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DFA Chief Yasay Demands UN Rapporteur To Apologize To President Duterte For Damaging PH


United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard must apologize to President Rodrigo Duterte over the “tremendous” damage she had caused to the Philippines.

Speaking to reporters in Singapore, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay said Callamard’s “arbitrary” findings on the rising death toll of drug personalities in the country had made people believed that the Duterte administration should be blamed for it.

“She has damaged the country tremendously by her statement. People had jumped into conclusion that extrajudicial killings have been perpetrated in the Philippines, that there is rampant violation and state-sponsored violation of human rights,” said Yasay.

“The damage that she has wrought on the basis of her responsibility is great. It demands no less than apology,” he added.

Last August, Callamard lambasted the President over the number of slain individuals who are allegedly linked to illicit drug operation.

Callamard said President Duterte is apparently giving the people the “license to kill” the drug suspects in the country.

“Directives of this nature are irresponsible in the extreme and amount to incitement to violence and killing, a crime under international law. It is effectively license to kill,” said Callamard.

Yasay demanded that Callamard absolve the government from the drug-related deaths because her statement was not even verified.

“She must apologize for the arbitrary findings that she has made. She must withdraw the findings immediately and admit in public before the international community because it has unfairly damaged the country that this conclusion that she arrived was not verified at all,” he said.

Meanwhile, Callamard’s remark has prompted the President to issue an invitation for her to go to the Philippines and investigate for herself the extrajudicial killings in the country.

The government, however, would allow Callamard to arrive in the Philippines, in conditions that she would have public debate with President Duterte, be questioned by the President, and take an oath to “confirm her intention to be truthful.”

In a statement, Callamard said Thursday, December 15, she wanted the government to explain the conditions that are “inconsistent with the Special Rapporteur Code of Conduct and Terms of Reference for country visits.”

“I urge the authorities to reconsider their three conditions, in view of the Code of Conduct and my letter to them,” she said.

Yasay maintained that the conditions have to be followed by Callamard.

“Ms. Callamard said that she cannot comply with these decisions. So the question of whether or not she could comply with this decision. These conditions are her own decision. If she cannot comply with it, that’s the end of it,” the Foreign Affairs Secretary said.

“But let it not be said that the Philippines has withdrawn the invitation for her. The invitation still stands, Ms. Callamard,” he added.

Source: Sunstar Manila
DFA Chief Yasay Demands UN Rapporteur To Apologize To President Duterte For Damaging PH DFA Chief Yasay Demands UN Rapporteur To Apologize To President Duterte For Damaging PH Reviewed by Yen on December 17, 2016 Rating: 5

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