Palace formally invites UN special rapporteur to look into alleged extrajudicial killings in PHL

The flag of the United Nations flies from a pole in front of UN Headquarters. (UN Photo/John Isaac)

MANILA – Malacañang announced Wednesday that it has already formally sent an invitation to the United Nations Special Rapporteur to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines.

“Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said the Palace has sent an invitation to the UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard and he is awaiting her response,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella announced in a press briefing at the Palace.

In the invitation, Abella said the Palace also urged the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitration Executions to include in her investigation the number of policemen killed while pursuing drugs suspects.

“It is also an invitation urging the UN rapporteur to include in her invitation the killings of law enforcers and drug suspects so that she will obtain an accurate perspective of the drug problem in the country,” he said.

Last month, the UN Special Rapporteur reportedly called on Philippine authorities to “adopt with immediate effect the necessary measures to protect all persons from targeted killings and extrajudicial executions”.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has so far led to the surrender of more than 700,000, the arrest of more than 22,000, the death of nearly 1,500 in legitimate police operations, and the seizure of PHP8 billion worth of shabu in the first three months of his administration.

Abella said the invitation does not include the United States and European Union, which have also expressed concern over the alleged drug-related summary killings.

According to media reports, more than 3,000 people have been killed by police and vigilantes in the Philippines as a result of the intensified campaign against narcotics. The country has reportedly nearly four million drug personalities.