Government denounces criticism of drug crackdown

MANILA — The Philippine government has denounced 39 mostly Western nations, including the United States, Britain and France, which have urged it to end thousands of killings under President Rodrigo Duterte’s antidrug crackdown and allow investigations in cooperation with the international community.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday that its diplomats told the countries, which issued a joint statement in Geneva expressing serious concern over human rights conditions in the Philippines, “to respect Manila’s domestic processes.”

The government, through its diplomatic mission to the United Nations in Geneva, said it takes “grave exception to the sweeping and politicized statement” delivered by Iceland on behalf of 38 other countries during a meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva this week, the department said.

In their statement, the countries said they “remain concerned about the thousands of killings and climate of impunity associated with the war on drugs,” and cited Philippine commitments to investigate these crimes and observe due process.

“We urge the government of the Philippines to take all necessary measures to bring these killings to an end and cooperate with the international community to pursue appropriate investigations,” the countries said, citing the need for Manila to adhere to “universal principles of democratic accountability and the rule of law.”

They said the government should work with private agencies and the U.N. to promote and protect human rights, including by welcoming a visit by the U.N. expert on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard. Duterte has lashed out at Callamard’s criticisms of the drug killings and once warned she may end up in jail if she makes inaccurate statements.