Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday threatened to withdraw the country from the United Nations following criticisms against his controversial crackdown on the illegal drugs.
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During the hearing on Monday morning, Senator Risa Hontiveros, a critic of Duterte, said “the war on drugs should not be reduced to killings”.
However, his foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said on Monday the Philippines would remain a United Nations member and described the president’s comments as expressions of “profound disappointment and frustration”.
However, almost 900 people have been murdered by unknown people since he came to power, with police killing another 665 alleged drug suspects, according to the national police chief. Police were also investigating 1,067 drug-related killings outside normal police work, Mr Dela Rosa said.
Tough talking Duterte, a rank outsider who was elected to lead his country on a stringent anti-drug and anti-crime ticket, has presided over a purge of drug dealers and and others involved in the country’s drug trade.
“The President has already made assurance that he will respect human rights and firmly stand against the illegal or criminal killing of people on drug-related offenses”, said Yasay.
“It is highly irresponsible on their part to exclusively rely on such allegations based on information from unnamed sources without proper substantiation”, he said of the United Nations. “You do not just go out and give a sh*tting statement against a country”, he added. “Nothing. Never. Except to criticize”, he told the Davao City audience.
So far, Duterte said 600,000 drug users and pushers have “surrendered” and taken the drug test since his administration launched the campaign after he took over the presidency on June 30 this year.
Asked about the possible consequences of his comments on Sunday, Duterte said: “I don’t (care) about them”. “You law experts of the United Nations, come here and face me and make the accusations”, he said. “They are the ones interfering”, he said. “He was stating the fact that the Philippines is a sovereign nation and should not be meddled with”, Abella said.
Abella said the President is merely stating that the Philippines, “as a sovereign nation, can not be meddled with” any of worldwide organizations such as the UN.
The UN has repeatedly condemned the drive as a violation of human rights.
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“What I’m saying, general, is the world revolves”, Trillanes told dela Rosa and other police generals at the hearing, citing instances when military and police personnel were criminally charged for heeding unlawful orders.
