The White House earlier said Obama was likely to raise human rights concerns with Duterte in relation to his tough anti-drug campaign during their meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
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Almost 1,800 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed since July 1, and U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said in Washington on Monday that Obama plans to raise U.S. concerns over the killings with Duterte.
“They must understand the problem first before we talk about human rights”, he told reporters at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, where he met 120 Filipino workers who had lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at Manila’s global airport, Duterte warned more than 120 Filipino workers who returned after they were laid off in Saudi Arabia to stay away from illegal drugs.
The United States, United Nations and global organizations have expressed concern about the state of human rights in the Philippines as the body count mounts in Mr. Duterte’s brutal campaign to stem the illegal drug trade.
“I would insist, ‘Listen to me”.
“I think we’ll want to review the state of play as it relates to our treaty alliance in the situation in the South China Sea in that dialogue with the new president of the Philippines”, the White House official said in a press briefing last Tuesday.
“As successful as we’ve been in reducing crime in this country, the extraordinary rate of incarceration of nonviolent offenders has created its own set of problems that are devastating”.
“We applaud the president for using the clemency power to free people who fully expected to die in prison and for shining a light on the excesses of federal drug sentencing.” said Julie Stewart, the group’s president. “Avoid drugs at all cost because it could cost your life too”, he said.
Duterte said that the world body and the US have failed to prevent genocidal killings in Africa and the Middle East but criticize his crackdown, which targets hardcore criminals who destroy Philippine society. Media reports said he would also meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
DFA spokesman Charles Jose said the meeting will be a good opportunity for the newly elected President to share with the outgoing executive of the United States his vision for the country and his “10-point governance agenda” that will sustain the country’s strong economy and improving the quality of life.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday cut the sentences of 111 federal inmates in another round of commutations for those convicted of nonviolent drug offenses.
However, it said there were also important security issues for the two closely allied countries to discuss, particularly tension over navigation in the South China Sea.
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China has been incensed by a ruling against its claims to nearly all of the South China Sea by an global arbitration court, in an action brought by the Philippines. Asked why, he said he liked Putin more.
