EDITORIAL - Criticism and human rights

This is not to go along with President Duterte's overall take on human rights. The value of human rights as a proposition and as a principle just cannot be overemphasized. But he certainly had a point that he lengthily stressed during his State of the Nation Address last Monday that cannot be denied as well - and it is that sometimes talk of human rights is couched in a lot of hypocrisy.

In his SONA before both houses of Congress and thousands of guests and foreign dignitaries, Duterte pointed out his willingness to be criticized for his bloody war on drugs provided the critics stay clear of human rights. For Duterte, human rights has become a convenient tool for countries such as the United States and others in Europe to use or ignore, depending on whether or not it is in their interest to do one or the other.

And Duterte did not come unarmed. He had the evidence. He had the proof. And he testily enumerated them, to the visible uneasiness of guests unused to such a harangue, especially those in the diplomatic corps. He cited incidents in the United States. He culled from the deep recesses of America's past with the Philippines. To Duterte, there is so much motherhood statements about human rights it has ceased to be relevant.

And that is where Duterte has a point. Even disregarding the enumerations of Duterte, some of which were clearly off-base, and most tailor-fit to suit his argument, history itself is replete with evidences that just cannot be ignored or denied. Indeed, there is too much of human rights that is couched in hypocrisy, in it being sauteed, deep fried, broiled, grilled, or served raw to suit the day's menu.

Who can forget, for example, how, on a visit to Manila in 1981, then US vice president George H. W. Bush toasted Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, saying: "We stand with the Philippines. We love your adherence to democratic principles and democratic processes. We will not leave you in isolation." Marcos, it must be said, was considered one of the worst violators of human rights in the world.

Yet there was the US vice president, representing the great American nation, toasting the notorious Philippine dictator, "for adhering to democratic principles and democratic processes." Why, you may ask. Because it was in America's best interest to do so. Marcos was keeping the communists at bay. And he allowed continued use of Philippine soil for America's two forward bases, Clark and Subic. No wonder Duterte is all het up.