The Philippines top diplomat, Perfecto Yasay has assured the USA that it is still regarded as a trusted ally but warned that his country will be lectured on human rights as a pre-condition to receiving help from Washington.
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“The president is firmly committed to keep and respect its alliances, including that with the United States”, Yasay said in remarks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“We work together in mutual respect, and we work together very closely promoting our mutual interests”, Yasay said.
The south-east Asian nation has for decades been seen by Washington as a dependable partner, especially against China’s expanding military reach in the region.
Philippine Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay Jr. echoed the words of President Rodrigo Duterte Thursday, criticizing the US for what Yasay perceives as a condescending tone regarding Duterte’s mass killings of suspected drug traffickers.
During the open forum, Yasay was asked on the “missed opportunities” when the White House cancelled the scheduled meeting between US President Barack Obama and Duterte after the latter warned that he would swear at Obama once he raises the issue of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.
Yasay did not comment on testimony Thursday by a former Filipino militiaman before the Philippine Senate that Duterte, when he was still a city mayor, ordered him and other members of a liquidation squad to kill criminals and opponents in gangland-style assaults that left about 1,000 dead.
The government denied the allegations.
“Please bear in mind that the war on drugs encompasses control of demand, reduction of supply, sending the guilty to jail to stop their nefarious activities or afford them a chance for rehabilitation so they could go back to mainstream of society”, said Yasay. “We will always view the United States as an esteemed and trusted ally”.
But he added: “You do not go to the Philippines and say, “I’m going to give you something, I’m going to help you develop and I’m going to help you grow but these are the checklists that you must comply with”. We will lecture you on human rights, ‘ ” Voice of America quoted Yasay as saying.
Duterte, who came to power in May on a promise to wipe out drugs and dealers, has come under fierce criticism for his war on drugs.
Since 1950, the USA has accounted for some 75 percent of the Philippines’ arms import but now the country is expecting a boost to its military arsenal thanks to China and Russian Federation in yet another sign that it may be charting a course away from its long-time ally.
He said the Philippines is committed to a defense cooperation agreement signed by the previous government that will give the US access to five Philippine military bases.
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Duterte, elected this year, has repeatedly stressed the need for an “independent foreign policy” and questioned the U.S.’s willingness to intervene if China were to seize territory in the South China Sea as part of a continuing territorial dispute there.
