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| Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr |
By Pia Lee-Brago
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines’ top diplomat has defended before the United Nations Human Rights Council the Duterte administration’s anti-drug war, saying the human rights issue must be viewed from the perspective of protecting the entire country and keeping the greater majority of the population out of harm’s way.
Addressing the 34th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Feb. 27, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. stressed the Philippines’ uncompromising commitment to human rights and firm adherence to due process and rule of law.
In his speech, Yasay highlighted the Philippines’ pride in its being an active champion of human rights in the UN.
He noted that in 1947, the Philippines became a member of the first UN Commission on Human Rights, which drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Six decades later, in 2006, the Philippines became a founding member of the Human Rights Council.
He said respect for human rights “is deeply rooted in the Filipino national consciousness, forged by historical experiences.”
This, he said, was the reason “fundamental freedoms and human rights are vital” to the nation and “are held sacrosanct by Philippine laws.”
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