real justice in real time” is what should be delivered to strengthen human rights protection in the country.
Instead of denying incidents of human rights abuses, Remulla acknowledged the need to “change the culture of our judicial and law enforcement system, which have produced certain flaws and delays in the carriage of justice.”
The DOJ chief expressed the desire to inject human rights in law enforcement and judicial processes.
He also gave the delegates updates on the work of the DOJ Review Panel created to re-examine cases related to the anti-illegal drug campaign of the Duterte administration.
A total of 302 cases have thus far been referred by the Panel to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for case buildup, while seven cases involving deaths were filed before the courts resulting in the indictment of 25 police officers.
On the other hand, eight police officers were dismissed from the service and five were either suspended or sanctioned.
Remulla said the administration would also continue working with UN member-states as well as international organizations and other stakeholders in human rights within the parameters “of our own reality and institutions.”
“Hence, we are continuing the UN Joint Program as a partnership that supports our sovereign institutions, and ongoing programs and policies on human rights,” he said.
“As we move forward into years two and three, we shall work with the UN Resident Coordinator and the UN Joint Program Steering Committee to make its deliverables more responsive to local conditions and needs, transparent, accountable, and process-driven,” he added.
To recall, the previous administration lambasted the UNHRC for “meddling” into the country’s domestic affairs after member-states voted to set up an investigation into alleged crimes committed in the context of the illegal drug crackdown.
Remulla also invited civil society organizations to work with the government to provide information for the filing of cases and assured that the DOJ would bolster the witness protection program so that “fear will not impede justice.”
Meanwhile, Remulla also reported the DOJ-led initiatives on improving access to justice and accountability mechanisms, re-training of law enforcement personnel, and decongestion of prison facilities.
“We are decentralizing our congested prison system. I am personally committed to continuing regular releases and aim to have 5,000 released by June next year,” Remulla said.
Last month, 371 inmates in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, including some senior citizens, gained their freedom after completing their sentence or having been pardoned or paroled. Three hundred more inmates are expected to be given executive clemency.
UN member-states that took the floor acknowledged the Philippines’s constructive engagement with the international community on human rights and welcomed the justice sector reform agenda presented by Remulla.
They cited the progress by the government in strengthening domestic accountability mechanisms and institutions, while highlighting the important role of the country’s independent Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
They also pledged continuing support to the UN Joint Program on Human Rights (UNJP), a three-year technical cooperation program that provides capacity building to national institutions in six areas: strengthening domestic investigation and accountability mechanisms; data gathering on alleged police violations; civic space and engagement with civil society and the CHR; national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; counter-terrorism legislation; and human rights-based approaches to drug control.
Remulla stressed that the Philippine government’s commitments and programs on human rights will continue and be expanded, even as the UNJP will eventually conclude its work in 2024.
Addressing concerns on how to enhance domestic accountability mechanisms, Remulla assured that the DOJ “will work tirelessly under my watch and do all it can with other government agencies and partners to raise our standards, decongest our prisons, protect witnesses, hold perpetrators accountable, and most of all—inject human rights into the DNA of all processes of law enforcement and delivery of justice.”
“There is no turning back…it is a responsibility which the Administration of President Marcos takes on with utmost seriousness, professionalism and vigor,” Remulla added.
Next week, on October 10 and 11, Remulla will lead the Philippine delegation in a dialogue on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with the UN Human Rights Committee, as well as the 73rd Session of the Executive Committee of the High Commissioner’s Programme, organized by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees.