Philippine News
Cayetano: Callamard not fit to investigate PH human rights record
While various groups had criticized the Philippine report on its human rights record, Cayetano clarified that the Philippine delegation did not deny any of the cases relating to extrajudicial killings in the country.
Cayetano said that while the United Nations can usually order independent investigations, UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard is not fit to do her job.
He said that Callamard is “not a prosecutor who will take the initiative and judge government actions.
” Cayetano also told the UN Commission on Human Rights that the Philippines will welcome an independent investigation “as long as (the investigator) is independent and fair.
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“The problem with Dr. Callamard is that she has her own ideology on human rights. That ideology is based on the belief that dealing with drugs should be decriminalized, especially possession of drugs for personal use,” he said in Filipino.
Cayetano also made a point to raise/shed light on Callamard’s background — that she is not an expert on extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances.
Callamard is a lecturer at Columbia University and teaches government accountability and communications.
Right after leading the Philippine delegation in the recently concluded Universal Periodic Review, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano heads to Cambodia together with President Rodrigo Duterte to attend a World Economic Forum.
Cayetano had just been appointed as the new Foreign Affairs Secretary.