UN Human Rights report on the Philippines

Summary

The video script documents the alarming situation in the Philippines since the launch of the 'war on drugs' in 2016, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and the targeting of human rights defenders, journalists, and lawyers. The report reveals a lack of willingness to investigate these incidents, with evidence suggesting police may have been encouraged to violate due process. It also uncovers planted evidence and manipulated police reports. Human rights defenders face death threats and are equated with terrorists. The High Commissioner calls for an independent investigation into the human rights violations, urging a credible inquiry to bring justice to the victims.

Takeaways

• 💔 Thousands have been killed since the launch of the war on drugs in 2016.
• 🗞️ At least 248 human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, and lawyers have been killed in relation to their work.
• 🔍 The report reviewed government documentation, official figures, data, and CCTV footage of killings.
• 🚫 There is an apparent unwillingness to investigate these incidents.
• 📜 The war on drugs was initiated through a command circular with language that could encourage due process violations.
• 🔫 25 police reports suggest guns were planted on killed drug suspects to justify the killings.
• 📝 22 other reports show the use of cut and paste language, indicating a lack of integrity in post-operative investigations.
• 🔗 Serial numbers of guns found on drug suspects in the 25 reports were identical, suggesting planted evidence.
• 🚫 Death threats and harassment against human rights defenders include being labeled as terrorists and associated with armed groups.
• 👥 Human rights defenders depicted in threatening posters were subsequently killed.
• 📢 The High Commissioner calls for an independent investigation into the human rights violations in the Philippines, which could be national or international.

Q & A

What is the context of the 'war on drugs' mentioned in the script?

The 'war on drugs' refers to a campaign launched in 2016 that has resulted in thousands of deaths and has been associated with numerous human rights violations.

How many human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, and lawyers have been killed in relation to their work since 2016 according to the script?

At least 248 human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, and lawyers have been documented as killed in relation to their work.

What kind of documentation did the script mention reviewing to gather information on the killings?

The script mentions reviewing government documentation, official figures, data, statistics, photos, videos, and CCTV footage of killings.

What was the initial directive that launched the campaign against illegal drugs?

The campaign was launched through a command circular that outlined how police operations should be conducted.

What language was used in the command circular that may have encouraged violations of due process?

The command circular used terms such as 'negation' and 'neutralization' of drug suspects, which were not clearly defined but could have been interpreted as permission to kill.

How many police reports were examined as part of the investigation mentioned in the script?

The script mentions examining 25 police reports that suggest guns were planted on drug suspects who had been killed.

What was found to be suspicious about the serial numbers of the guns found on the drug suspects in the 25 police reports?

The serial numbers of the guns found on the drug suspects were exactly the same, suggesting that the guns may have been planted after the killings to make it look like self-defense.

What other issues were identified in the post-operative investigations into the killings?

The script mentions the use of 'cut and paste' language in 22 reports, indicating a lack of integrity in filling out the reports.

What kind of threats and harassment have human rights defenders been facing according to the script?

Human rights defenders have been facing death threats and harassment, including being labeled as terrorists and equated with the armed wing of the Communist Party in posters across places like Negros Island.

What is the High Commissioner's recommendation in response to the scale of killings and human rights violations documented in the report?

The High Commissioner is calling for an independent investigation into the situation and human rights violations in the Philippines, which could be either national or international.

What is the High Commissioner's stance on supporting an investigation into the human rights violations in the Philippines?

The High Commissioner stands ready to support a credible investigation, whether it is a national or an international one.

Outlines

00:00

🕊️ Human Rights Violations Amidst the War on Drugs

This paragraph discusses the alarming human rights situation in the Philippines since the launch of the war on drugs in 2016, which has resulted in thousands of deaths. The script documents at least 248 killings of human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, and lawyers in connection with their work. The government's documentation and data were reviewed, revealing a lack of willingness to investigate these incidents. The launch of the anti-drug campaign through a command circular that encouraged violations of due process is highlighted, with ambiguous terms like 'negation' and 'neutralization' being used. The script also examines 25 police reports suggesting planted evidence on drug suspects and 22 reports showing repetitive language in post-operation investigations, indicating a lack of integrity in reporting. The paragraph further details the death threats and harassment faced by human rights defenders, including being labeled as terrorists and associated with the armed wing of the Communist Party. Given the scale of the documented killings and human rights violations, and the failure of domestic remedies to bring perpetrators to justice, the High Commissioner calls for an independent investigation into the human rights situation in the Philippines, which could be either national or international, as long as it is credible.

Keywords

💡War on drugs

The 'war on drugs' refers to a government-led campaign aimed at reducing the illegal drug trade and drug use. In the context of the video, it was launched in 2016 and has resulted in thousands of deaths. The term is used to describe the aggressive approach taken by authorities to combat drug-related crimes, which has been criticized for its lack of due process and the resulting human rights violations.

💡Human rights defenders

Human rights defenders are individuals or groups who advocate for the protection and promotion of human rights. In the video, it is mentioned that at least 248 human rights defenders have been killed in relation to their work, highlighting the dangerous environment they operate in and the resistance they face for their efforts to uphold rights and justice.

💡Journalists

Journalists are professionals who gather, verify, and report news and information for the public. The script notes the killings of journalists, which underscores the risks faced by those who seek to report on sensitive issues and the challenges to freedom of the press in the context of the war on drugs.

