MANILA: A UN human rights investigator says there are signs of mounting opposition within the Philippines to President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 war on drugs, with police operations on hold and the Church getting critical of the campaign.
Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, however, said the thousands of killings in the campaign had given rise to a sense of impunity, which could lead to increased lawlessness and violence.
More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30, about a third of them in police operations. Callamard said she knew of only four court cases seeking justice for the victims.
鈥淭he difference between the number of reported killings and the number of court cases is unbelievable,鈥� she told Reuters in Bangkok. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very unusual for that degree of impunity to remain restricted to one kind of crime or one type of community.鈥�
The war on drugs has been a signature policy of Duterte, who remains popular in opinion polls.
But Callamard, a human rights expert from France who took up the UN post in August, said opposition to the drug war was increasing and had reached a 鈥渢ipping point.鈥�
鈥淭here is an increasing awareness on the part of the Filipino people that the war on drugs could hurt them,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he surveys that are being done indicate support for the president...but critique the war on drugs.鈥�
One of the Philippines鈥� top polling agencies, Social Weather Stations, said after a survey of 1,500 people in early December that most were satisfied with Duterte鈥檚 rule. But 78 percent said they were worried that they or someone they knew would be a victim of an extra-judicial killing.
In a series of reports last year, Reuters showed that the police had a 97-percent kill rate in their drug operations, the strongest proof yet that police were summarily shooting drug suspects.
Separately, the Philippines鈥� environment minister vowed not to buckle to mounting pressure from a mining sector reeling from her shutting more than half of the country鈥檚 mines on environmental protection grounds.
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez has ordered the closure of 23 of the country鈥檚 41 mines, most of which produce nickel ore, and the suspension of five more due to violations uncovered during a lengthy environmental audit.
Mines ordered for closure include those run by Hinatuan Mining Corp, a unit of top Philippine nickel ore producer Nickel Asia Corp, and BenguetCorp. Nickel Mines Inc.
The decision has rocked the global nickel market as the Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, is the world鈥檚 biggest exporter of nickel ore.
In another development, the country鈥檚 defense minister said the Philippines is certain of 鈥渧ery strong鈥� links between Daesh and home-grown militants and is concerned about regional repercussions from tension between China and the new US administration.
Intelligence from various sources had shown rebels in the southern Philippines had been communicating with Daesh, and funds were being sent from the Middle East via conventional mechanisms commonly used by overseas Filipino workers, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in an interview.
Some statements about China by advisers to US President Donald Trump were 鈥渧ery troubling,鈥� he said, adding that defense agreements with Washington would make US troops based temporarily in the Philippines 鈥渕agnets for retaliation.鈥�
鈥淲e are concerned if war breaks out and it is near us we will be involved whether we like it or not,鈥� Lorenzana told Reuters.