ZCZC
BFF-09
PHILIPPINES-UN
Philippines has no plan to quit U.N. Human Rights Council: spokesman
MANILA, June 22, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – The Philippines does not intend to
withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the
presidential spokesman said on Thursday.
Spokesman Harry Roque was reacting to a question on whether the U.S.
withdrawal from the UNHRC was vindication of Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte’s strong stance against UNHRC High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al
Hussein.
“You know the president is very careful never to comment on sovereign
decisions in the same way he does not want other states commenting on [our]
domestic sovereign decisions. So we leave it at that,” Roque said in a press
briefing.
He added, “If that’s the decision of the Americans, so be it. We are also
in the UN Human Rights Council. We are not following suit if that’s the
question.”
In September 2017, the UNHRC High Commissioner expressed “grave concerns”
over a number of issues including the killings of drug suspects and users in
the Philippines. Al Hussein’s statements angered Duterte, prompting him to
slam the UNHRC High Commissioner in April.
BSS/XINHUA/GMR/0838 hrs