(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte discussed with United States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim his strong policies against terrorism and illegal drugs in the country, as he answered the ambassador’s concerns about the government’s controversial war on drugs.
The meeting happened at the Music Room in Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, September 20, according to a release from the Palace.
It said the US Ambassador Sung Kim told Duterte that he understood the challenges faced by the President in fighting the drug menace.
He also cited the need to “facilitate investigation of drug related deaths to ensure continued people’s confidence in the government,” according to the release.
-Abusive cops won’t be condoned, says Duterte
“The President in response, said the anti-drug operations of the police have always been in line with the rule of law; adding that his administration never condoned abusive cops, including the immediate arrest of the policemen involved in the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos,” the release said.
Duterte also told the US ambassador that he “never directed” Congress to reduce the budget of the Commission on Human Rights to just P1,000, adding that he cannot control the decisions of the legislative body.
The President then repeated his invitation for the “United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) to put up a satellite office in the country and conduct independent probes on alleged cases of human rights violations,” according to the Malacanang release.
President Duterte further stressed his commitment to end the “vicious and toxic” drug problem, which he said, could destroy a “fragile Philippine Republic,” it said.
-Washington expresses all-out support in fight vs terrorism
Ambassador Kim, on the other hand, expressed Washington’s all-out support for the Philippines in its fight against terrorism, including the threats in Mindanao.
On September 5, the US Embassy announced a P730-million assistance through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for the ongoing relief operations and longer term recovery and rehabilitation in the war-torn Marawi City and other affected areas.
President Duterte expressed gratitude to the US government for its assistance and assured that it would be put to good use.
Also present during the meeting were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.
(with a PND report)