Next Philippine president should make human rights a priority issue — HRW

A relative of a victim of an extra-judicial killing attends a memorial mass ahead of All Soul's Day to remember loved ones slain in the government's war on drugs, at the Commission on Human Rights in Manila on October 29, 2021.

AFP / Jam Sta. Rosa

MANILA, Philippines — The candidate who will replace President Rodrigo Duterte as the leader of the Philippines should prioritize reversing policies that led to “unmitigated disaster for human rights,” New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch said.

HRW Asia director Brad Adams urged presidential candidates in the May elections to make human rights a priority issue by speaking out about the situation in the country, and steps that need to be taken to end ongoing violations and provide accountability for past abuses.

“The past six years of the Duterte administration have been an unmitigated disaster for human rights, namely the murderous ‘drug war,’ harassment of the media, and killing of ‘red-tagged’ activists,” Adams said Thursday.

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/01/14/2153835/next-philippine-president-should-make-human-rights-priority-issue-hrw