By Paulo Loreto Lim

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella cited the Philippines 2016 Human Rights Report, compiled by the United States Department of State, in his defense of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte when it comes to the defense of human rights.
“President Rodrigo Duterte has always allowed political dissent, contrary to the prevarications of some quarters,” he said in a statement. “The United States Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2016 provides confirmation to this fact.”
Abella noted a section regarding disappearances, quoting, “Unlike in previous years, there were no reports of politically motivated disappearances.”
However, the report also pointed out, “Civilian authorities did not maintain effective control over the Philippine National Police (PNP).”
“The most significant human rights problems were killings allegedly undertaken by vigilantes, security forces, and insurgents; cases of apparent governmental disregard for human rights and due process; and a weak and overburdened criminal justice system notable for slow court procedures, weak prosecutions, and poor cooperation between police and investigators,” the report stated. “Extrajudicial killings have been the chief human rights concern in the country for many years and they increased sharply over the past year.”
Meanwhile, in terms of free speech, Abella declared, “The Filipino people are free to express their views and grievances against the government, its policies, and its officials, both in private exchanges and in public‎ demonstrations.”
Despite the report highlighting issues surrounding embattled Senator Leila De Lima, pointing out her opposition to the policies of the administration and her subsequent arrest on links to illegal drugs, it also noted, “Individuals could criticize the government publicly or privately or discuss matters of general public interest.”/WDJ