UN expert says more needs to be done to address human rights abuses in the Philippines

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A U.N. expert says steps have been taken under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address human rights abuses such as the killings of journalists and rights activists. However, U.N. Special Rapporteur Irene Khan on Friday said more needs to be done and called on the government to abolish its task force overseeing a campaign to end a decades-old communist insurgency, one of the longest-running in the world. She appealed against the policy of “red-tagging,” a practice by authorities to link activists with armed insurgents. Khan has been in the Philippines for nearly two weeks at the government’s invitation to assess rights conditions and met with a detained journalist, as well as officials.