The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said it would welcome Asean’s support and understanding, while the country is hosting the 30th Asean Summit, in the face of Amnesty International (AI) call on regional leaders to take a stand against President Duterte’s antidrugs war that resulted in the filing of a case before the International Criminal Court for “possible crimes against humanity”.
“We note Asean’s Position in the Statement delivered at the 59th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs special session on March 14, 2016, that reaffirmed ‘the sovereign right and responsibility of each country to decide on the best approach to address its drug problem, taking into consideration the context and norms of its society.’ We welcome Asean’s support and understanding of our efforts in this difficult but important national endeavor,” DFA Spokesman Robes-pierre Bolivar said.
On Wednesday AI, in a press statement, said: “With mounting evidence of government involvement in thousands of extrajudicial executions in Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’, Amnesty International is calling on regional leaders to take a stand against possible crimes against humanity as they meet at the 30th Asean Summit in Manila this week.”
“While they meet in their comfortable surroundings, Asean leaders should spare a thought for the thousands of people who have been killed as part of Duterte’s brutal crackdown. The vast majority are from marginalized and neglected communities, making it effectively a war on the poor,” said Champa Patel, director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific at AI.
“As the death toll mounts, so does evidence of the Philippine authorities’ role in the bloodshed. That the Philippines is chairing the Asean Summit against this horrifying backdrop is a scandal, and should prompt the government to make independent and effective investigations into unlawful killings an immediate priority. They must send a clear message that there will be accountability and an end to such shocking violations.”
However, former Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former DFA Undersecretary for Policy Lauro Baja, when asked to comment during a telephone interview, said: “That won’t happen, because the Asean and Asean member-countries live and breathe to this principle of noninterference.”
“Second, because member-states also have their drug-related problems and they will be raising an issue that is not only particular to the Philippines, AI is thinking and acting beyond its reach,” Baja added. Asked about the possible implications of AI’s statement, Baja said: “Every pronouncement of AI must be viewed in the context, which is AI is not only criticizing the Philippines but almost every other country in the world. So, we should not really lose sleep over it.”
Asked if he agrees that the degree of drug-related killings has reached alarming proportion, and if the killings are justified, the former DFA official said: “The government has always adopted the position, the policy—and other countries in international organizations appreciated this position—that there is no extrajudicial killing in the Philippines in the sense that it is sanctioned by the government.”
“There are Philippine institutions that investigate these allegations—Senate, House and other institutions. AI is only one institution that keeps on doing this aside from
others, which are, I think, contentious,” Baja added.
“There is no standing policy, but controversial issues or sensitive issues are usually raised in retreats. If ever this issue is raised, it will be in the context of lessons learned from the Philippine experience, and not to criticize, not to suggest the plans of action or anything, because, as I said, these countries in Asean also have their drug-related problems and raising it even in retreat is quite remote.”
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The vicious gall and overarching presumptuousnes of this Phil Robertson and this Phelim Kine of the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, both unelected and unelectable anywhere in this planet, to insult the ASEAN heads of state today as they meet in Manila. Robertson intones: “Human rights is in a precipitous downward spiral in every ASEAN country except perhaps Myanmar, and that’s only because military rule in that country was so horrible for so long…By just about every measure—freedom of expression and peaceful protest, religious tolerance, non-interference in civil society, respect for democratic principles, fair treatment of refugees and migrants—the region is falling deeper into dictatorship, repression, and rights abuse.” And his deputy Kine declares: “The ratbag of dictators, autocrats and juntas that dominate Asean’s ranks perceive transparency, accountability and rule of law as existential threats rather than foundations of good governance.” Who do Phil Robertson and Phelim Kine think they are, twin incarnations of God Almighty himself? One of these days, and hopefuly it won’t be too long from now, both will get a good, mean kick in the groin from anyone of the ASEAN leaders they have insulted.