Amnesty International has urged the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to put an end to the “war on drugs” and extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
In a report released on Wednesday, the human rights group highlighted that despite the emphasis on rehabilitation, extrajudicial executions have persisted under Marcos’s presidency, with over 600 drug-related killings recorded since he took office.
The organization called on the government to make a clear policy declaration to cease the drug war and allocate adequate funds for rehabilitation efforts.
The United States State Department’s annual human rights report also underscored the ongoing issue of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
Additionally, Amnesty International urged the Marcos administration to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in the “war on drugs” and to take measures to prevent withdrawal from the tribunal.
The organization criticized Marcos for neglecting human rights obligations and failing to protect civilians.
Amnesty International also called for the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, approval of the human rights defenders bill, assistance for families of victims of drug-related killings, and amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Law.
Source: PhilNews24 | April 25, 2024
