The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) takes note of the report of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, on the recent findings of human rights violation in the country’s campaign against illegal drugs.

As the country’s national human rights institution, CHR urges the government to acknowledge and address the observations of the ICC, with regards to its findings, and calls for greater transparency and accountability from the government in the movement towards providing redress for cases of human rights violations. In the end, it is the duty of the state to ensure a healthy balance between liberty and authority and general adherence to the rule of law.

The primary responsibility to respect, protect and fulfill the rights of individuals remains to be with the state which exist as a modern instrument to balance both individual and social welfare. Thus, the government is called upon to squarely address all the violations that have resulted from the campaign against illegal drugs. The Commission shall continue to cooperate with existing domestic and international protection mechanisms to ensure that human rights violations are addressed and perpetrators are held to account for human rights violations. We remain vigilant and will continue to condemn actions that threaten the peace and security of the people whether committed by state or non-state actors.