MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Minority Leader Carlos Isagani Zarate urged the government and communist rebels on Wednesday to support the plan of the United Nations Security Council to call for a 90-day “humanitarian pause” worldwide during the coronavirus pandemic. The Philippines, as a UN member, should back the call, Zarate said in a statement. Duterte accused the communist NPA of stealing goods supposedly for families affected by the pandemic, adding that the group also killed two soldiers. “Likewise, we also call on the CHR and UNHRC to also investigate the reported indiscriminate military aerial bombings and other violations in the course of its counter-insurgency operations against the NPA rebels,” Zarate said. The lawmaker also noted that there had been many unreported cases of police and military violations of human rights — not only in Metro Manila but in the rest of the country during the quarantine.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 29, 2020 18:11 UTC