President Marcos's new Special Committee on Human Rights Coordination will probe past anti-drug operations for human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Raul T. Vasquez yesterday said, “kasama ‘yan sa mandato n’ya na ireview ‘yung lahat ng mga kasong pending tungkol sa drugs (it is part of its mandate to review pending cases related to illegal drugs.”)

Vasquez said they are eyeing to conduct a review, research, determine the actual numbers, detemine if there are any evidence, and find if a killing is an EJK or was a legitimate performance by duly constituted authorities in their sworn duties to uphold the law.

This as many are saying that if someone died it is considered extra-judicial killing. It is not, Vasquez stressed.

The DOJ official clarified that the special committee is not doing this due to ongoing investigation being conducted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over EJKs committed during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Vasquez said it is one of  its mandates to approach the drugs problem under a human rights prism and to look at aspects concerning torture and other human rights violations.

Vasquez said the objective is for future applications and to make sure human rights compliance among law enforcement, in criminal justice, and all policies of the government.

Administrative Order (AO) No. 22 created the committee signed by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin on 8 May.

Bersamin chairs the committee with the DOJ as co-chair. Its members are Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of the Intrerior and Local Government (DILG).

Vasquez prior to the creation of the committee, explained that the government has been guided by the United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP) on Human Rights which is set to expire this 31 July.

He said the government wanted to gain ownership and control of the programs on human rights promotion and protection.

“We should free ourselves from this UN guidance,” he added.

Vasquez noted that under the UNJP,“most of the programs are programs that we already have.”

“It provided a vehicle or platform whereby human rights promotions and protection are discussed openly and actively by all stakeholders, and the monitoring of the implementation, and, finally, the monitoring would require the application of accountability mechanisms if there would be violations by any stakeholder,” Vasquez said. 

He said, unlike the UNJP, the special committee allows the inclusion of other government agencies from the five pillars of the criminal justice system, namely: law enforcement, prosecution, judiciary, corrections, and the community.