The Chinese government through its Chinese Foreign Ministry defended the Philippine president from one of his staunch critics on human rights, the United Nations (UN) high commissioner.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s efforts of maintaining friendly ties with China has earned him the Asian giant’s support amidst criticism from groups in the West.
According to Lu Kang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Duterte’s leadership in his administration granted him the “approval and extensive support” from the Filipinos.
“Anyone without bias can see that President Duterte has made positive efforts since assuming office to combat drug-related crimes as well as terrorism, develop the national economy, and improve people’s livelihood which have effectively protected and promoted the Philippine people’s fundamental rights to security and development,” he said.
In a more direct statement, he added, “Relevant sides of the international community, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, shall respect the sovereignty of the Philippines and the will of its people, view the outcomes of the Philippines’ fight against drug and terrorism in a comprehensive, unbiased and objective way, and support its efforts to move forward to its human rights cause in light of its national conditions.”
He further said that the UN as an agency is expected to perform its duties within its set out purposes and principles in its Charter.
Lu was asked by the media to comment on UN high commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein’s comment on Duterte.
(Read: UN Human Rights head: Duterte needs ‘psychiatric examination’)
“These attacks cannot go unanswered, the UN Human Rights Council must take a position,” Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said in a news conference on March 9, according to a Reuters report.
“It makes one believe that the president needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric examination. This kind of comment is unacceptable, unacceptable,” he added.
Zeid made the statement after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a petition to formally identify a UN rapporteur and 648 other individuals as terrorists.