President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte was right in pointing out that the United Nations’ rapporteurs on human rights, Dr. Agnes Callamard, should not rashly indict member-states not just for the fact that they are the ones paying for her salary but for the consideration that states are sovereign and independent. Callamard cannot stand as though she is higher than the President who anchors his mandate on the vote of the people.
This minor functionary of the UN cannot just barge in and wag her tongue on what she wants to say to embarrass the people whom she treats as stupid and gullible. For her to use her position to incite the people would run counter to her role as rapporteur. She does not represent or much more speak for the UN. This stupid rapporteur can only submit her findings to the UN agency where she is assigned. In short, this demagogue cannot substitute herself for the UN.
Even assuming she was not invited, respect demands that she should have paid a courtesy call on the President. Whether or not she disagrees with the President, she should have remained silent while in the country. For her to prejudge our campaign against illegal drugs and charge our government of carrying out extrajudicial killings is totally uncalled for. She even refused to accept the three conditions asked by the President, which is to debate on the issue; to allow the President to ask questions; and for her to take her oath so that whatever she says would legally stand in any court of law.
We need not examine every layer and substance on what this errand lady of the yellow opposition said before a crowd of misguided ideologues. Rather, we only have to analyze the pattern of how she has politicized the issue. Her unusual conduct is telling that it is not the issue she wants to elucidate. She is bent, rather, on discrediting the administration hoping it will pave the way for the yellow hypocrites to regain political power.
The local traitors need not be reminded that the government is not preventing them from investigating human rights violation. President Duterte knows that safeguarding human rights is provided in Sections 17, 18 and 19 of Article XIII of the Constitution. Although the power and functions of the Commission on Human Rights are mostly a repetition of the Bill of Rights, particularly Article III of the Constitution and is enumerated as the rights of the accused, specifically Section 115 of the Rules of Court, the matriarch of the bankrupt ideology wanted to create a niche for herself to remind our people that she wrested power as the defender of human rights.
Unfortunately, her human rights crusade has become the butt of a joke. Mrs. Aquino refused to investigate the mastermind and the one who gunned down her husband if only to put a historical validity that Ninoy was a martyr and human rights was the catalytic factor that catapulted her to power. She staunchly refused to excavate the assassination case for fear the whole episode might expose the gruesome vaudeville as a lust for power and not a quest for justice.
The chairman of the Commission on Human Rights Jose Luis Martin “Chito” Gascon is a nasty bigot like his predecessor. Gascon could no longer to demarcate his allegiance to the Republic where he claims to be a citizen, draws his salary, and enjoys the title of chief defender of human rights because of his affiliation with the yellow hypocrites. This ignoramus lawyer failed to discern that as chairman of the CHR there are ethical, moral and legal limitations to what he is supposed to do. Foremost, his duty is to defend above all the integrity and interest of the Republic. That means all investigations and findings related to human rights violation should be addressed to the Republic, not to any other agency or organization.
If human rights violation was committed, his duty is to investigate. If he feels the government is stalling his findings, he should make it public. Gascon has no business bringing the matter before the international body. That assignment belongs to our ambassador to the UN. For him to invite rapporteurs from the UN to come and malign the country is beyond the function of his office. Gascon has to be reminded that the term of office of the CHR chairman is not constitutionally guaranteed. He can be kicked out anytime once he violates the law like his reported decision to reclassify those killed Abu Sayyaf terrorists as victims of human rights violation.
It is not hard for Gascon to know and understand the limitations of his function as chairman of the CHR. These are found in Section 18, subsections (3) and (7). Subsection (3) tells the CHR of its duty to “provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of human rights of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Filipinos residing abroad…” while Subsection (7) tells the CHR to “monitor the Philippine Government compliance with the international treaty obligations on human rights.” There is nothing that calls on the CHR to seek the assistance or to coordinate with foreign entities about the alleged violation of human rights in this country.
Equally, if the International Criminal Court wants to keep its already doubtful credibility, it should carefully screen all complaints. Many of them are politically motivated and intended to destabilize the government. The filing of the complaint against President Duterte by a crackpot lawyer is telling that the case is questionable. As the saying goes, one need not examine the contents of the complaint, but simply look at the complainant and know his personality. One could readily sense that something is wrong with him and his clients because their concern is not on how the world will react but on the amount they could exact for their mercenary work of slandering the government.
It is not enough for Jude Josue Sabio to say that every accused needs a lawyer to ably defend himself. He forgot that his clients are not accused but self-confessed gun-for-hire serial killers. Obviously Edgar Matobato and rogue cop Arturo Lascanas want to jump the gun on the President hoping that the court will take their money-making fantasy without them proving the existence and identity of the persons they slaughtered with their peripatetic lawyer making a clown of himself before the ICC.
