Philippines not leaving UN: Foreign Minister

Mr Duterte, seen here at a briefing on Sunday, had threatened to leave the UN. He even said he might form a rival organisation with China and some African nations.
Mr Duterte, seen here at a briefing on Sunday, had threatened to leave the UN. He even said he might form a rival organisation with China and some African nations. PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

MANILA • The Philippines is not leaving the United Nations, the Foreign Minister said yesterday, a day after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to quit the body after it called for an end to the wave of killings unleashed by his war on drugs.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay said Mr Duterte's comment "is a statement expressing profound disappointment and frustration".

"We are committed to the UN despite our numerous frustrations with this international agency," Mr Yasay told a news conference.

Mr Yasay also said Mr Duterte has promised to uphold human rights in the fight against drugs.

Last week, two UN human rights experts urged Manila to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings that have escalated since Mr Duterte won the presidency in May on a promise to wipe out drugs.

On Sunday, in a press conference held in his home base of Davao City, Mr Duterte had harsh words for the United Nations.

"Maybe we just have to separate from the United Nations. If you are that rude, we might just leave the organisation," Mr Duterte told reporters.

"Take us out of your organisation. You have done nothing anyway."

He even said he might as well form a rival organisation with China and other African nations.

He criticised the UN rapporteurs for "jumping to an arbitrary conclusion that we have violated human rights of people".

"It is highly irresponsible on their part to solely rely on such allegations based on information from unnamed sources without proper substantiation," he said of the UN.

Yesterday, Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa told a Senate committee that police were investigating 1,067 drug-related killings outside normal police work.

The latest figures had been compiled since July 1, he said. The police chief blamed crime syndicates for the rising number of summary executions in the country.

He added that 10,153 drug users and pushers have been arrested in at least 6,000 anti-narcotics operations and more than 600,000 drug users and pushers have surrendered to the police.

REUTERS, XINHUA

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 23, 2016, with the headline Philippines not leaving UN: Foreign Minister. Subscribe