We urge the Philippine government to give serious attention to the call of the 11 special rapporteurs of the United Nations for an independent probe into the alleged human rights violations in the country, including attacks on rights and liberties, human rights defenders, and democratic institutions among others.

It is worthy to stress that earning a seat in the UN Human Rights Council, which the government has welcomed as a win in 2018, also underscores the need for the Philippines to fully cooperate with the Council, including with its Special Procedure mechanisms consist of Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups of the UN Human Rights system, as embodied in the UN General Resolution 60/251.

To recall, actively engaging human rights treaty bodies, special procedures, and other mechanisms of the Human Rights Council is among the pledges that the Philippines made in line with its election to the body; hence, a commitment that this government is expected to honour.

We believe that this call by the UN experts is the good opportunity for the government to address questions on the human rights situation in the country, instead of dismissing it again as propaganda. Let now an independent probe test the government’s commitment to the respect and protection of human rights, as well as international human rights standards, in the interest of the welfare of every Filipino. ###