Alvarez urges DFA to protest US threat assessment on Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs should take action on the report of the US Intelligence Community that tagged President Rodrigo Duterte as a threat to democracy and human rights, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said.

Alvarez, in a radio interview Wednesday, said that the US was meddling with Philippine sovereignty by releasing such report.

"Oo, dapat merong gawin ang ating DFA diyan at huwag natin payagan na 'yung mga ganyang bansa ay ano naman ang pakialam nila sa atin? (Yes, the DFA should do something about that and we should not allow other countries... What do they care about us?)" the speaker told radio dzMM.

In the World Threat Assessment for the US Intelligence Community that the US Director for National Intelligence issued February 13, Duterte was listed among Southeast Asian leaders that threaten democracy and human rights in the region.

The report noted that Duterte has threatened that he could suspend the Constitution, declare a revolutionary government and impose nationwide martial law.

"Democracy and human rights in many Southeast Asian countries will remain fragile in 2018 as autocratic tendencies deepen in some regimes and rampant corruption and cronyism undermine democratic values," the US intelligence report read.

Alvarez, on the other hand, said that the US is the real threat to democracy around the world as they meddle with affairs of other countries.

"Nanghihimasok sila, nakikialam sa (They are meddling with the) independence [and] sovereignty of several nations in the world kaya nakakarma sila (that's why they experience karma)," Alvarez said.

Abolish United Nations

The House speaker also suggested to abolish the United Nations as it is "useless." He added that western nations are only depending on Asia's economy.

"Ang proposal ko, dito na lang tayo sa Asya — United Nations of Asia, 'di ba? At mapangalagaan natin yung interest natin dito sa Asia (My proposal is to focus here on Asia — United Nations of Asia, right? So that we could protect our own interests here in Asia)," he said.

He added that Asian countries do not need the US and other western countries for trade and commerce.

The Philippines signed the UN Declaration, which is the basis of the UN Charter, on June 10, 1942. The UN was formed in October 1945 to promote international cooperation among governments.

In August 2016, Duterte threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the UN following criticism for his anti-drug campaign. His Cabinet members then were quick to clarify that the Philippines will remain a member of the intergovernmental organization.