Duterte needs ‘psychiatric evaluation’: UN slams Philippines leader after rights defender is named on terrorist ‘hit list’
The president has been venting his fury at the Maoists almost on a daily basis and considers them as much of a security threat as domestic militant groups
The United Nations has lashed out at the Philippines government and said President Rodrigo Duterte needs “psychiatric evaluation” after one of its special rapporteurs was included on a list of 600 people declared to be communist terrorists.
In a petition filed in a Manila court last month, the Department of Justice listed more than 600 people it wanted to be categorised as rebels for “using acts of terror” to undermine the government. Among them was the UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, for allegedly being a senior member of the Maoist rebel group.
The petition, made public on Friday, would give the government power to closely monitor the movements and limit the resources of anyone on the list.
Tauli-Corpuz denounced the government for branding her a terrorist and putting her life at risk, calling the allegations “baseless, malicious and irresponsible”.
The UN said the accusations were an act of retaliation for Tauli-Corpuz’s recent criticism of the attacks on and killings of indigenous Lumad people in the Philippines. It said the claims violated the UN convention on human rights.