MANILA, Philippines — The vilification of dissent and attacks against perceived critics of the Philippine government are being “increasingly institutionalized and normalized in ways that will be very difficult to reverse,” the United Nations Human Rights Office said Thursday. In a report that looked into the human rights situation in the Philippines, the UN agency said human rights advocacy and activism are routinely equated with insurgency. She is expected to report her office’s findings to the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva later this month. “Indigenous peoples should not be victims of tug-of-war between the State, non-State armed groups and business interests,” Bachelet said. The UN report as mandated by the UN Human Rights Council last year also looked into the human rights violations in the context of the government’s anti-drugs campaign.

Source: Philippine Star June 04, 2020 07:26 UTC