{"id":84892,"date":"2017-01-12T13:18:00","date_gmt":"2017-01-12T18:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=84892"},"modified":"2017-01-12T13:19:05","modified_gmt":"2017-01-12T18:19:05","slug":"tillerson-wont-label-deaths-in-dutertes-war-on-drugs-human-rights-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2017\/01\/12\/tillerson-wont-label-deaths-in-dutertes-war-on-drugs-human-rights-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"Tillerson won\u2019t label deaths in Duterte\u2019s \u2018war on drugs\u2019 human rights violations"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Rex<\/a>
Rex Tillerson at his confirmation hearing on January 11, 2017. (Photo: Office of the President-elect<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA, Philippines\u2014Rex Tillerson, the businessman US President-elect Donald J. Trump picked to be his State Secretary said on Wednesday that he won\u2019t call the deaths in Duterte\u2019s \u2018war on drugs\u2019 human rights violations until he gets access to more information on the globally reported deaths.<\/p>\n

In his nine-hour confirmation hearing, Florida Senator Marco Rubio grilled Tillerson by asking the former ExxonMobil CEO his views on human rights violations in Russia and the Philippines.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince President Rodrigo Duterte took office last June, the Los Angeles Times reports that roughly over 6,200 people have been killed in the Philippines by police and vigilantes in alleged drug raids. In your view, is this the right way to conduct an anti-drug campaign?\u201d Rubio asked Tillerson.<\/p>\n

\u201cSenator, the US and the people of the Philippines have a long standing friendship. I think it\u2019s important that we keep that in perspective in engaging with the government of the Philippines. They have been an ally. We need to ensure that they stay an ally,\u201d Tillerson answered, evading Rubio\u2019s question.<\/p>\n

Rubio further pressed Tillerson for answer.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy question is about the 6, 200 people that have been killed in these alleged drug raids. Do you believe that that is an appropriate way to conduct operation or do you believe that it\u2019s something conducive to human rights violation that we should be concerned about and condemn?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an area that I want to understand in details in terms of the facts on the ground,\u201d Tillerson said.<\/p>\n

Rubio also said that even Duterte brags about the killings. However, Tillerson maintained his position on the issue.<\/p>\n

Later in the hearing, Conneticut senator Chris Murphy steered the discussion back on the issue of human rights violation in the Philippines.<\/p>\n

The discussion proceeded as follows:<\/p>\n

Murphy: But let\u2019s take the Philippines as an example. I mean, I don\u2019t know that there\u2019s anybody on this committee that would deny that there are extrajudicial killings happening in Philippines. That\u2019s been widely reported, our embassy has reported it, the president himself talks about it. What more information do you need before deeming the Philippines to be a human rights violator? What\u2019s happening there is a massacre that\u2019s there for everyone to see.<\/p>\n

Tillerson: I\u2019m sure the committee has seen a lot of evidence that I have not seen. I\u2019m not disputing your conclusion. You\u2019re asking me to make a judgement on only what I\u2019m being told. That\u2019s not how I make judgements.<\/p>\n

Murphy: So what information in that case would you need? Who would you need to hear from?<\/p>\n

Tillerson: I would want to see the factual basis behind the statistics and the factual connection as to who is committing those acts?<\/p>\n

Murphy: But we don\u2019t \u2013 a lot of times the factual evidence is reporting by objective observers on the ground. I\u2019m not initially sure you\u2019re going to get a video tape of an extrajudicial killing, so oftentimes the evidence is the objective reporting we get from sources on the ground, inside a place like the Philippines.<\/p>\n

No extrajudicial killings\u2014Duterte<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duterte has repeatedly denied in the past the so-called \u2018state-sponsored killings\u2019 in the anti-drug operations of the government.<\/p>\n

He said that no member of the police and military force would follow such command.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid I tell you to kill? I did not. I never said you should kill drug pushers,\u201d Duterte, addressing village officials, was quoted as saying in a December 29, 2016 Inquirer.net report.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they (suspected drug offenders) put up a fight, then shoot them. But those being shot at the back, those wrapped in plastic, that\u2019s not ours,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

UN investigation<\/strong><\/p>\n

In November last year, it was reported that UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Agnes Callamard will visit to the Philippines in 2017 to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country following Duterte\u2019s declaration of \u2018war on drugs.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Philippine government set three conditions before Callamard proceeds with the investigation. First, that there would be a public debate between her and Duterte. Second, that Duterte would be allowed to ask her questions. Lastly, that she would take an oath.<\/p>\n

In December of that year, Callamard announced that she declined the Duterte administration\u2019s conditions.<\/p>\n

She said in a television interview that the investigation should be confidential.<\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot build trust, including with the police or with the government, if there is a threat of public debate at the end of the mission,\u201d Callamard was quoted as saying in a CNN Philippines report.<\/p>\n

She added that the issue of human rights violation should not be politicized and be used as subject of a debate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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