MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Philippines

13.9.2016 - (2016/2880(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Hilde Vautmans, Petras Auštrevičius, Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Dita Charanzová, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Louis Michel, Nedzhmi Ali, Gérard Deprez, Marian Harkin, Urmas Paet, Pavel Telička, Javier Nart, Marietje Schaake, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen, Hannu Takkula, Carolina Punset, Martina Dlabajová, Cecilia Wikström, Marielle de Sarnez, José Inácio Faria, Ivo Vajgl, María Teresa Giménez Barbat, Paavo Väyrynen, Ivan Jakovčić, Frédérique Ries, Petr Ježek, Charles Goerens, Jasenko Selimovic, Kaja Kallas, Filiz Hyusmenova, Valentinas Mazuronis on behalf of the ALDE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0990/2016

B8‑0999/2016

European Parliament resolution on Philippines

(2016/2880(RSP))

The European Parliament,

-having regards to its previous resolutions on the Philippines;

 

-having regards to the 2011 EU-Philippines partnership cooperation agreement;

 

-having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948;

 

-having regards of the statements made by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon concerning the apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killing on 8 June 2016;

 

-having regards of the International Conventions for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing;

 

 

 

A.whereas the EU and the Philippines have longstanding diplomatic, economic, cultural and political relations;

 

B.whereas the death penalty in the Philippines was abolished in 2006;

 

C.Whereas a terrorist attacks have killed 14 and injured over 70 people on a crowded market in Davao City on September 2 2016;

 

D.Whereas President Rodrigo Duterte has declared the nation in “a state of lawlessness”, authorizing the police and military to search cars and frisk people at checkpoints;

 

E.whereas Duterte has won the national elections in June 2016 by campaigning with strong rhetoric on battling illegal drug trade, terrorism and corruption in the Philippines;

 

F.whereas the illegal drug trade in the Philippines remains a serious national and international concern; whereas in 2012 the Philippines had the highest rate of methamphetamine use in East Asia and that 2.1% of the adult population uses this drug; whereas nine Chinese drug cartels are involved with most of the illegal drug trade in the Philippines; whereas the illegal drug trade in the Philippines amounts to 8.5 billion USD;

 

G.whereas one of the central features of Dutertes presidential campaign was to end all levels of drug crime across the country; whereas he promised to kill tens of thousands of drug criminals during the campaigns against narcotics; whereas Rodrigo Duterte, before being sworn in as president, announced he was considering reintroducing the death penalty in the Philippines;

 

H.Whereas Duterte initiated the War on Drugs on June 30 2016, when he was inaugurated as President; whereas in the period between the inauguration and August 2016 1,800 suspected drug dealers have been killed; whereas these people have been killed by the police but also by vigilantes with no due process or any evidence for the supposed crimes; whereas the authorities have published lists with suspected drug dealers and users; whereas the people mentioned on these lists get the option to surrender to the police or risk being murdered by vigilantes;

 

I.whereas UN Secretrary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killings and voiced particular concerns over Duterte’s comments seen as justifying murdering journalists;

 

J.whereas Duterte has insulted Ban Ki-Moon, Pope Francis and US President Barack Obama after criticising the regime that allows extrajudicial killings;

 

K.whereas the Philippines is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights drafted by the United Nations in 1948;

 

L.Whereas the Philippines is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, by which it must respect and observe fundamental freedoms, including freedom from cruel, inhumane or degrading punishment;

 

M.Whereas the Philippines was one of the first countries in Asia to abolish the death penalty in 1987;

 

 

1.condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist attack at the night market in the city of Davao in the Philippines on 2 September 2016;

 

2.expresses its sincere condolences to all who are related to the innocent victims in these horrendous attacks;

 

3.urges the government of the Philippines to end the extrajudicial killings in the country;

 

4.calls on the government of the Philippines to guarantee for a fair and independent legal system and a strengthening of the police and judiciary;

 

5.calls on the government of the Philippines to do everything in their power to stop the vigilantes, investigate all extrajudicial killings and prosecute all who have participated in these killings; further urges the government of the Philippines to abolish the death penalty for all crimes;

 

6.encourages President Duterte to maintain and improve dialogue with leaders of international organisations and other nations;

 

7.calls on the Member States, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, The European External Action Service and the Commission, in line with the EU's Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy to immediately raise the above mentioned concerns and recommendations with the Philippine’s government;