MANILA, Philippines – With the Duterte administration’s intensifying anti-narcotics campaign that resulted in the recent spike of deaths in Bulacan and Metro Manila, former senator Rene Saguisag said he would no longer be surprised if “human rights addicts” like him would also become among the fatalities.
“Aba, kaming human rights addicts ay padadala na sa promise land. That is very imprudent for the President na kina-characterize kami na bad people dahil kami ay human rights addicts,” said Saguisag on Friday, August 18.
[We, human rights addicts, will be sent to the promised land. That is very imprudent for the President to characterize us as bad people because we are human rights addicts.]
Although he admitted that he is afraid of the threats being made by President Rodrigo Duterte against human rights defenders like him, Saguisag, a human rights lawyer during the Marcos regime, said activists had already taught themselves how to feign bravery.
“Takot din kami sa threats ni Digong. But long ago, we learned the art of pretending not to be afraid,” said Saguisag.
Last Wednesday, Duterte said he might just order the police to also shoot members of human rights groups so they would be able to know what human rights violations were all about.
“Sabihin mo, ‘Pulis, barilin mo na ‘yang kasali diyan‘ [Tell them, ‘Police, shoot those who are part of it’] If they are obstructing justice, you shoot them,” said the chief executive.
“Para makita talaga kung anong klaseng human right [So they can really see the kind of human rights],” added Duterte.
The President said human rights groups only condemn his war against drugs but not crime perpetrators.
“Where was the human rights? They could not even utter it in public. ‘Look, do not do that to me,’… Nothing. Then when it comes to criminals, you will proclaim, ‘human rights violations,'” he said.
‘Crazy policy that failed’
But Saguisag on Friday said the President’s anti-narcotics campaign deserved to be criticized because it’s a “crazy” policy that failed in other countries.
“No country has ever solved the drug problem by violent bloody war. Hindi nagtagumpay sa [It didn’t succeed in] Colombia, Thailand, Myanmar,” the former senator said.
“Kaya tingnan n’yo, after a year, meron bang country (that) adopted this crazy policy na ayan andaming napapatay [Thus, you look at it, after a year, was there another country that adopted this crazy policy wherein many people are being killed]?” Saguisag said.
“It is not the way to solve the problem. Tigilan na niya kasi. [Duterte should stop it]. It is a failed policy and has not succeeded in the world. No one has copied him,” he added.
