|
Friday, July 28, 2006
UN may blacklist Philippines for not reporting HR cases
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) said the Philippines may be blacklisted by the United Nations for its continued failure to submit reports on human rights violations in the country before the international body for over a decade already.
CHR Chairperson Puri-ficacion Quisumbing also cited the failure of law enforcement agencies to stop killings and abductions of left-leaning activists.
“The Philippines can be blacklisted by the UN if it fails to explain why it has not submitted the reports,” Quisumbing told a symposium on human rights, terrorism, and insurgency at the National Defense College of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo.
“Under the United Nations’ human rights system, if you do not report on time, under the treaties that we have accepted, we might be listed as violator of the treaty obligations,” Quisumbing said.
When asked if Malaca-ñang should be the one to blame, she said: “It is the job of the government whoever the government designates.” On whether CHR is the designated agency, she said: “No, it’s not us. We are the ones monitoring, we are the ones who should say you are not supposed to do this (violate human rights).”
Quisumbing said the Philippine Government is required to submit human rights reports to the UN under several treaties it forged. But she said the government has not complied to submit the “overdue reports” since 1992.
Quisumbing said she did not know why the government, which is being blamed by a number of left-leaning groups as behind the killing and abduction of activists, has failed to submit the human rights reports on time.
From 2002 to up to the present, CHR has investigated a total 68 human rights cases involving killing of leftists.
Quisumbing also said from 2001 up to the present, they also looked into the killings of 19 journalists.
In Cebu City, more than 160 killings have allegedly been carried out by vigilantes since December 2004.
Quisumbing also told the audience that included Armed Forces Chief Hermogenes Esperon that the commission has investigated 58 cases of kidnappings, 18 of which are being blamed on the military while 12 on the police. (Sunnex)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 28, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
