Rodrigo Duterte

“ To defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, we must work with seamless unity which demands complete mutual trust and the conviction that we will win or lose together.
We cannot bring back the dead but we can spare the living; and we can build back better, healthier, and more prosperous and just societies. ”

“ The UN remains humanity’s essential Organization. But it is only as effective as we make it.
To make significant changes, we need to be bold. We need the same collective courage that finally made the United Nations a reality 75 years ago. ”

“ Ensuring universal access to anti COVID-19 technologies and products is pivotal in the global pandemic recovery.
The world is in the race to find a safe and effective vaccine.
When the world finds that vaccine, access to it must not be denied nor withheld. It should be made available to all, rich and poor nations alike, as a matter of policy.
The Philippines joins our partners in the ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement in raising our collective voice: the COVID-19 vaccine must be considered a global public good. ”

“ The same urgency needed to fight COVID-19 is needed to address the climate crisis. This is a global challenge that has worsened existing inequalities and vulnerabilities from within and between nations.
Climate change has worsened the ravages of the pandemic.
Peoples in developing countries like the Philippines suffer the most. We cannot afford to suffer more.
The Philippines joined the Paris Agreement to fight climate change. We call on all parties, especially those who have not made good their commitment to fight climate change, to honor the same. ”

“ When elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled flat.
Given the size and military might of the contenders, we can only imagine and be aghast at the terrible toll on human life and property that shall be inflicted if the “word war” deteriorates into a real war of nuclear weapons and missiles. ”

“ To move forward, open dialogue and constructive engagement with the United Nations is the key.
But these must be done in full respect of the principles of objectivity, noninterference, non-selectivity and genuine dialogue. These are the fundamental bases for productive international cooperation on human rights.
Mr. President: Terrorism looms large.
As I said at the Aqaba Process, the Philippines will do everything and partner with anyone who would sincerely desire to protect the innocent from terrorism in all its manifestations. ”

“ The Philippines continues to honor this humanitarian tradition in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.
But lest we forget: helping the most vulnerable – those displaced by conflict, persecution, and political instability – is a shared responsibility of all countries. ”

“ These detractors pass themselves off as human rights advocates while preying on the most vulnerable humans; even using children as soldiers or human shields in encounters. Even schools are not spared from their malevolence and anti-government propaganda. ”

“ Filipino migrant workers have been devastated by the pandemic. Many have lost not only their livelihood, but also their health and lives as well. Yet they
go on in the frontlines, healing, caring for others in the different parts of the world. ”

“ The Philippines will continue to protect the human rights of its people, especially from the scourge of illegal drugs, criminality, and terrorism.
A number of interest groups have weaponized human rights ”

“ The Marawi siege, where foreign terrorist fighters took part, taught us that an effective legal framework is crucial. Our 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act shores up the legal framework by focusing on both terrorism and the usual reckless response to it. ”

“ The Philippines has a long history of opening its doors to the refugees – from the White Russians following the 1917 Revolution, the European Jews in the Second World War, the Vietnamese in the late 1960s, and the Iranians displaced by the 1979 revolution, among others. ”

“ They attempt to discredit the functioning institutions and mechanisms of a democratic country and a popularly elected government which in its last two years, still enjoy the same widespread approval and support. ”