To US Senate: Don't meddle with Philippine internal state affairs

Another high ranking Duterte cabinet official has told publicly that the US should back off and don’t meddle on purely Philippine internal affairs.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles told mediamen that US should mind its own business and consider the Philippines a sovereign equal.

"We deem it to be pangingialam, parang dinidiktahan tayo kung paano patakbuhin ang justice system natin," Nograles told reporters in Malacañang.

Composite photo of US Senator Richard Durbin and Philippine President Roa Rodrigo Duterte.
(photo credit to owner)

(We deem it to be meddling. It seems like they're telling us how to run our justice system.)

"Independent tayo eh. Sovereign state tayo so don't meddle in our sovereignty," he said.

This statement was brought about when the US Senate resolution calling on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Philippine officials supposedly behind/involved the “illegal detention” of opposition Sen. Leila de Lima. Such act can be considered as “bullying”, since the opposition senator has been accorded her constitutional right to due process.

Presidential Spokesman and Presidential Legal adviser Atty. Salvador Panelo said the US resolution can be considered as a "direct and shameless affront" against the Philippines.

"Such actions are brazen and intrusive to the dignity of an independent, democratic and sovereign state such as ours," he said in a statement.

"These latest actions of the US Senate are a form of bullying on the part of a particular institution of a foreign country. We will not be bullied by any foreign country or by its officials, especially by misinformed and gullible politicians who grandstand at our expense," he added.

Panelo also took a swipe at US Senator Richard Durbin, one of the sponsors of the resolution calling for De Lima's release, for his criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Durbin, in a statement, said the US Senate's resolution also condemns the Duterte government's "troubling behavior and democratic backsliding."

"Senator Durbin's demand for the release of Senator Leila de Lima is a brazen interference and an assault to our sovereignty as it interferes with our judicial process," Panelo said.

"In addition, his remarks not only violate the principle of subjudice but it also assails the ongoing proceedings thereby trampling upon the rights of the People of the Philippines," he added.

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Report from ABS-CBN News