The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomes the visit to the Philippines of a team of international experts on the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Deaths, upon invitation from the government. The team comprises Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz, the United Nations Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on extrajudicial, summary, or, arbitrary executions, who is visiting as an expert in forensic pathology; Dr. Stephen Cordner, Foundation Professor of Forensic Medicine at Monash University; and, Atty. Kingsley Abbott, Director of Global Accountability and International Justice at the International Commission of Jurists.
To recall, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that he personally invited UNSR Tidball-Binz on November 2022. Sec. Remulla explained that the invitation is part of the Philippines – United Nations Joint Program on technical cooperation for the protection and promotion of human rights, particularly for capacity building of forensic pathologists in our country. The ongoing visit seeks to enhance the capacity of doctors in forensic pathology in line with international standards.
The Commission equally sees the crucial importance of forensic pathology in resolving unlawful deaths toward truth-seeking, accountability, and justice. We equally recognize the urgent value of having forensic pathologists in all regions to aid in law enforcement and provide their expertise to determine results and help enable the resolution of unjust executions. Thus, we are hopeful that the visit will enable concrete enactment of measures that will ensure the swift training of doctors in forensic pathology and greater investment in this field.
The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Deaths is a set of guidelines for investigating deaths that may have been caused by human rights violations, such as extrajudicial killings, torture, or disappearances. The protocol provides guidance on how to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation. The aim of the protocol is to ensure that investigations are carried out in a transparent and effective manner, with the goal of determining the truth and bringing those responsible to justice.
In the larger view, the Commission also sees the visit of the independent international experts as a demonstration of the government’s openness and resolve to address the thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under the anti-drug campaign of the previous administration as well as other forms of alleged arbitrary executions both in the previous and current administration.
CHR is hopeful of the presence of Dr. Tidball-Binz. As UNSR, he has the mandate to examine situations of extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions and monitor the implementation of international standards on the right to life. Even as he is visiting in an academic capacity, we are hopeful that he will provide valuable advice in relation to the application of forensic science to human rights investigations and to address the pressing human rights situation in our country, particularly on EJK cases and other alleged unlawful deaths. The Commission reiterates the importance of independent experts that provide valuable contributions to international human rights protection mechanisms. Their international standing and expertise enable them to assess our country’s human rights situation and provide objective, constructive, and specific recommendations to the government.
We anticipate a productive engagement between the government and the international experts and we are hopeful that it will translate to concrete mechanisms and policies that will improve the human rights situation in the Philippines. CHR shall actively take part in contributing inputs based on reports and information from our regional offices and Protection and Policy clusters at the CHR Central Office. As the country’s independent national human rights institution, the Commission continues to be willing and ready to constructively engage with the government in pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability. ###