The resolution of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors condemning the Duterte administration’s war on drugs is an interference in the Philippines’ judicial process and sovereignty, the Palace said Sunday.
Last week, the Board of Supervisors of the city and county of San Francisco approved a resolution calling for a congressional hearing to push for the withdrawal of financial aid to the Philippines.
US House Resolution 233, authored by Rep. Jackie Speier, called for the immediate release of opposition Senator Leila de Lima while Senate Resolution 142, authored by Senator Edward Markey, called on the administration to drop all charges against Rappler and its CEO and executive editor Maria Ressa.
But Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo slammed the supervisors of the US western city, saying the Board only “believe the false narratives as well as bogus statistics… fed by biased news agencies.”
“The resolution is a toxic and unacceptable intrusion into our legal processes and an outrageous interference with our country’s sovereignty,” Panelo said in a statement released early Sunday morning.
“Like some US Senators, the San Francisco Supervisors have either developed amnesia or have not outgrown their colonial mentality,” Panelo said.
“They should be shaken from their stupor and wake up to the fact that the Philippines had long ceased to be a colony of the United States and will never be a vassal to it.”
Panelo said the cases against De Lima, Ressa and even Senator Antonio Trillanes IV were justified by the existing laws.
“The cases are being tried before our local courts, which belong to a separate and independent branch of the government. They have been afforded their rights to due process,” Panelo said.
“Their criminal prosecution is anchored on their transgressions of our laws and it has absolutely nothing to do with their being critical of the Administration. Other harsher critics do not face any criminal complaint simply because they have not violated any law but [are] just exercising their freedom of speech.”
Panelo then “informed” the Board that the supposed extra-judicial killings or the deaths arising from drug-related killings are “absolutely not state-initiated nor sponsored.”
“Proof of which is the death of scores of policemen coupled with the serious injuries to hundreds of others,” Panelo said.
He also mentioned the dismissal and prosecution of a Manila police officer for killing an epileptic in a false drug raid and the conviction of three Caloocan police officers for the killing of a teenager, stressing the Duterte administration “does not tolerate police abuse.”
Panelo said the few anti-Duterte personalities were turning to foreign politicians or international human rights groups who either unwittingly or ignorantly lend a hand to the detractors pretended patriotism and politically motivated advocacy.
He said the Duterte administration’s critics and detractors were turning to international groups who were vulnerable to misinformation and gullible to untruthful narrations, as they “fail in convincing the majority of the Filipinos of their peddled falsities against the President.”
In early April this year, the Palace hit back at five US senators for appealing the same concern to the Philippine government.
Panelo said the US lawmakers had no “business” dictating to the country what to do with suspected criminals, telling them they should have sent someone to have an independent probe in the country or formally write the concerned Philippine agencies.
Since February 2018, De Lima has been detained following her criticism of the war on drugs. She was detained for allegedly benefiting from convicted crime lords when she was still the Justice secretary.
Ressa and her news site Rappler are facing several cases including libel and tax-related charges amid their critical reportage on the government.
Trillanes, on the other hand, remains a vocal critic of the administration.
