Philippines accuses European Parliament of election meddling and fake news in human rights row

The EU body has threatened to withdraw trade perks unless Manila probes unexplained deaths, eases off journalist Maria Ressa and releases senator Leila De Lima

Manila has reacted furiously, accusing it of peddling baseless claims, disrespectful language and a ‘misguided’ attempt to interfere in its upcoming polls

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A human rights advocate holds up a mask featuring the image of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during a protest in Manila. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00pm, 21 Feb 2022Updated: 11:04pm, 21 Feb 2022

The Philippine government has condemned a European Parliament resolution threatening the withdrawal of trade privileges unless Manila releases a jailed senator and investigates the unresolved killings of thousands of drug suspects, unionists, lawyers and activists.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs called the resolution a “misguided” attempt to interfere in the upcoming Philippine election, while Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said it was based on “fake news”.

The European Parliament’s resolution, approved on February 17 by 627 of its 705 members, directs the European Commission – the executive branch of the European Union – to “set clear, public, time-bound benchmarks for the Philippines to comply with its human rights obligations”.

In addition to demanding the investigation of extrajudicial deaths linked to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, it called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of opposition Senator Leila De Lima, a critic of Duterte who is running for re-election to the senate in the May polls, despite being in jail in what many people believe is a politically motivated case.

The resolution also called for “an end to the persecution” of the Nobel Prize winning journalist Maria Ressa – another Duterte critic – and an end to the use of “troll armies” to spread disinformation ahead of the polls, which will also decide the country’s next president.

Nobel Peace Prize winning journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines. Photo: AP

If the Philippines fails to act on these points, the parliament threatened, the EU should withdraw the zero-tariff privilege that Philippine export companies enjoy under its Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) programme.