MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang released a statement following a clarification from the French Embassy in the Philippines regarding President Rodrigo Duterte's pronouncements on the French criminal law.
Earlier this week, Duterte said that a person is guilty until proven innocent under French laws.
"They can detain a person almost indefinitely, under the French law. And the French law says you are guilty, and you have to prove your innocence. Here, the presumption is you are innocent," Duterte said last Monday.
The French Embassy released a statement stressing that Paris upholds the presumption of innocence until proven guilty which is at the core of French judicial system.
The embassy also stressed that Paris strongly believes in the importance of the rule of law, due process and respect for all human rights in all countries.
READ: France corrects Duterte assumption on presumption of innocence
A few hours after the release of the French Embassy's statement, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella clarified that the Philippines and France share the same values of respect for human rights, due process and accords to the presumption of innocence.
"The President's statements yesterday express the sentiment that while no judicial or legal system in the world is perfect, countries are continuously working to refine their laws and improve their respective national systems in order to ensure protection of human rights while maintaining peace and order within its territory," Abella said in a statement.
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Duterte made the remarks in response to the statement of United Nations special rapporteur Agnes Callamard, who is a French national.
In a Twitter post, Callamard referred to the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign as a "cruel war."
My heart-felt condolences to #kian family and to all families victimized by this cruel war. #Makehisdeaththelast #Philippines
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) August 26, 2017
The president reminded Callamard that the Philippines is not under the jurisdiction of France.
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