UN Human Rights High Commisioner Michelle Bachelet
The recently-approved resolution by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) directing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to prepare a “comprehensive written report on the situation of human rights in the Philippines” within a year is an insult to Filipino voters. “Human rights” investigations are premised on the idea that an authoritarian regime motivated by its own devices is victimising its own people. However, the Philippine government is held to and, itself, complies with the tenets of the country’s 1987 Constitution. Philippine governments since 1987 are, in contrast, motivated by public approval.
This is an important point to highlight.
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
Under the Philippines’ 1987 Constitution, the current government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is answerable only to the Filipino people. Duterte was first given a mandate to govern by Filipino voters in 2016. This year, an opposition bloc consisting of politicians campaigning on a “dissent” platform primarily against Duterte’s allegedly violent “war on drugs” suffered a catastrophic loss at the polls — again serving as continued validation of Filipinos’ approval of the way Duterte is running the country. Various satisfaction and approval polls conducted by reputable research firms over the last three years had also consistently affirmed the trust and approval of Filipinos Duterte enjoys.
In effect, the UNHRC presumes to second-guess the authority of the Filipino Voter. Even more disturbing, this “investigation” and other interventionist initiatives like it are outcomes of the incessant lobbying of the current Opposition — specifically the leading bloc within it known as the Yellowtards, elements rabidly loyal to the now-discredited Aquino-Cojuangco clan. For the first time in Philippine history since nationalism first became a buzzword in the mid- to late-Nineteenth Century, we are seeing a major Filipino political movement actually inviting Western European intervention back into their country.
Today’s Opposition are, in effect, lobbying for and promoting having the Philippines re-subject to Western European imperialism. They judge the mandate of Filipino voters as “idiotic” simply because what the general Filipino public approve of does not fit their preferred narrative — one that borrows heavily from (but laughably perverts) the thinking of former colonial masters.
The fact is, the Philippines remains a fully-functional democracy with a completely free (even rambunctious) press, fully independent co-equal branches of government that keep one another in check, and a dynamic free market economy.
Here, therefore is the important question Filipinos need to ask any “investigator” from the UNHRC:
On whose behalf are you conducting this “investigation”?
Is it on behalf of the Filipino people? It does not look like it. The government the UNHRC are investigating is one that is authorised to rule and represent the Filipino people.
Is it on behalf of an increasingly irrelevant political bloc? That looks more like the real story here.
The Yellowtards had suffered a three-decade decline from what was once an unmatched ascendancy in the Philippines’ political narrative. This decline saw a progressive dulling of their once brilliant “activist” crown jewel, “people power revolutions”. Their once-sacred colour, yellow, and their most distinguished salute, the “L” hand gesture, had been reduced to sad punchlines. The “heroes” they and their complicit Big Corporate Media cohorts propped up are now disgraced. And, as recent history would show, this irreversible decline culminated in 2016 when they lost an entire nation to a dark horse presidential candidate from Mindanao.
But of course the Yellowtards would not only be hopping mad, they’d be itching for revenge.
Unfortunately for them, that revenge did not come in the form of a legitimate election win this year. Nor is revenge forthcoming in the form of their long-obsolete million-head street rallies. And their biggest ally and most potent conduit into the heads of Filipinos — the Roman Catholic Church — is beset by its own crisis of legitimacy. It is therefore not surprising that the Yellowtards would mount an astounding campaign to bring the Philippines full circle back into the embrace of former imperial masters.
This is how dishonest the Yellowtards and the broader community of Opposition blocs that pander to them are. The UN, its various agencies, as well as the Big Corporate Meda outfits of the West that the Yellowtards have lied to over the last several years should consider the historical context of this monumental tantrum they have been sucked into.
Most important of all, Filipino voters should wisen up and see this “human rights” circus for what it is — a bald desperate last-ditch play for power by an utterly crushed but still-flailing Opposition curiosity.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
All along I thought Benigno Aquino, Sr. and his allies were the last traitors of this Republic to sell us down to their foreign masters.
What a major turned of event. Lately you published an article condemning the 1987 Ph constitution that must be ditched out because it’s a yellowtard one, now you are trying to use this to justify your cause against the UNHRC. Before, you hate Filipinos because they are mostly stupid and you wanted to apply alien western concepts for Ph’s development, but now you presumed Filipinos’ are likely a better thinkers than those people in the west. You never failed to amuse yourself and be an incorregible inconsistent awardee.
You get mad and cried foul at UNHRC now when it is clearly the fault of Duterte in the first place because he never withdrew the Philippines from UNHRC’s claws and continues to subjected to the latter’s terms and conditions. Most of those countries who voted “yes” saw something a violation of Ph to those terms and conditions which the Ph is a signatory thereto. And when the UNHRC is trying to implement its laws to the Philippines, the Philippine government is now complaining. Now that’s pure stupidity. Stupid again when you are calling for non-intervention of Ph sovereignty and independence and yet you want foreign nation like China to dictate Ph government time and again on the latter’s foreign policies.
