PNP welcomes PH reelection to UN Human Rights Council

“The Philippines’ election to the UNHRC is a clear manifestation of the international community’s recognition of our steady progress in fulfilling international human rights obligations.” (File Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday welcomed the country’s re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

“The Philippines’ election to the UNHRC is a clear manifestation of the international community’s recognition of our steady progress in fulfilling international human rights obligations,” PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said in press conference on Monday.

“Pasalamat tayo dahil (We are thankful to the) majority of the countries worldwide, ni-recognize yung ating bansa (they recognized our country). We can assure you, dito sa (in) PNP human rights is well-entrenched. It’s an institutional policy of PNP, part of our standard yung (the) human rights,” he told reporters.

Albayalde, meanwhile, urged critics to help the government in upholding human rights instead of bashing its achievement.

“I don’t know the reason kung bakit yung ibang tao, iba ang pananaw kapag ganyan pabor yung desisyon sa ating bansa dapat tayo ay magpasalamat (why other people have a different perspective despite the fact that the decision is in favor of our country. We should just be grateful). Probably, help the government kung meron nakikitang (human rights violation) (if you see that human rights violation exists). Might as well help the government instead of pinapahiya natin ang ating bansa (instead of making our country look bad) in front of other countries,” Albayalde said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said the Philippines won a seat after 165 out of 192 member-states voted in favor of the country’s inclusion in the UNHRC.

The country will serve another three-year term as a member of the council until 2020.

The PNP chief earlier said continuing education on human rights has been constantly afforded to all 180,000 police personnel through periodic training programs and follow-on seminars, while human rights training modules are now incorporated in all PNP mandatory training and specialization courses from recruitment and onwards along the entire career in the police service.

Meanwhile, Albayalde also reiterated the PNP’s gratitude to the United Nations (UN) for acknowledging the illegal drug menace as a global concern.

Based on its World Drug Report 2018, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime recognized “the unprecedented magnitude and complexity of the global drug markets, including the adverse health consequences caused by drug use, the rising drug-related deaths, and the ongoing, concentrated opioid epidemics.”

“Based on our own experience, the PNP supports the validity of the UN report that these “threats posed by illegal drugs to health and well-being, as well as to security, safety and sustainable development demand an urgent response,” Albayalde said.

In an event ahead of the UN General Assembly in September, Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for worldwide action against illegal drug use and trafficking.

He cited the situation as “alarming”, noting that some 31 million people required treatment due to drug use and around 450,000 people die every year from overdose or drug-related health issues.