Remulla: ‘shrinking’ civic, media space in PH, “unfounded”

PHILIPPINE Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla successfully advanced the country’s human rights records, stumping critics by accepting “200 recommendations” from member-countries of the United Nations Human Rights Council and blunting accusations by communist-fronts and their allied organizations of “shrinking” democratic space in the country, pointing out the allegation is “unfounded.”

Remulla was tasked by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to lead the official delegation for the country’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, Switzerland, that formally opened from November 14 to November 18, 2022. It would be the fourth time that the Philippines agreed to the UPR, having participated in 2008, 2012 and 2017.

“The promotion and protection of human rights is a solemn Constitutional commitment and constant endeavor that the Government of the Philippines shall never waver from.

“In this spirit, and as preliminary action, we are proud to announce the acceptance of 200 recommendations – more than two-thirds of all the (297) recommendations during our UPR,” Remulla said.

Diplomatically, the justice secretary also reminded the UNHRC to be wary of immediately believing accusations that civic and media space in the Philippines is “shrinking,” as the claim arise from a particular politico-security context that is oftentimes overlooked by those that view the Philippines from afar.”

“My country has the unfortunate distinction of dealing with the longest-running armed communist insurgency in the world, whose adherents deliberately blur the lines between civic activism and armed violence.

“They use human rights as a tool to advance their violent agenda, claiming red-tagging and reprisal when the State exercises its duty to protect the human rights to life, liberty, security of persons, and property; and to preserve national security and safeguard the democratic order.

“In the interest of fairness and objectivity, we call on our colleagues – partners – in the UN to exercise due diligence in the consideration of allegations received from various sources,” Remulla said.

“The sad reality is that this armed conflict has curtailed the Filipino people’s right to development, causing unimaginable suffering to many families, particularly those whose children have been recruited to bear arms against the government,” he added.

Remulla also took a swipe at Western countries who like to tie their aid to the Philippines on its purported attacks on so-called ‘environmental rights defenders’ while forgetting their obligations to poor countries for the devastations they caused to the environment.

“Environmental rights defenders are partners in promoting climate goals and their freedom and safety should certainly be protected,” Remulla said.

“But let us not lose sight of the bigger issue which is, that all countries must faithfully and urgently fulfill their international obligations on climate action.

“The Philippines reiterates its call for climate justice – for developed countries to increase financing for mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage for developing countries.

“We expect nothing less from our friends and partners that have been the beacon of human rights and justice the world over,” he said.

Demonstrating political sophistication, Remulla also parried efforts by front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and their foreign allies in the UNCHR to automatically label deaths from the country’s ongoing war on illegal drugs as “extra-judicial killing by default.”

“Accountability is the sine qua non of a just and humane society where the Rule of Law reigns. Extrajudicial killing is not state policy.

“Classifying a death that occurred during an anti-illegal drug operation as extra-judicial killing by default runs counter to the tenets of due process and the rule of law. We will never tolerate the abuse of power and use of force beyond the bounds of law,” Remulla said.

Under President Marcos Jr., Remulla said the country’s domestic accountability mechanism is aiming to deliver “real justice in real time” to all Filipinos.

‘CSOs’ with links to terrorists behind PH bad image abroad

Presiding at a press conference on November 21, 2022, on his return home, Remulla said among the controversial proposals they rejected for being “culturally reprehensible” are the legalization of same-sex marriage, divorce, abortion, including the selling of ‘over-the-counter’ abortion drugs and, the automatic classification of drug-related deaths as ‘extra-judicial killings.’

Remulla also shut down the door on the country’s rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying this would first need “consultations with all stakeholders” including former President Rodrigo Duterte, who ordered the country’s withdrawal from the ICC that finally took effect in March 2019.

Remulla said the DOJ is also preparing to welcome early in 2023 several ‘special rapporteurs’ from the UN to further show that it is committed in honoring and implementing the 200 recommendations—the first for the country—it has accepted during the UPR.

Remulla also bared that had it not been for local ‘civil society groups’ (CSOs) who are badmouthing their own country abroad, the country’s image would have been much better.

“One more thing about the periodic review, we noticed that there are a lot of CSOs, organizations within the country that were very, very critical of what we are doing, these are the same organizations who only go to Europe to destroy the image of our country.

“I don’t think they have other agenda but to destroy our country,” Remulla lamented.

“These are CSOs that are somehow linked to the armed movement against the government, linked to terrorism. Those who cried about ‘red-tagging’ those who cried about issues of this nature. Sila lang ang sumisira sa atin (Philippines), otherwise…the country is in the right direction,” Remulla said.