Philippines govt

MANILA: The Philippines' anti-money laundering agency on Monday said it would conduct a "swift and thorough" investigation into scandal-hit German payments firm Wirecard AG and that it has drawn up an initial list of people and entities of interest. Wirecard's collapse last week and admission that US$2.1 billion of its cash probably didn't exist came after auditor EY refused to sign off on accounts for 2019, adding there were clear indications of an elaborate fraud involving multiple parties around the world. The Southeast Asian country became involved after the German firm initially claimed it kept the US$2.1 billion in two Philippine banks. Mel Georgie Racela, executive director of the Philippines' Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), said entities of interest include three local firms - Centurion Online Payment International, PayEasy Solutions and ConePay International. "As we continue to monitor developments and dig further, we may be able to identify more entities and … [Read more...] about Philippines promises ‘thorough’ probe of Wirecard, looking at 3 local payment firms

The United Nations Human Rights Council has voted to launch an investigation into the alleged killings of tens of thousands of Filipinos during the government's war on drugs. The measure, put forward by Iceland, was approved 18-14 Thursday. It cites extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and disappearances at the hands of police since President Rodrigo Duterte launched the anti-narcotics campaign in 2016. Philippines ambassador in Geneva,  Evan Garcia,  immediately rebuked the U.N. move saying it "does not represent a triumph of human rights, but a travesty of them.'' Filipino activists have claimed that about 27,000 people have been killed as police terrorize poor communities, using cursory drug "watch lists" to identify users or dealers. The government counters that about 6,600 people have been killed by police in shootouts with drug dealers. The resolution was welcomed by human rights groups. "This vote provides hope for thousands of bereaved families in the Philippines," … [Read more...] about UN Launches Probe on Philippines Drug War Deaths

GENEVA - More than two dozen countries Thursday formally called for a United Nations investigation into thousands of killings in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, activists said. Iceland submitted the draft resolution backed by mainly European states, they said. The text urges the government to prevent extrajudicial executions and marks the first time that the Human Rights Council is being asked to address the crisis. The Duterte government has insisted the more than 5,000 suspected drug dealers killed by police in anti-narcotics operations all put up a fight. At least 27,000 killed But activists say that at least 27,000 have been killed since Duterte was elected in 2016 on a platform of crushing crime and that Myka, a 3-year-old shot during a police raid last weekend, is among the latest victims. “Here we are three years later with 27,000 killed, among the most impoverished, in a massive crackdown. That is a conservative estimate,” Ellecer “Budit” … [Read more...] about Philippines Faces Call for UN to Look into War on Drug Killings

The Philippine government and police forces have utilized the country's "war on drugs" as a pretext for committing widespread murders, according to a new report by Amnesty International, which calls for the United Nations to investigate possible crimes against humanity as a result of the country's drug policy. Titled "They Just Kill," the report alleges that Philippine police officers would often fabricate reasons for using lethal force against people suspected of involvement with drugs. According to the report, officers would frequently justify the use of lethal force by citing a "buy-bust" justification, asserting that suspects fired upon officers during undercover sting operations. Often, individuals did not own firearms or were too poor to buy them, the report alleges. "It's so consistent, it’s a script. In fact, when you see the report, it looks like a template," said a Philippine investigator quoted in the report. Amnesty International also asserts that "drug watch … [Read more...] about Amnesty Says Duterte’s Philippines Drug War a ‘Murdering Enterprise’

The United States said Thursday it was troubled by the growing number of extrajudicial killings in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs and called on Manila to stick to its commitment to investigate them. Close to 9,000 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office almost 10 months ago and promised an unrelenting campaign to rid the Philippines of illicit narcotics. Police say about a third of the victims were shot by officers in self-defense. Human rights groups believe many of the remaining two-thirds were killed by paid assassins cooperating with the police or by police themselves, disguised as vigilantes. The government and police reject that. Patrick Murphy, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Southeast Asia, said the United States shared Manila's objective of eliminating the scourge of illicit drugs and wanted to help. "We, however, do have a very sustained and deep concern when elements of the … [Read more...] about US Troubled by Increasing Extrajudicial Killings in Philippines