Duterte Makes Headlines for His Drug War

          On occasion "The Wall Street Journal" covers important developments in the Philippines, with Jake Maxwell Watts who reports for them from Manila.  Friday, July 12, 2019 contains a noteworthy feature with a picture from late June of police at the scene of a killing.  The headline reads, "U.N. Seeks Probe on Duterte's Drug War."

          The U.N. Human Rights Council voted to launch an investigation "into the alleged killings of tens of thousands of Filipinos by police in a yearslong war--a rare international rebuke of President Rodrigo Duterte, who started the campaign on narcotics."

          I recommend the whole article, but a couple of items lodged in my mind.  One is that I was reminded that there have been very few (I frankly don't remember any) instances of national or international governmental criticism of Duterte.  (OK, it comes back to me.  The International Court of Justice in The Hague launched an investigation about a year ago.)  Which, when I think about it, is unusual and surprising.  Another is that the resolution passed by a slim vote, 18 to 14, with the Philippines voting against it, along with China, with whom Duterte has developed warm relations.  The article reviews the different, and varying statistics on the "extrajudicial killings," but even the lowest number, 5400, is enough to call for international outrage.  At least one would think so.

          Jake Maxwell Watts ends his article by referring to clashes between Mr. Duterte and Agnes Callamard, "the U.N.'s special raporteur on extrajudicial killings," citing Duterte's threat to Ms. Callamard, "'if you investigate me, he said during a speech in 2017, I'll slap you."  Duterte's mysogynist attitude has become notorious since his election. 

          It is fortunate that the International Court and now the U.N. Human Rights Council have taken public stands on investigating Duterte's "Drug War."  Filipino Women, like Vice President Robredo, along with a few Filipino Catholic Bishops are getting at least some outside support in their challenges to Duterte.  It's not surprising, unfortunately, that the U.S. president has not joined them.

rhb, July 13, 2019, the eve of Bastille Day