Rody to Teddyboy: Defend Philippines, not me

MANILA, Philippines - Advancing Philippine interests and defending government policies, including the anti-crime and anti-drug campaign, is the primary task of the Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Charles Jose said yesterday.

In accepting the post, veteran journalist Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr. said he could not refuse the offer of President Duterte, who emphasized that he does not have to defend him but the Philippines.

“Actually, I couldn’t refuse because Duterte said in our one-on-one, ‘Don’t defend me, I don’t need it. Do it for country’,” Locsin said in his Twitter post.

Locsin will replace Ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre.

The UN has lambasted Duterte for a “striking lack of understanding of human rights” and the thousands of killings of Filipinos allegedly involved in drug-dealing.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein raised concerns when he addressed the 33rd session of the world body’s Human Rights Council last week.

Al Hussein said Duterte’s statements of scorn for international human rights law show a lack of understanding of human rights institutions and the principles which keep societies safe.

He also highlighted the challenges confronting the international community and expressed particular concern over attempts by countries to block human rights scrutiny.

The DFA said the Philippines corrected on Wednesday the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report on the Philippines that Duterte never empowered police officers to “shoot to kill” any individual whom they suspect of drug crimes.

Ambassador Cecilia Rebong, the Philippines’ permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, corrected the report delivered by Al Hussein. 

“What President Duterte said was the police have the right to defend themselves when their lives are endangered when drug suspects violently resist arrest,” she said.