The European Parliament on Thursday 17 September expressed its deep concern at the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines, calling on the government to adopt and implement all the recommendations listed in the June 2020 report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In their joint resolution, adopted by 626 votes to 7 with 52 abstentions, MEPs strongly condemn the thousands of extrajudicial executions and other serious human rights violations linked to the ‘war on drugs’. They also denounce all cases of threats, harassment, intimidation and violence against those who seek to expose alleged cases of extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations.
MEPs are also concerned about the extent of the deterioration of freedom of the press in the country and condemn threats, intimidation, unfair prosecutions and violence against journalists.
In view of the “gravity” of the human rights violations, the European Parliament calls on the European Commission, “in the absence of any substantial improvement and willingness to cooperate on the part of the Philippine authorities, to initiate without delay the procedure which could lead to a temporary withdrawal of GSP+ preferences”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)