Philippines’ Duterte offers to host ‘world summit’ on human rights

Vadim Savitsky | TASS | Getty Images

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a ceremony in the port of Manila on Oct. 25, 2017.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing international criticism for his bloody war on drugs, said his country was willing to host a “world summit” to tackle how nations can protect human rights.

The firebrand leader, who spoke in a news conference late on Thursday while in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, said the summit should focus on human rights violations not just in the Philippines but globally.

Some western countries and human rights groups have strongly criticised Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign that has killed more than 3,900 suspected drug users and peddlers, in what the police called self-defence after armed suspects resisted arrest.

Critics dispute that and say executions are taking place with zero accountability, allegations the police reject.

“Let’s have a summit of how we can protect human rights for all human race,” Duterte said shortly after meeting with the Filipino community in Vietnam, where he also renewed his attacks against United Nations human rights expert Agnes Callamard.

“What makes the death of people in the Philippines more important than the rest of the children in the world that were massacred and killed,” he asked.

He said all victims of human rights violations are welcome to attend the summit and air their grievances.