MANILA— Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Sunday (Manila time) underscored anew the country’s commitment to the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights.
In his speech at the 73rd UN General Assembly in New York, Cayetano said the Duterte administration is one with the UN in being “uncompromising on the issues of rule of law, just and equitable peace that leads to order, development and prosperity, and the protection of each and every human being’s rights.”
As a sovereign state, he said the Philippines is on track in saving the nation from becoming “a narco-state or state held hostage by the rich and powerful who ignore the plight of the poor, powerless and marginalized, or worse, both.
He stressed that the administration’s hunger for change, for peace, for law and order is “genuine.”
The country’s campaign against illegal drugs and the deaths associated with it had repeatedly caught the international community’s attention.
In his recent speeches, President Rodrigo Duterte rebuked former UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein for criticizing the alleged extrajudicial killings in his drug war.
Cayetano explained that all reforms implemented in the Philippines are primarily aimed at protecting the rights of every single Filipino and every single human being living in the Philippines.
“We may somehow and sometimes differ in how we express ourselves, yet this should not be interpreted as turning our backs on the universal declaration on human rights,” he added.
However, in case a choice between protecting the rights of a law-abiding citizen and the law enforcer versus the drug lord or criminal, he said it is clear that the government will protect the former.
“Wouldn’t you do the same? Which country, which leader wouldn’t do the same and protect your citizens and protect your law enforcers?” he said.
Cayetano also emphasized the significance of the Global Compact on Migration and extended the country’s gratitude to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Pope Francis for championing the document’s approval in July this year.
“Issues on migration cannot be swept under the rug, but should be discussed openly, frankly and thoroughly,” he said.
Cayetano is in New York to represent the president at the UN General Assembly, where world leaders gather to discuss global issues. The Philippines delivered its speech during the general debate’s morning session on September 29 (New York time). ( Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
