For Vice President Leni Robredo, human rights are non-negotiable.
When presidential candidates were asked about their views on balancing economic development and protecting basic rights of Filipinos, Robredo stressed that human rights are “inherent and inalienable” to every individual.
“Napakahalaga ng human rights dahil ito ay inherent. Nabubuhay pa lang tayo, nakadikit na ‘yun sa ‘tin. Ito din ay inalienable, walang sino man ang puwedeng magtanggal sa ‘tin ng ating karapatang pantao,” Robredo said at the second installment of the Pilipinas Debates 2022: The Turning Point on Sunday, April 3.
In the context of the war on drugs, Robredo, who once chaired the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), reiterated the importance of focusing on prevention and rehabilitation, rather than on street-level enforcement.
“Sa konsepto ng war on drugs, napakahalaga ng proteksyon ng human rights. At ito ay, gaya ng sinabi kanina, meron itong dalawang bagay: ‘yung prevention saka ‘yung treatments o ‘yung cure,” she said.
Robredo, an economist and a public interest lawyer, also emphasized that in ridding the country of illegal drugs, the government must pay attention to constricting the supply of drugs.
“[Dapat] talaga bigyan ng attention ‘yung supply constriction, kasi ‘pag tiningnan natin ‘yung datos, napakababa ng percentage ng supply na na-cu-curtail natin,” she said.
Robredo has repeatedly called for a recalibration of the anti-drug campaign after thousands of suspected drug users were killed since the Duterte administration launched its war against illegal drugs six years ago.
