Philippines warns of ‘consequences’ after UN rights council orders report on Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war

The resolution gives UN High Commissioner for Human Rights a year to prepare a ‘comprehensive written report’ on the drug war, which watchdogs say has claimed over 20,000 lives

It was swiftly rejected by the Philippine government, with Duterte calling the text of the resolution ‘crazy’

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Relatives of drug war victims at a memorial mass in Manila on July 9, 2019. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:24pm, 11 Jul 2019Updated: 10:36pm, 11 Jul 2019

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday narrowly approved a resolution mandating a “comprehensive” international review of the drug war in the Philippines, which watchdogs say has claimed more than 20,000 lives.

The resolution had faced strong resistance from President Rodrigo Duterte’s government, which counters that the toll has been exaggerated – its own estimates say 5,300 have died – and that the crackdown enjoys widespread popular support in the Southeast Asian nation.

Duterte’s three-year so-called war on drugs has unleashed a surge of bloodshed in the country, with reports of nightly slayings of suspects by police and masked gunmen.

Activists said they had initially hoped the UN would demand a formal “inquiry”, but compromised on calling for a “report” to win a majority.

A woman holds up a photo of her son, a drug war victim. Photo: Reuters

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