BBC docu an 'anti-Duterte propaganda' —Cayetano

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday blasted British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over its documentary that painted a negative picture of the Duterte administration.

Titled "Philippines: Democracy in Danger," the documentary "amounts to nothing more than anti-Duterte propaganda, more worthy of tabloid journalism and gossip than the venerable institution that we thought BBC was," Cayetano said in a statement.

The documentary, by BBC News Philippines correspondent Howard Johnson, tackled accusations that President Rodrigo Duterte is leading an increasingly authoritarian regime by "attacking the very institutions designed to keep his power in check." It aired on September 29, 2018.

Among the topics discussed were Duterte's controversial war on drugs, his alleged "crackdown" on the political opposition, and media "persecution."

Cayetano — Duterte's defeated running-mate in the 2016 elections — defended the administration in the points mentioned by the documentary. 

Drugs

On the subject of drugs, Cayetano said the documentary "misleads viewers" regarding the government's strategy, as it "fails to mention" that the strategy is a "diversified and community-based approach that includes enforcement, rehabilitation, and reintegration."

He said the documentary also did not mention the sheer magnitude of the country's drug problem, and the actions taken by the administration against police and government personnel involved in the illegal drug trade.

Cayetano then listed the administration's accomplishments in its war on drugs as of August 31, 2018 — 576 arrested government workers, including elected officials, with 498 others under investigation; 105 uniformed personnel dismissed; 235 dismantled drug dens/clandestine laboratories;  P24.12 billion worth of illegal drugs and drug-related items seized; and 8,444 barangays or villages cleared of illegal drugs.

Opposition

Cayetano also said the documentary "paints a one-sided picture" of three opposition figures — Senator Leila de Lima, detained over drug-related charges; Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a former mutineer whose amnesty was voided; and former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who was removed from her post.

"It overlooks the fact that all three have been given and continue to be given their day in court," the DFA chief said. "The rule of law has been upheld in all three cases."

Cayetano denied that the three are victims of a crackdown, as the documentary supposedly alleges.

"The report also failed to mention the obvious: all three remain free to criticize the Duterte Administration," he said.

Media

Cayetano also denied that media in the Philippines is being persecuted, noting that press "is anything but inhibited" in the Philippines.

"In the interest of fair and objective reporting, therefore, we urge the BBC to present an accurate and balanced view of issues about the Philippines in the future so that its audience can make its own assessment of the health of our democracy," Cayetano said, stressing that despite the criticisms, Duterte still enjoys the trust and support of the Filipino people as shown in recent surveys. —KBK, GMA News