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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 22) – President Rodrigo Duterte will summon the United Nations to make a “solemn reflection” on the criticisms that are thrown at him, as it is presented before the General Assembly of the international organization for the first time.
The Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant for Foreign Relations, Robert Borje, revealed to CNN Philippines on Tuesday that it was one of the issues discussed by Duterte in his pre-recorded message to the 193-member United Nations General Assembly. He is the twelfth speaker during the general debate that begins at 9 pm Manila time.
“[T]Here there have always been criticisms about the way the UN has been managed, that is why there is a specific agenda in the UNGA on reforms in the UN and that is something that the President will address directly in his speech, ”said Borje.
For the past four years, Duterte has lashed out at the United Nations and its officials for denouncing alleged extrajudicial executions and human rights violations in their bloody war on drugs. The administration has rejected requests for a UN investigation into the country’s human rights situation, saying it is an affront to Philippine sovereignty.
LEE: UN rights chief says Duterte fights drugs without taking into account due process, human rights
“I don’t want to get ahead of the president’s speech, but he essentially asks people, asks nations to think about what the United Nations is about, what are the ideals, what are the principles that they stood for when they were established 75 years ago and how we have been faithful to those ideals, aspirations and principles that we want, how we have been faithful to the principle of non-interference ”, said Borje.
He added that the president wants the UN to know “that there are certain issues that countries like the Philippines have to face and we have different realities to face.”
Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations Lauro Baja, Jr. previously said that he sees the president’s decision to finally appear at the UNGA as a “tacit recognition” of the role of the United Nations. Duterte has turned down previous opportunities to fly to New York for the high-level assembly, sending representatives in his place.
“He may want to make up for his rants against the organization,” Baja, a former undersecretary of foreign affairs, said in a statement sent to CNN Philippines.
Borje said the president recognizes the UN’s contributions in peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief “but is also saying that things must be done as well.”
War on drugs, sea row
Borje announced Duterte’s attendance at the UNGA on Monday and said the president will give his opinion on hot topics such as his anti-drug campaign and the country’s territorial dispute with Beijing over parts of the South China Sea.
The European Union Parliament recently adopted a resolution seeking to put an end to the alleged killings and abuses in the Philippines and to push for immediate trade sanctions “in the absence of substantial improvement and the willingness to cooperate” on the part of local authorities.
Meanwhile, major European powers France, Germany, and the United Kingdom submitted a note verbale to the UN underlining that Beijing’s historic claims over nearly the entire South China Sea violate international law, as ruled by an international court in the case presented by the Philippines. China rejects the ruling while the Duterte administration refuses to raise it with the UN, saying both sides have “agreed to disagree” to seek cooperation.
READ: Locsin refuses to lodge complaints against China with the UN: ‘I don’t trust anyone’
Former Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario said in a statement that Filipinos have asked Duterte to invoke the ruling and that he hopes the president “will finally listen to the people.”
In addition to the response to the global pandemic, other topics Duterte’s speech will address include security, terrorism, geopolitical developments, sustainable development and climate change, rule of law, the situation of migrant and refugee workers, and efforts to maintain the UN peace, Borje said.
Address PH concerns to the world
A professor of international studies believes that after four years in office, it’s time for Duterte to speak out about the country’s concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as some geopolitical issues.
Renato de Castro, a professor at De La Salle University, said Duterte must have realized that the UN addresses global issues more than human rights.
“The United Nations is not as useless as he believed,” De Castro said, mentioning other UN agencies such as the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council.
De Castro said Duterte would likely call for international cooperation to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines.
He added that it would also be an opportunity for the president to lash out at Western companies requesting advance payments for COVID-19 vaccines, as he mentioned during his national address on September 14.
De Castro also said that Duterte can justify his war on drugs to the UN using his “classic vision” of sovereignty, where no country, body or international organization can criticize his national policies.
Another possible highlight of Duterte’s speech at the UN, according to De Castro, is his call for a code of conduct in the South China Sea.
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