Cayetano hopeful Iceland will change position if foreign minister visits the Philippines

February 28, 2018

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano is confident Iceland Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson will change his views about the human rights situation in the Philippines if he gets to visit the country.

Cayetano made the assessment after he met with Iceland’s top diplomat on Wednesday, a day after he called on the United Nations to investigate the Philippines because of alleged widespread human rights violations related to its campaign against illegal drugs.

“After explaining why the Philippines has to undertake the campaign against illegal drugs, I told Foreign Minister Thórdarson not to take my word for it and that it would be best if he could come and visit so he could see the situation for himself,”

The two foreign ministers met on the sides of the High-Level Segment of the 37th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council shortly after Cayetano warned the 47-member body against efforts to politicize and even weaponize human rights.

Cayetano said he conveyed his serious disappointment to Thordarson over the remarks he made on Monday where he said Iceland takes pride in leading 40 countries in calling out the Philippines over alleged human rights violations committed in its campaign against illegal drugs.

In his remarks before the Council, Thordarson also urged the Philippines to allow UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard to visit without any precondition so she could conduct an objective assessment of the human rights situation in the country.

“I am sure your society also has its own challenges but if our situation were reversed, you would feel the same way we feel right now,” Cayetano said as he shared with his Icelandic counterpart how the Philippine government’s campaign against illegal drugs has been politicized by critics of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Cayetano said Manila shares Iceland’s recommendations for the conduct of an independent and impartial assessment of the human rights situation in the Philippines.

Ambassador Evan Garcia, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, who was present during the meeting, reiterated Manila’s policy on this matter.

“The basic stance of the Philippines is that while its human rights policies and practices are an open record, the country would not accept biased and politically motivated accusations,” Garcia said. DMS