By Levi A. So
MANILA, Philippines — Concerns about police impunity rose significantly as extrajudicial killings (EJKs) swell in startling numbers in the Philippines, a US State Department report on human rights noted.
The report, released on March 3 (Washington DC time), traced the worries to the few administrative or criminal charges filed against Philippine National Police (PNP) officers despite the sharp increase in police killings. It also noted President Rodrigo Duterte's vocal rejection of criticisms on the killings.
"President Duterte campaigned on a platform against crime, specifically the widespread trafficking and abuse of illegal narcotics, which included numerous public statements suggesting that killing suspected drug traffickers and users was necessary to meet his goal of wiping out drug-related crime within three to six months of assuming office," the US State Department's "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2016" said regarding the Philippines.
"The government investigated a limited number of reported human rights abuses, including abuses by its own forces, paramilitaries, and insurgent and terrorist groups... Significant concerns about impunity of civilian national and local government officials and powerful business and commercial figures persisted."
The report covers the state of human rights in individual countries.
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