Palace disputes claim that Duterte's rhetoric emboldened killings of land defenders

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Tuesday disputed the claim of an international rights watchdog that President Rodrigo Duterte's rhetoric and policies have emboldened those who kill environmental activists and land defenders, saying their deaths could not be generalized without an investigation.

A report from the human rights group Global Witness said 30 land and environmental defenders were killed in the Philippines last year, making it the country with the highest number of such killings in the world.

The group said the Duterte administration has failed to fulfill its promise to safeguard the country’s rural and indigenous communities, tackle corruption, and protect the environment and is "leaving defenders at the mercy of corporate greed."

READ: Duterte’s broken promises leave environment, land defenders at greater risk — watchdog

Global Witness also claimed Duterte's war on drugs has "fostered a culture of impunity and fear, emboldening the politically and economically powerful to use violence and hitmen against those they see as an obstacle or a threat."

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo disagreed with the group, saying those behind the deaths of activists might have different motives for committing the crime.

"You know, when somebody dies, we have to investigate whether or not that concerns whatever advocacy he has or that is a personal thing," Panelo said in a press briefing.

"We cannot just generalize," he added.

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Duterte has waged what he described as a "bloody" war on illegal drugs and has vowed to kill drug traffickers who "destroy the country."

Human rights advocates claim Duterte's crackdown and tough talk encourage abusive practices and vigilante-style executions but officials deny this, saying the campaign is part of the government's duty to protect its citizens.