Evangeline A.

Natanauan

Choose a case on human rights violation.

Extrajudicial killings have been the chief human rights concern in the country for many years
and, after a sharp rise with the onset of the antidrug campaign in 2016, they continued in the reporting
year, albeit at a lower level. According to official government figures, members of the Philippine
National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency killed 5,903 individuals during anti-drug
operations from July 1, 2016 to September 30, 2020. This number did not include the deaths of those
killed by unidentified gunmen whom Human Rights Watch and other rights monitors believe operate in
cooperation with local police and officials. Other sources, such as the UN Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, put the death toll at 8,663, although domestic human rights groups,
including the government’s Commission on Human Rights, believe the real figure could be triple the
number reported in the OHCHR report.

The vast majority of “drug war” killings have not been seriously investigated by the authorities.
Only a handful of cases are in varying stages of investigation by prosecutors. Only one case—the video
recorded murder of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos in August 2017—has resulted in the 2018 conviction
of several police officers. Another, in an illustrative case, an unknown gunman shot and killed Tanauan
City Mayor Antonio Halili during a flag ceremony at city hall on July 2. Mayor Halili was on the
president’s “narco list” and known for his “Walk of Shame” parade for drug suspects. Three other
mayors and two vicemayors were killed in similar incidents.

1. Indicate the human rights violation committed.

Human rights issues included unlawful or arbitrary killings by security forces, vigilantes, and
others allegedly connected to the government, and by insurgents.

Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom from:

a. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful or Politically Motivated Killings

There were numerous reports that government security agencies and their informal allies
committed arbitrary or unlawful killings in connection with the government-directed campaign against
illegal drugs. Killings of activists, judicial officials, local government leaders, and journalists by
antigovernment insurgents and unknown assailants also continued.

2. What must be done?

 To address human rights violations, the following should be done:

 Enhancing equality and countering discrimination.
 Increasing implementation of the outcomes of the human rights mechanisms.
  Strengthening the rule of law and accountability for human rights violations.
 Enhancing participation and protecting civic space.
 Preventing violations and strengthening protection of human rights.

3. If you are in the situation, what should you do?

Being in a situation like this is very hard. It makes me feel afraid that one day, I, my loved ones
or someone I know would become victims of extrajudicial killings. And if it happens, calling for justice is
what we should do. Human life is precious. We borrow it from God Almighty. Nobody has the right to
take it. We are not the judge of life, only God. After all, what we need is a solution in a just and moral
way. While we all hope killings will stop immediately, I am not sure it will be done in a short run. What
we can do for now is to unite and with one voice ask to stop these extra judicial killings.