Hiniling kahapon ng isang human rights group kay Pangulong Duterte na huwag ipain sa kapahamakan ang buhay ng mga nakikipaglaban para sa mga karapatang pantao sa pamamagitan ng pagbibitiw ng mga pahayag na mistulang tumutukoy sa kanila bilang mga susunod na target ng pulisya sa laban nito kontra droga.
Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ng Network Against Killings in the Philippines (NAKPhilippines) na “appalled” sila na ituturing ng Pangulo na kaaway ang mga human rights activist.
“His comment – that human rights is part of the drug problem and, as such, human rights advocates should be targetted too – can be interpreted as a declaration of an open season on human rights defenders. We condemn it in the strongest term possible,” anang grupo.
“Considering the alarming rate of summary and extrajudicial killings, we take this threat very seriously especially that it is issued by no less than the President himself,” anang grupo.
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“We appeal to President Duterte to revoke this statement so as not to give police officers and the death squads out there the wrong impression that, in the war on drugs, human rights are also targetted. Human rights activists are not the enemy,” dagdag nila.
Tumanggap din ng batikos ang Pangulo mula sa mga mambabatas, at pinaalalahanan siyang itaguyod ang karapatang pantao habang nagpapatupad ng kampanya kontra droga.
“Blaming the country’s problems on presidential critics and threatening them with harm is reminiscent of Marcos. The President should refrain from issuing menacing statements like this since they place a chilling effect on dissent on legitimate political issues,” sabi ni ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio.
Sa kanyang talumpati sa Malacañang nitong Lunes, sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte: “Sabi ng human rights (defenders), pinapatay ko raw, sabi ko ‘sige na maghinto tayo, paramihin natin.’ Para ‘pag panahon ng harvest time mas marami na tuloy mamatay, isali ko na kayo kasi kayo ang nagpalaki, eh.” (Chito Chavez at Charissa Luci)
