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Philippines slams European Parliament over ‘meddling’

Friday, 20 April 2018 4:25 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 20 April 2018 4:28 AM ]

This file photo shows Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gesturing during a ceremony, on April 18, 2018. (By Reuters)

The Philippines says the European Union has interfered in its internal affairs by adopting a resolution that accuses Philippine authorities of rights abuses in an anti-drug campaign.

The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution calling on Manila to end what it called “extrajudicial killings” during a war on drugs that the government of President Rodrigo Duterte has been carrying out since June 2016.

The European Parliament presented no evidence for the accusation.

It also called on Manila to take certain actions, including removing “human rights defenders” from its list of terrorists, including Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.

Later in the day, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano issued a statement, saying “The European Parliament has crossed a red line when it called for unwarranted actions against the Philippines.”

“In case the members of the European Parliament are not aware of it, may we remind them that their recommended actions already constitute interference in the affairs of a sovereign state,” Cayetano said.

He said the resolution was “biased, incomplete and even [contains] wrong information and does not reflect the true situation on the ground.”

About 4,100 people have so far been killed by police in shootouts during anti-narcotics operations in the Philippines, according to Philippine police.

The European legislative branch has several times criticized the government of President Duterte over the war on drugs, calling it a matter of “serious concern.” Duterte has rejected the criticism, calling the EU a “stupid organization.”

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