US to raise rights concerns

Philippines welcomes opportunity to discuss issues at meeting

MANILA: The Philippines said that it respects human rights and welcomes the opportunity to address the United States’ concerns about its human rights record – a topic expected to be raised by US State Secretary Rex Tillerson when he visits Manila for Asia’s biggest security forum.

Tillerson will raise all relevant issues in the US alliance with the Philippines, including concerns about human rights, Acting US Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton said in Washington on Wednesday.

She said a meeting with Duterte is being arranged.

A Department of Foreign Affairs statement said the Philippines understands it is part of US officials’ duty to talk about human rights with the Philippines and the rest of the world because they are accountable to their Congress and their press.

“We share the belief that no country has a perfect human rights situation,” it added. “We welcome the opportunity to address their concerns and correct the perceptions they may have gleaned from exaggerated media reports.”

The statement said the Philippines “is the oldest democracy in Asia and respect for human rights is a shared valued especially with its treaty ally, the United States”.

Discussions on human rights are always included in Philippine engagements with foreign governments particularly with Western democracies, it added.

Duterte, however, has lashed out at critics of his war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands of suspects dead in the past year. When then-US President Barack Obama raised concerns about the mounting death toll, Duterte told the president to “go to hell”.

Thornton said Tillerson’s trip to Manila will provide a chance for a robust bilateral programme with the Philippines on the sidelines of the security meetings.

She said there will be much to talk about, including a siege by Islamic State group-linked militants in the southern city of Marawi and growing threats of international terrorism.

“But certainly, we will be talking about governance, about human rights issues, and about how we can increase our economic and other kinds of people-to-people engagement with the Philippines,” she added.

Duterte’s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said no announcement has been made yet of a meeting between Tillerson and Duterte.