💡Trade unionists

Trade unionists are members or representatives of trade unions, which are organizations that aim to protect and further the rights and interests of workers. The mention of trade unionists being killed in the script points to the broader impact of the war on drugs on various sectors of society and the potential suppression of workers' rights.

💡Lawyers

Lawyers are legal professionals who provide advice and represent clients in legal matters. The script indicates that lawyers have also been killed, suggesting a targeted attack on those who provide legal assistance and advocate for due process and the rule of law.

💡Command circular

A command circular is an official directive or order issued by a government or military authority. In the video, it is mentioned that the war on drugs was initiated through a command circular that outlined how police operations should be conducted, including language that may have encouraged human rights abuses.

💡Due process

Due process refers to the fundamental principle of fairness that requires legal proceedings to be conducted fairly and transparently. The video script criticizes the command circular for containing language that encouraged violations of due process, indicating a disregard for fair and lawful procedures in the war on drugs.

💡Negation and neutralization

In the context of the video, 'negation' and 'neutralization' are terms used in the command circular that were not clearly defined but implied a permission to kill drug suspects. These terms are indicative of the ambiguous and potentially dangerous language that can lead to abuses of power and extrajudicial killings.

💡Planting evidence

Planting evidence refers to the illegal act of placing incriminating items on a suspect to frame them for a crime. The script describes how guns were allegedly planted on drug suspects who had been killed, suggesting a pattern of manipulation to justify extrajudicial killings as acts of self-defense.

💡Cut and paste language

The term 'cut and paste language' refers to the practice of copying and pasting text without modification, often used to describe lack of originality or effort. In the video, it is mentioned that this practice was observed in post-operative investigations into killings, indicating a lack of integrity and thoroughness in the reporting process.

💡Red tagging

Red tagging is a term used to describe the act of labeling individuals or groups as communists or terrorists without due process. The script mentions that human rights defenders are red tagged and equated with terrorist wings, which is a form of intimidation and harassment that can lead to violence against them.

💡Independent investigation

An independent investigation refers to an inquiry conducted by an entity that is not influenced by parties involved in the matter being investigated. The video calls for an independent investigation into the human rights violations in the Philippines, suggesting that domestic remedies have failed and that an impartial and credible investigation is needed to bring justice to the victims.

Highlights

Thousands have been killed since the launch of the war on drugs in 2016.

At least 248 human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, and lawyers were killed in relation to their work.

Government documentation, official figures, data, and statistics were reviewed, including photos and videos of killings.

There appears to be a lack of willingness to investigate these killings.

The war on drugs was initiated through a command circular outlining police operations.

The command circular contained language that may have encouraged violations of due process.

Phrases like 'negation' and 'neutralization' were used without clear definition, potentially interpreted as permission to kill.

25 police reports suggest guns were planted on killed drug suspects to mimic self-defense.

22 reports showed the use of copy-pasted language in post-operative investigations, indicating a lack of integrity.

Serial numbers of guns found on drug suspects were identical in 25 reports, suggesting planted evidence.

Human rights defenders face death threats and harassment, including being labeled as terrorists.

Defenders are 'red-tagged' and equated with the armed wing of the Communist Party in posters.

Many human rights defenders depicted in such posters were subsequently killed.

The scale of killings and human rights violations calls for an independent investigation.

The High Commissioner is urging for a credible national or international investigation into the human rights situation in the Philippines.

Domestic remedies have so far failed to bring perpetrators to justice.

The High Commissioner stands ready to support a credible investigation into the human rights violations.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Music]

thousands have been killed since 2016

when the so-called war on drugs was

launched we've also managed to document

the killings of at least 248 human

rights defenders journalists trade

unionists and lawyers in relation to

their work we reviewed a lot of

government documentation official

figures data and statistics photos

videos including CCTV footage of

killings that have been carried out both

in the context of the drug war but also

killings of human rights defenders and

what we found is that there's appears to

be a real unwillingness to investigate

when the campaign against illegal drugs

was launched it was launched through a

command circular that laid out how

police operations should be conducted

now this circular contained a lot of

language that almost encouraged

violations of due process terms such as

negation and neutralization of drug

suspects were used this ominous sounding

language was never really defined in

this command circular but this language

coupled with verbal encouragement at the

highest level of government for police

to kill drug suspects may have been

interpreted as permission to kill we've

examined 25 police reports which

strongly suggests that guns were planted

on drug suspects who had been killed we

also looked at 22 other reports which

showed the use of cut and paste language

in post operative investigations into

such killings which seem to show that

these reports were not filled out with

integrity in the 25 reports that we

examined the serial numbers of guns that

were found on the drug suspects were

exactly the same which suggests that

these guns may have been planted on the

drug suspects who have been killed in

the aftermath of the killing to make it

look like the killing took place in

self-defense

now this is obviously very worrying

we've also had access to the kinds of

death threats and harassment that human

rights defenders have been facing these

include posters that are plastered

across

for example Negros Island where human

rights defenders are called terrorists

they are red tagged and they are equated

with the

terrorist wing the armed wing of the

Communist Party in many of these posters

our human rights defenders who were

depicted were subsequently killed given

the scale of the killings and other

human rights violations that this report

has documented and given the failure so

far of domestic remedies from bringing

to justice the perpetrators the High

Commissioner is calling for an

independent investigation into the

situation in to the human rights

violations in the Philippines this could

be a national or an international

investigation but as long as it is a

credible investigation the High

Commissioner stands ready to support it

[Music]