RESPONSE OF LIBERAL PARTY PRESIDENT SEN. FRANCIS PANGILINAN TO MEDIA QUERIES ON CANADA, NZ, CIVIL SOCIETY EXPRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS IN ASEAN

November 15, 2017

We talk about killings and human rights here in the country. We wish government would do more. We wish government would actually stop the killings and bring justice for family and friends left behind by these killings driven by the so-called war on drugs. We wish government would go after those behind the tons of illegal drugs worth billions of pesos and not just those who are “caught” with a handful of grams of shabu.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand

We thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, and the 270 civil society organizations and leaders worldwide for raising these urgent and vital issues at the ASEAN.

The right to life, to due process and a fair trial, and to health are enshrined in our Constitution. Expressing concern for these rights is not an infringement on our sovereignty, but in fact a reminder that all uphold our own widely ratified Constitution, as well as a call that all respect the rule of law.

These issues concern not only heads of state or the international community, but also the people they represent, including our kababayans abroad. They concern investors and tourists, directly affecting the Philippines’ financial and economic health. They concern all of humanity.