It won’t be a ‘surprise’ if PH withdraws from UNHRC, Sotto says

FILE: Senate President Vicente Sotto III at the weekly Kapihan sa Senado held at the Senate in Pasay City on Thursday (May 16, 2019). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

If the Philippines withdraws from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) after it adopted a resolution seeking an investigation into the human rights situation into the country, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said it won’t be a surprise for him.

In an interview with reporters on Monday, July 15, Sotto said the country might also do what the United States (US) did in 2018.

“They have dismembered themselves from the UNHRC and the reason they gave is that it is hypocritical and self-serving group and it’s making a mockery of human rights. That’s the exact wordings of the United States,” the senator said.

“So I will not be surprised if [Foreign Affairs] Sec. [Teodoro] Locsin, [Jr.] will follow suit considering the way they were, all of a sudden, handling the resolution from Iceland,” he added.

Sotto slammed the UNHRC for adopting the resolution although it ‘did not get’ the majority of the members present in the quorum and that they should “review their rules because the rules that they are following is illogical.”

“Eighteen lang ‘yung nag-approve (Only 18 had approved). Thirty (sic) disapproved. Why? An abstention is a no. Everybody in the parliament knows that – you did not agree,” the Senate leader said.

Last week, 18 of the 47 council members favored the resolution that Iceland proposed, while 14 were against it and 15 abstained from voting.

“It’s illogical. I will not be surprised and I will be supportive of any decision that Sec. Locsin will arrive at,” he added.

The senator also said should the Philippines decide to withdraw, then the government would be able to save money.

“It’s up to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) because last year we paid the UN $8.2 million mandatory contribution. We will be saving the country P445 million a year if we detached ourselves from the UN,” Sotto noted.

Several media reports said Locsin hinted at the Philippines’ possible withdrawal from the UNHRC after he tweeted over the weekend, “No embassy in Iceland. Nor does Iceland have an embassy here. Iceland took the place of the US after it withdrew from the Human Rights Council.

I think we need to follow America more.”

The country’s top diplomat, however, clarified on Monday that Manila won’t cut ties with the international body.

“[The] UNHRC vote is a small and harmless matter; we’re staying in UNHRC as a pedagogical duty to teach Europeans moral manners,” Locsin said in a tweet.

“We’re NOT severing diplomatic relations with any country. If we did, where’s the conversation? How do you insult those who insulted us if you cut them off?

” he continued.