ASEAN a ‘giant photo op, gathering’ — opposition solons

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the House opposition criticized the country’s hosting of the 31^st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Meetings for being a lavish photo social gathering while failing to address human rights abuses in the regional bloc.

Ifugao Rep.Teddy Baguilat slammed the gathering of world leaders for its silence on the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar and the jailing of opposition leaders in the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand.

“Billions of pesos [were] spent hosting ASEAN [but] did we get anything in return? Puro handshakes, obligated smiles and safe rhetoric like we hosted a giant party and photo ops,” Baguilat said.

ASEAN Parliaments for Human Rights on Wednesday warned that the group’s “continued inaction” undermines the security and prosperity of all member states.

Baguilat is a member of APHR.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin echoed Baguilat concerns, adding that the region’s poverty and the spate of extrajudicial killings associated with President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs were “starkly left out.”

He noted that the recently-concluded ASEAN summit was a “failed PR stunt.”

The government allotted a P15.5-billion budget for the country’s hosting of ASEAN Summit.

READ: Government hit over huge budget for ASEAN events

Trudeau, Ardern

“State leaders have adopted a sort of diplomatic silence on the human rights abuse and EJKs under Duterte’s war on drugs,” Magdalo party-list Gary Alejano said.

He, however, thanked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for mentioning Duterte’s drug war in bilateral meetings or conversations on the sidelines of the summit.

Liberal Party President Sen. Francis Pangilinan also expressed his gratitude to Trudeau and Ardern for “raising these urgent and vital issues at the ASEAN.”

READ: Trudeau: I discussed human rights, EJKs in meeting with Duterte

Prior to East Asia Summit on Tuesday, a New Zealand media reported that Ardern said that the number of deaths linked to drug war merits “investigation and oversight.”

During the press briefing at the International Media Center Tuesday, Trudeau disclosed that he discussed the extrajudicial killings with Duterte and “impressed upon” the Philippine leader the need to respect the rule of law in combating illegal drugs.

Trudeau said Duterte was “receptive,” but the tough talking president said that he considered it “a very serious… personal and official insult.”

READ: Duterte considers Trudeau's human rights concern 'personal, official insult'