Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8) — A human rights investigator appointed by the United Nations said she may return for an official visit to the Philippines to review President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, if conditions on her visit are lifted.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Agnes Callamard said she is “committed” to pursuing discussions with the government.
“I am committed to continue my dialogue with the government and I am committed to undertake an official visit either by myself or the special rapporteur on health,” Callamard told reporters Saturday on the sidelines of a drugs policy conference held at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
Her return however, is based on the lifting of conditions to her visit, she added.
“I’m just waiting for the government to lift the three conditions that were imposed on my visit,” said Callamard, who, as special rapporteur, is an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights.
The Duterte administration set three conditions before allowing the UN to investigate alleged extrajudicial killings in the country. One, Callamard must have a public debate with President Duterte. Two, Duterte is allowed to ask her questions. Three, she has to take an oath before answering questions on the issue posed to her by officials.
Callamard insisted the country should instead follow the rules and methods of work of special procedures set by the UN Human Rights Council.
Read: U.N. special rapporteur rejects government conditions
Callamard’s visit this May elicited controversy after Malacañang called her out for her lack of courtesy in informing the government of her trip.
Read: Malacañang slams visit of UN rapporteur to PH
This, even as she was informed that a Philippine delegation led by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was headed to Geneva to present its human rights record at the Universal Periodic Review and had expected to meet with her there.
Read: PH delegation to present state of human rights before UN Human Rights Council
Callamard disputed the Palace’s claims, saying they were informed of her attendance at the drug policy forum.
Read: U.N. Special Rapporteur: I informed PH of my visit
“There is nothing about my visit that is official. I came here for the academic conference,” she said in a statement on Saturday, adding the government acknowledged her letter in replies to her on April 29 and May 1.
Callamard said she should not be the one to receive attention, rather, the focus should be on what experts say that the wars against drugs in Mexico and Thailand have failed. She warned that the Philippines’ anti-drugs campaign would fail if remained punitive, rather than holistic.
“There are alternatives that are based on a holistic approach, on a balanced approach which involves the health, which involves justices, which involves policing,” she said.
CNN Philippines’ Lara Tan and Amanda Lingao contributed to this report.
