MANILA - Justice Secretary Crispin "Boying" Remulla on Monday said prosecuting those involved in extra-judicial killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war is among the Department of Justice’s priorities.

Remullla made this statement as the United Nations Human Rights Committee reviewed some of the Philippines’ pressing issues during the 3919th meeting of the 136th Session of the international body.

“Forty-six police officers were charged in court from the 302 cases which were referred to the National Bureau of Investigation for case built up from the past drug operations; 222 police officers were found administratively liable and suspended from the service,” he said.

Remulla said the Department of Justice “strengthened witness protection program to encourage civil society organizations, witnesses and families of victims to come forward.”

He also said that the Bureau of Corrections is continually addressing the issue of overcrowding in their facilities.

According to the Justice Secretary, “the biggest chunk of the department's budget is earmarked” for decongesting the cells.

“New Bilibid Prison houses 17,000 maximum security prisoners in a jail built for only 5,000 people. We are now reforming the system and we have budgeted P4 billion to relocate the maximum security prison to the island Mindoro,” he explained.

Pending the completion of the project, Remulla reported they have released 371 inmates with 300 coming from New Bilibid Prison.

He added that they will free 5,000 more prisoners by June 2023.

DIP IN HUMAN RIGHTS BUDGET

Remulla admitted that the Philippines’ budget for its Commission on Human Rights was cut by about US$ 500,000 in 2022. He said that the dip was not politically motivated.

"Right now, 30% of our national budget goes to debt servicing or the debt that we incurred during the pandemic,” he noted.

“We are now paying for the COVID response that we gave during the time of COVID. Our country had to borrow money to help people rise through the difficulty of the time of COVID. We do not borrow and not pay, and it's now time to pay some of our debts. And thus, all budgets of the country have been slashed for every department.”

Remulla stressed that the current budget is still significantly larger than the allotted amount from previous years.

RED TAGGING

According to the Justice Secretary, red-tagging is one of the most disputable terms and is “very difficult” to debate about

In his “perspective,” however, Remulla asserted that “red tagging is part of democracy.

“Red-tagging is used when a person belonging to civil society organization is criticized for the work they're doing as being related to the persons who commit criminal acts in our country— particularly those allegedly belonging to the New People’s Army," he said.

Remulla claimed that the act is merely a form of criticism.

“Is it a one-way street, where only critics can criticize and critics cannot be criticized? That is a term that has to be thought about by everybody here. If you can dish it out, you should be able to take it… especially if they are supporting those that are promoting the death of our people,” he said.

During the campaign period earlier this year, Remulla red-tagged supporters of former Vice President Leni Robredo, political rival of incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

• Robredo hits red-tagging of campaign volunteers
• Remulla on red-tagging: It's a 'political term, I'm just unmasking them'

WOMEN REMOVED FROM OFFICE

Remulla bellied supposed claims that three-high ranking women—Robredo, former Senator Leila De Lima and former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno—were removed from office because of their gender.

Remulla continued that Robredo was also not kicked out of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s cabinet because of her gender but rather due to “loss of confidence.”

He said that it was the “Supreme Court’s will” to impeach Sereno.

He also said that De Lima was not removed from office and had lost her seat in the Senate in the 2022 polls last May, adding that she is imprisoned due to drug-related cases.

“She's not being held because of her gender. She's not being held because it's because of a political reason. Senator De Lima is in jail because she participated in drug crimes,” he alleged.

In a decision received by De Lima's camp last August, the Office of the Ombudsman junked for lack of probable cause the bribery complaints against De Lima and her former bodyguard over an alleged P8 million bribe from self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

When asked if the Ombudsman's dismissal of bribery charges against De Lima affect her two drug cases, Remulla had said "it's up to the courts."

• After Ombudsman ruling, De Lima camp says DOJ can still withdraw drug charges

De Lima, who was a vocal critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his drug war, was detained on illegal drug charges in February 2017.

She has repeatedly said the charges are politically motivated.

CONTRASTING VIEW

Civil society groups earlier presented to the rights body of the United Nations contrasting views of the human rights situation in the country during the first few months of Marcos Jr.’s administration.

After Remulla said the administration under Marcos is undertaking a “transformational reform” of the justice and law enforcement sector, civil society organizations said continued extra-judicial killings, harassment and arrests of activists and journalists, and red-tagging showed a different picture of the human rights situation in the Philippines.

• Remulla to UN rights body: PH justice, law enforcement reforming under Marcos

Some mentioned the slay of broadcaster Percival Mabasa last week.

“The human rights situation in the Philippines remains dire. Domestic remedies remain largely ineffective in pursuing successful prosecution of perpetrators of extrajudicial killings and other violations,” said Cristina Palabay of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development.

The dialogue on human rights in the Philippines will continue on October 11, 10 a.m. (Geneva time). The UN committee will hold a press conference on November 3 to present its findings.

Along with Kyrgyzstan, Japan, Ethiopia, Nicaragua and Russia, the Philippines is “required to undergo regular reviews by the Committee of 18 independent international experts on how they are implementing the Covenant as well as the Committee's previous recommendations.”