‘DFA should file protest over US intel report’

The Philippines should file a diplomatic protest against the United States in response to a Washington-based think tank’s calling President Duterte a threat to democracy in the Asian region, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said yesterday.

“Anong pakialam nila sa atin, hindi ba? Sila nga itong maraming kalokohan sa iba’t ibang bansa (What’s their business meddling? They’re the ones involved in shenanigans in other countries),” Alvarez, a Duterte ally, said in a radio interview yesterday.

An unclassified US report released last Feb. 12 tagged Duterte as a threat to democracy in the

region, citing his bloody war on drugs and his avowed readiness to junk the Constitution and declare a revolutionary government.

“In the Philippines, President Duterte will continue to wage his signature campaign against drugs, corruption and crime. Duterte has suggested he could suspend the Constitution, declare a ‘revolutionary government’ and impose nationwide martial law,” the report said.

But Alvarez, a Davao del Norte congressman, pointed out it was actually the other way around.

The House leader said it is the US which poses a threat to democracy with its brazen interference in the internal affairs of other countries to preserve its global hegemony.

He urged Filipinos to unite and protect the sovereignty of the Philippines from what he called undue interference from the US.

“They’ve been meddling in our affairs for so long. It’s now time we show them they can’t mess with our sovereignty,” he said.

‘Uphold rule of law’

The US urged the Philippines and other foreign governments to uphold the rule of law and respect for human rights.

“The United States is committed to the rule of law and respect for human rights, and we urge other governments to do the same,” said US embassy spokesperson Molly Koscina.

The embassy said the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, produced by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is “an annual report that provides an analytical assessment of conditions in each of the world’s various regions.”

“We have a range of shared interests and continue to work with the Government of the Philippines and look forward to expanding our relationship across numerous fields, from defense cooperation to development aid, over the coming year,” Koscina said, noting that the US and the Philippines are longstanding friends, partners and allies.

The report said the domestic and foreign challenges to democracy and institutional capacity would test governance quality globally in 2018, especially as competitors manipulate social media to shape opinion. –