Duterte indeed a threat to democracy, says Alejano

MANILA, Philippines — An opposition lawmaker agreed with an American assessment report and said that President Rodrigo Duterte was indeed a threat to democracy and human rights.

Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo) concurred with the assessment of the report and said that the information on these events had factual basis which Filipinos were aware of.

READ: US intelligence lists Duterte as threat to democracy in Southeast Asia

The former military officer added that even without the American intelligence report, Duterte’s pronouncements and policies had eroded the country’s democratic principles such as respect for human rights, press freedom and deference to the Constitution.

“Even without the US intelligence report, I believe that the pronouncements and policies of Mr. Duterte have so far eroded the democratic principles of the country – rule of law, human rights, deference to the Constitution, press freedom, and preservation of human life,” Alejano said.

In its world threat assessment published last week, the US Intelligence Community said that Duterte and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen were among Southeast Asian leaders that posed a threat to democracy in the region.

It said that democracy and human rights in the region would remain “fragile” this year as Duterte was expected to continue his brutal campaign against illegal drugs, corruption and crime. 

RELATED: ICC to set initial review of accusations vs Duterte, drug war

Daniel Coats, director of the National Intelligence of the US, said that Duterte extended military rule in Mindanao until the end of 2018 and suggested suspending the 1987 Constitution, declaring a revolutionary government and imposing a nationwide martial law.

Alejano also agreed that Southeast Asia was struggling to preserve its foreign policy independence in the face of China’s economic and diplomatic pressure.

“Philippine foreign policy has been severely compromised due to combined economic, diplomatic, and military coercion of China towards the Philippines. This situation has even reduced the president and his mouthpieces as spokesmen of China in this region,” Alejano said.

The Philippines and China, along with Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei are claiming almost all or a part of the resource-rich West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

In July 2016, a United Nations-backed tribunal invalidated most of China’s expansive claim to the region, which was based only on so-called historical rights.

However, the Philippines under Duterte has chosen not to press China to honor the ruling as it tries to court Chinese money and investments in the country’s economy.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that such assessments from the US, a Philippine treaty ally, made it difficult to be friends with Washington.

“We like to be friends with the United States. But with declarations such as this, it is very difficult be friendly with the United States,” Roque said.