Two US senators want firearms export to Philippines restricted

WASHINGTON – Two ranking American senators filed a bill seeking to restrict the export of arms from the US government to the Philippine National Police (PNP) amid global concern over President Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

In filing the bill, Sens. Ben Cardin (Democrat) and Marco Rubio (Republican) cited Duterte’s war on drugs “that has horrified the international community.”

Cardin is a ranking member of the US Senate foreign relations committee while Rubio is the chairman of the foreign relations subcommittee on human rights and civilian security.

Cardin urged Duterte to handle criminal cases through the rule of law and allow drug addicts access to the public health services and treatment.

Cardin told acting Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo that the relations between Washington and Manila are being strained by Duterte’s “inhumane campaign.” Manalo attended the US-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Washington.

“America and the Philippines have an important and enduring alliance, which is why the growing number of extrajudicial killings as part of the Philippine National Police’s ‘war on drugs’ is deeply alarming,” Rubio added.

“This is not the right way to conduct an anti-drug campaign, and our legislation reflects our sincere desire to work with the Philippines to support human rights, expose narcotics networks emanating from mainland China and other countries, and use a public health approach to responsibly counter the dangers that drugs pose to our societies,” he said.

Cardin last year opposed the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP, prompting the US State Department to stop the transaction. 

“In the absence of such actions, this legislation is clear in its support for the Filipino people and the importance of our alliance, but also the consequences if Mr. Duterte’s actions continue,” he said.

More than 7,000 people have been killed since Duterte assumed the presidency last year. But the government has maintained that less than half were killed in police operations, saying vigilante groups summarily killed the rest while other murders are not related to drugs.

Asked for Manalo’s reaction, a Philippine embassy spokesperson read out a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) saying the bill filed by the two US senators was based on unsubstantiated media reports.

The DFA said the bill was an indication of an “unfortunate lack of understanding by a few people in the US Senate.”  

“The bill increases our resolve to continue engaging all branches of the US government and present to them an accurate picture of our holistic campaign against illegal drugs so that our views will be taken into account,” the DFA said.

The bill is requiring the US Secretary of State to submit a report before the US Congress on the PNP’s human rights cases and how foreign assistance to the PNP is used.

The bill also required a report on the sources of illegal drugs and the raw materials used to produce illegal substances in Manila.

The US Congress would also undertake a review on whether the arms exported to the PNP are being used to commit “gross violations of human rights.”

The bill would also authorize a $50-million funding for the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to promote a public health approach to substance abuse, support Filipino human rights advocates, help victims of human rights violations and promote the rule of law through support for Philippine non-government organizations.

Several local and international human rights advocates have criticized Duterte’s drug war, citing blatant human rights violations. 

The congressional focus on human rights comes close on the heels of a shift in foreign policy enunciated by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday.

Tillerson said the US will pursue its security and economic interests first before human rights concerns in relationships with foreign countries.

Tillerson said there were times when insistence that foreign countries respect human rights got in the way of the pursuit of national interests.