Philippine Embassy in US dismayed over Washington Post article on drug war

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Embassy in the United States has expressed dismay over a Washington Post article which reported the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

“It is disappointing how this article hides behind the guise of journalism to advance an agenda that seeks to discredit the Philippines in the eyes of the international community,” the Embassy said in a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday.

READ: Statement on @washingtonpost article pic.twitter.com/2n1p8ksyIj

— Philippine Embassy in the USA (@philippinesusa) February 26, 2019

The Embassy was referring to an article titled, “This is Manila,” which was published in the front page of Washington Post on Feb. 25, 2019.

The foreign news media wrote the story of Ferdinand Jhon Santos, whose body was found floating under a bridge last Jan. 14. The Post said Santos’ case remained unresolved and “did not end human rights advocates and families from believing that killings were made in the name of police and war on drugs.”

It added that thousands of cases remain in “legal limbo” or classified as “deaths under investigation” by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and were never taken to prosecutors.

The Embassy, however, said the article did not represent Manila and showed “no foundation in reality.”

“Contrary to what its title hopes to provoke, the article paints a picture not of Manila but of a hasty generalization that has no foundation in reality,” the Embassy said.

The Embassy added that the article did not indicate the figures from a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that the majority of Filipinos support the government’s anti-drug campaign.

“Unsurprisingly, the article fails to mention that majority of the Filipino people continue to back their government in the fight against illegal drugs,” the Embassy said.

Results of a June 2018 SWS poll showed that 78 percent of respondents were satisfied and only 13 percent were dissatisfied with the Duterte administration’s drug war.

READ: Survey: 4 of 5 Pinoys satisfied with drug war

“From January 2016 to December 2018, 9,102 erring police personnel were meted with disciplinary penalities, including dismissal from service, demotion, suspension, forfeiture of salary, reprimand, restriction, and withholding of privileges,” the Embassy stressed.

The Embassy assured that the Philippines will continue to engage in “sincere, constructive and evidence-based dialogue” with international partners. /ee