Trump repeatedly praised Duterte, war on drugs —Roque

President Rodrigo Duterte offers a toast to US President Donald Trump during the gala dinner marking the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN in Pasay City on Sunday, November 12, 2017. Photo by Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha

United States President Donald Trump repeatedly praised President Rodrigo Duterte and the war on drugs during their private meetings in Manila, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Wednesday.

In an interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Roque said the American chief executive noted Duterte was “doing the right thing” and “fighting the war on drugs in the right manner” during their one-on-one conversations.

“Palagi niya namang sinasabi na talagang si President Duterte is doing the right thing, ‘no, and he’s fighting the war on drugs in the proper manner. Maraming beses na niyang sinabi po ‘yan, inulit-ulit niya, lalong lalo na dun sa mga pribadong pagpupulong po nila,” he said.

Trump had earlier “congratulated” Duterte for doing an “unbelievable job on the drug problem.”

The US President arrived in the Philippines on Sunday for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Meetings. He left on Tuesday afternoon, skipping the East Asia Summit.

Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs has seen almost 4,000 people killed in police operations alone, according to data from the Philippine National Police. There have been 2,290 “drug-related” deaths, apart from 85 police or military casualties, since Duterte assumed the presidency in July 2016 until September 2017.

Roque evaded a question on whether any other ASEAN leader or dialogue partner had explicitly expressed support for the campaign against illegal drugs, which is widely rebuked by local and international human rights advocates.

Leaders and heads of state support the ASEAN drug-free principle Duterte was promoting, the presidential spokesperson said, but the biggest support from his American counterpart.

“Ang pinakamalaking suporta po nanggaling kay President Trump. Dalawang beses po niya,  tatlong beses pa niyang sinabi 'yan na ‘He knows what to do, he’s doing the right thing’,” the Palace official noted.

Individuals, organizations, and church groups march towards the People Power Monument on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017 to amplify calls to end extrajudicial killings. Photo by Anna Felicia Bajo, GMA News

Human rights

Roque clarified the context of contradictory reports of Malacañang and the White House on whether Duterte and Trump discussed the issue of human rights in their first-ever bilateral meeting on Monday.

The White House said the subject was “briefly” taken up, while Malacañang claimed it “did not arise.”

Roque said the terms “human rights” and “extralegal killings” did not surface during the meeting, but Duterte discussed the drug menace as an impediment to achieving the human right to life, which may have led to the White House’s interpretation.

“Alam niyo po talaga naman, walang salitang sinabing human rights, walang salita na sinabing extralegal killings, pero siguro kung pag-iisipan natin ng malalim, nag-usap nga sila ng karapatang pantao kasi si Presidente nagboluntaryo ng impormasyon tungkol doon sa war on drugs,” Roque noted.

“Sinabi niya kaya naman ako may war against drugs kasi 'yung drugs ay labag doon sa karapatan ng mga mamamayan na mabuhay at magkaoron ng mabuting buhay. 'Yan ay salot ng lipunan. So, sa ganoong konteksto, talaga namang pinag-usapan ang karapatang pantao na ... karapatang pantao na supilin itong problema sa droga,” he added.

Rapport

In more than 20 minutes of the more than 40-minute bilateral meeting, Duterte was speaking and Trump was listening, the Palace official noted. And when it was Trump’s turn to speak, he spoke about trade, Roque said.

The rapport between Duterte and Trump was a notable shift from the Philippine leader's relationship with former US President Barack Obama, who, unlike his successor, had raised human rights complaints against Duterte.

Duterte called Obama a “son of a whore,” prompting the former US leader to cancel a bilateral meeting.

“Alam niyo po, ganyan 'yung positioning ni President Trump. Ang sinasabi palagi ni President Trump, ‘I am your friend, I am your ally,’” Roque noted.

“Di niya sinasabing ‘The US is your friend, the US is your ally,’ kasi alam niya na medyo nasaktan si Presidente doon sa mga naging deklarasyon ni President Obama laban d’on sa war against drugs. Palagi niyang ine-emphasize, ‘Hindi ako si Obama, tayo’y magkaibigan, tayo’y magka-alyado,” Roque said.

Trump spoke about having a “great relationship” with Duterte in his opening statement during the bilateral meeting, which was held behind closed doors. — VDS, GMA News