UN team of 18 human rights experts coming to PH next week

Challenge accepted! Well, sort of.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose announced Fri, Sep 23, that the United Nations (UN) is sending an 18-man team to the Philippines next week to study the state of human rights in the country.

The UN visit has nothing to do with President Rodrigo Duterte’s challenge to the UN, European Union (EU) and U.S. President Barack Obama to investigate the alarmingly high number of drug-related killings since Duterte launched his all-out war on drugs.

According to a report from The Philippine Star, Jose emphasized that although the UN team will review the human rights situation in the Philippines, the review will not touch the issue of extrajudicial killings (EJKs).

The DFA spokesman also said they are still studying and waiting for further instructions from Duterte regarding the said invitation for the the investigation of EJKs in the country.

Jose clarified that the visit is a “regular thing,” since the Philippines is one of the 164 signatories of the UN’s International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). All states in the covenant are subject to regular reviews by the UN committee.

Although, you have to admit, the UN’s timing is perfect.

The UN team is set to visit the country on Sep 28 and 29.