Palace rebukes Aquino for criticizing Duterte's SONA remarks on human rights
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang Monday turned the tables on former President Benigno Aquino III as it blasted the former chief executive for supposedly not doing enough to address the "culture of impunity" in the country.
Aquino has criticized President Rodrigo Duterte for making a distinction between human rights and human lives during his third state of the nation address.
Duterte, who has drawn both praise and flak for his brutal war on illegal drugs, had said that while his critics are concerned about human rights, he is protecting human lives. Aquino insisted that human rights and human lives could not be separated. He also warned that one is paving the way for his rights to be violated if he allows others' rights to be disregarded.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Aquino was also responsible for the "culture of impunity" in the country.
"I wish he did more also in protecting human life. Because it was during his administration too that the UN (United Nations) also noticed that we were in breach of our obligation to right to life especially on the killing of journalists as well," Roque said in a press briefing.
"As a former president, he shares partly in the blame for this culture of impunity," he added.
Duterte's crackdown on narcotics has left more than 4,000 drug suspects dead, worrying human rights groups who accuse the President of endorsing extrajudicial killings and other abuses.
Roque said Duterte was waging the war on drugs because "he values human lives."
"If the construction of many is that human life is the same or forms part of human rights. Then so be it, that proves my point," he said.
"The president is espousing, protecting, advancing human rights if you view human life as part human rights. No argument there." — Alexis Romero
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