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“How are we to make the police accountable for their crimes against the Filipino people if the President himself has seemingly made impunity a State policy? The President shrugs off the death of poor Filipinos in his drug war while at the same time, celebrates these violations and their violators. Military and police generals known for rights abuses are still being promoted,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said on recent pronouncements by the President to grant pardon for cops convicted in the course of the drug war and the promotion, and assignment of Police Senior Supt. Alexander Tagum as acting Davao police director. 

“Of the 46 victims of political killings under Duterte, majority are from the peasants – leaders and members of local peasant organizations who have been targeted by State security forces and/or private armies of the landed elite for asserting their rights,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay on the continuing political killings. The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) today led a nationwide mass action against the spate of extrajudicial killings of peasants.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines has once again proven, all by itself, that it is a fake news factory, with the intent to sabotage the GRP-NDFP peace talks, to use unfortunate incidents with twisted facts and/or inflict sufferings on the people," said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay on the statements of the AFP on the burning of Concepcion National High School in Valencia City, Bukidnon last March 26, 2017.

"The Marine Battalion Landing Team 2 (MBLT 2), in cahoots with the private guards of David M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI), a mining and logging company, have been wreaking havoc in communities in Sultan Kudarat. The MBLT 2 and DMCI tandem is a match made in hell, responsible for heinous crimes against the people, including the disappearance of two indigenous people in November 2016 and the recent evacuation of residents in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat," said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.

“We condemn in strongest possible terms the recent killing of four more farmers, adding to the 42 political killings under the Duterte administration. To say that there are no extra-judicial killings in the country, whether perpetrated through counter-insurgency programs or through the war on drugs, is covering up State accountability when its official policies sanctioned the sufferings of the poor majority of Filipino people,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay on the killing of four farmers in Compostela Valley, as well as recent statements by the Philippine National Police that there are no extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.