In a bid to be transparent about last week's discussions in the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Philippine situation, Malacañang released Thursday an advance copy of the draft report of the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The session on the Philippines was held April

In a bid to be transparent about last week's discussions in the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Philippine situation, Malacañang released Thursday an advance copy of the draft report of the United Nation’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

The session on the Philippines was held April 11 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Download • Draft Report of the Working Group UPR- Philippines
 

The report includes a summary of presentation made by Executive Secretary and chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Committee, Eduardo Ermita; answers to questions given to the Philippines in advance; comments and questions by States and the responses of the Philippines during the interactive dialogue; closing statement by the Executive Secretary; list of recommendations made by States; the Philippines four voluntary commitments and commitment to respond to other recommendations in the future.

Undersecretary Coco Quisumbing, executive director of the Presidential Human Rights Committee appealed to media to "let the report speak for itself."

"As the Latin saying goes, 'Res ipsa loquitur', let the thing speak for itself. In the spirit of transparency and public information, we are sharing with you the advance copy of the Report adopted on April 15 by the UN Human Rights Council on the UPR Session on the Philippines held on 11 April," Quisumbing said in an email message sent to media on Thursday.

The Philippine Information Agency’s Web site stated that the draft was prepared by a troika (trio) of countries--Malaysia, Mali and Germany--in consultation with the Philippine delegation and with assistance from the HR Council Secretariat.

Chance to read it
 

"They can interpret this report as well. But the media, as the main channel for informing the Philippine public, should have its opportunity to see this report, recorded by the UN Secretariat and finalized by the troika on the RP UPR with discussions with the RP delegation," Quisumbing said.

Quisumbing said all countries have 48 hours to make editorial revisions to their own statements in the draft report.

In the report, members of the Philippine delegation defended the country’s human rights efforts by enumerating several endeavors of the government from the top to the grassroots level.

One of the subjects tackled that made activists monitoring the UPR react was the issue of the extrajudicial killings.

Ermita a liar?
 

On Monday, activists called Ermita a liar for allegedly disregarding the fact that more than a dozen countries called on the Philippine government to act for its failure to address cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in the country.

"His (Ermita's) statement that 'there is an open and vibrant democracy in the Philippines' and that the government is 'a human rights defender' is the height of distortion and sends a chilling indication that impunity will continue to be the policy of the Arroyo regime," the Philippine UPR Watch said.

The report stated that government efforts and its partnership with civil society have resulted in the decrease of the incidence of extrajudicial killings by 83 percent in 2007.

"If the Report was that honest, countries would not have raised questions on the foregoing which are the core issues surrounding human rights violations in the Philippines," it added.

Human rights activists have recorded more than 800 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances since President Arroyo took power in January 2001.

RP voluntary commitments
 

In its closing statement, the Philippines announced its voluntary commitments following the interactive dialogues.

These voluntary commitments are: to continue to develop a gender-responsive approach to issues on women and children, including in the judicial system and on violence against women and children; to continue to develop domestic legislation for further protection of the rights of the child; to maintain the momentum on addressing killings of activists and media; and to continue and find additional measures to answer the basic needs of the poor and other vulnerable sectors.

"These commitments take into consideration the Arroyo government's own policies and plans for human rights, and the recommendations made by the States. These commitments were made in recognition of the cooperative spirit that the States extended to the Philippine delegation – to help, to cooperate," Quisumbing said.