DFA hits back at states backing Iceland resolution

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has prohibited representatives of his department from attending the national day celebrations of countries that favored an Iceland-initiated resolution seeking to investigate President Duterte’s war on drugs.

Locsin said he supports Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s call to exempt the Department of National Defense (DND) from the suspension of financial assistance from 18 countries that supported the Iceland resolution.

“I support Lorenzana. Only the military knows what the military needs and how to protect our country,” Locsin said in a tweet on Monday night. 

No DFA representative showed up at the traditional diplomatic toasts for the Bastille Day and French National Day at the official residence of the French ambassador in Forbes Park, Makati last July.

Sources said the French embassy was informed by the DFA that no one from the department would be available for the Bastille Day celebration.

The unusual break with diplomatic tradition in this country was seen as a snub and a show of disapproval toward France for co-sponsoring the Iceland resolution before the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

On Monday, the UNHRC said Iceland donated $100,000 to support its work.

The UNHRC adopted in July Iceland’s resolution to investigate thousands of extrajudicial killings related to Duterte’s anti-drug war.

The resolution was tabled during the 41st session of the UNHRC in Geneva.

Eighteen UN member-states voted in favor and 14 against the resolution submitted by Iceland and 27 other European countries on July 4.

The 18 countries are Australia, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Iceland, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, the UK and Uruguay.

France and Germany did not vote, but both were co-sponsors of the resolution.

Fifteen countries abstained.

With the adoption of the resolution, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet was directed to prepare a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines by June 2020.

Bachelet’s report will be presented during the UNHRC’s 44th session.

The resolution urged the Philippine government to take all necessary measures to prevent extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, carry out impartial investigations and hold perpetrators accountable in accordance with international norms and standards on due process.

It also urged the government to cooperate with UN agencies and mechanisms by facilitating country visits and preventing acts of intimidation or retaliation.

Iceland said it is pushing the resolution “not because we seek confrontation with the Philippines, but to protect victims of human rights abuses.”

The Philippines rejected what it called a “tiny majority-approved and one-sided resolution.”

Locsin warned that the initiative to insult the Philippines would have consequences.

Police said at least 6,600 people have been killed in anti-illegal drug operations since Duterte took office in July 2016.

Rights groups said there are more than 27,000 drug-related killings filed by the police as “homicides under investigation.”

Locsin said any investigation resulting from the Iceland resolution would not be allowed into the Philippines.

Dismayed

Vice President Leni Robredo has expressed dismay over the government’s suspension of two foreign-funded projects.

Earlier, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said two loan agreements being negotiated by his department were affected by a presidential order to suspend talks with countries that backed the Iceland resolution.

Dominguez was referring to the 21 million-euro grant from France for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project of the Department of Transportation and the $46-million grant from Germany, which will fund studies for climate change.

“These are two very important projects which could benefit not just our country but other countries as well,” Robredo said on Sunday over radio dzXL.

In August, Malacañang ordered the suspension of negotiations or signing of all loan and grant agreements with countries that voted in favor of the Iceland resolution.

Robredo criticized what she described as overacting the response of the Duterte administration on the UN resolution.

“We overreacted on this resolution but on the more immediate threat, we don’t react,” she said, referring to the administration’s kid-glove treatment of China.

“Why did our government respond differently? Isn’t the (intrusion of China) in our territories more dangerous?” Robredo said.

She said the suspension of loans and grants has deprived most Filipinos of the services they need, such as a better mass transport system.

Exemption

Lorenzana will ask President Duterte to exempt the P30-billion financing deal with Australia from the suspension of loan negotiations with countries critical of his administration’s human rights record.

The Australia deal was intended for the building of vessels for the Philippine Navy.

Lorenzana issued the statement during the hearing of the Senate finance subcommittee on the proposed P258-billion budget of the DND for 2020. – With Helen Flores, Paolo Romero