The difference between Asians and non-Asians stood out during the meetings in the Asean summit.
Note how the leaders of the Asean nations tried to skirt the human rights issues in President Duterte’s war on drugs.
On the contrary, US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were frank enough to remind President Duterte of the need to observe human rights and the rule of law.
Santa Banana, Trudeau was bolder when he raised the issue of EJKs. This is an issue that makes the President sensitive, to the point of launching tirades at his foreign critics.
Trump’s statement, on the other hand, was played down by Palace spokesman Harry Roque for reasons only he can divine.
It has something to do with culture. No Asian would tell his host that his house is dirty and that he must clean up. This is where Asians and non-Asians are fundamentally different.
Another example was when New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that the barong Tagalog, tailored by designer Albert Andrada, was “scratchy” and “starchy.” She was not aware that it was hand-woven out of pina.
Our culture is that we are not straightforward; we are hesitant to offend others.
This is also seen in how Asian leaders responded to the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar—what the United Nations has called ethnic cleansing.
Nearly a million Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh. Many have died while escaping.
Expectedly, Asian leaders did not condemn the Myanmar government even if Nobel laureate Aug San Suu Kyi was already among them.
In contrast to the silence of the Asian leaders, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told Suu Kyi that the hundreds of thousands who fled Myanmar should be allowed to return.
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I have been asked whether I thought the Asean summit was a success. As a whole, I think it was— except for the fact that the leaders failed to address the issue of human rights.
Among the significant issues that were addressed were the protection of migrant workers and the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
As former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a speech, full integration can be achieved by 2025.
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The recent rush of incidents of so-called drug mules arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport—Russians and a Colombian – just shows that as long as there is demand for illegal drugs, there will always be supply.
In fact, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency should dig deeper into why these drug mules from other countries are coming here.
The very fact that cartels and syndicates continue to use drug mules confirms demand is still high.
It is easy for the police to conduct raids on poor communities. But what about posh villages?