Benigno, you are a paid-hack. You are paid by your master politicians – the Duterte allies either Marcos or Arroyo to run this propaganda website monkey-like-machine in favor of them and against their enemies (primarily the liberal party) funded by their corrupt money which you use to feed your family everyday. You are a loyal dog and a son of a bitch who always barks at your master’s enemies. This is the main reason of your inconsistency because your line of thinking depends on the line of thinking of your politicians – the redtards, either they are right or wrong on their policies doesn’t really matter to you as long as your receive that dirty money from them. It suits your agenda as always.
What makes you think I am being “paid” by anyone? Cite proof please.
Cite proof? Your articles in this website will guide your viewers for proof. Ironic how you request proof from someone for his claim when all of your articles here are based on your own conjectures and nothing of solid facts and evidence, like this article here whom the opposition the liberal party you accused of in conniving with the western countries who voted for “yes”. You think these first world countries will be fooled by the opposition in the Philippines whom you labeled as losers? That sounds nearly impossible to prove and here you are insinuating the liberal party again with your same old fashioned statements when you cannot even provide solid “proof” to back up your claims for your article, and now asking me for proof of my own. Funny and idiotic of you.
Well, well, well. Sounds like you don’t have any proof at all. 😀
TE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE IS THE BEST PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC. HIS ACHIEVEMENTS, ACCOMPIISHMENTS ARE EXCELLENT AND EXTRA ORDINARY. THE CRITICS OF THE PRESIDENT DUTERTE ARE BLIND, LACK OF VITAMINS IN ORDER THEIR VISION. THEY ARE COLOR BLIND, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK UNCHR, WITH REGARD TO THE VICTIMS WHO ARE PNP DIED IN THE COURSE OF THEIR DUTIESW, WILL YOU CONSIDER THESE AQS STUPID. HAVE SEEN (IF YOU HAVE THE CORRECT VISION) THE CLEAN UP OF MANILA BAY, BORACAY, [PALAWAN, FREE EDUCASTION, FREE IRRIGATION, FREE HEALTH, AND MANY MANY OTHERS. HOW DARE YOU YOU BLIND CR5ITICS
Brave Sir Jason is back to impotently defend the opinions of other countries who do not even have an embassy in the Philippines, glad to know that your idiotic attacks against an owner of this site who’s been doing this longer than you have been sharing your dull opinions in social media as a “paid hack” while basking in the praise of the “International Community”, if you take the UN’s word and ignoring their impotence in stopping the last two decade’s worth of conflict that could have been avoided, then I don’t know why you take their praise and approval higher than your own Government.
The UNHRC whose track record has been laughable along with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, just like last time you can’t even cite proof other than regurgitate the same garbage spewed by others, but please, you’re a global citizen than a Filipino one when you approve an International body to overstep Philippine sovereignty, but double standards and hypocrisy is your food and water.
At least after losing the last round, you and your fellow “Free Thinkers” are going around commenting and showcasing your impotent activist virtue.
My point is Duterte is stupid for not withdrawing from UNHRC when he knew this could backfire on his policy. Another stupid thing is when duterte admin complain for something it subjected itself and became part into. You rant against UN’s failure to stop these so called conflicts when the Philippines is part of those. UNHRC’s failure is also a failure of the Philippines. It works both ways you dumb.
So you admit the UN is a pathetic paper tiger which is a vehicle for powerful nations to advance their own agendas, even partisan ones? but at the same time you’re pathetically defending double standards and applying it on the Philippines whose influence in the world is nil unless it joins the “International Community of Opinions” to back each other up, you aren’t dumb, you’re absolutely an imbecile trying to say “It works both ways” when it doesn’t work like that, but please, like the last three years, you’re betting this will finally remove Duterte and bring back your pathetic delusional dream of “Daang Matuwid”, Humans Rights, always a partisan issue, a shield and bludgeon when used by idiots like yourself. That praise for the UN is just as pathetic as your suggestions and opinions.
I’m not saying UN is pathetic that’s why I used the words “so called” based on your assumption that UN is inutile which you did not substantiate further. I rather believe it promoted more peace and cooperation among nations for many years since its birth after world war 2.
So basically you are saying that UN is useless and the Philippines has no any force to influence that group and that it is only taking favors from powerful nations? So i asked again, why continue to join that organization if it does not favor Ph interest especially the interest of Duterte Admin policies? Why not pull out? It is his negligence that he put himself in that kind of difficult situation. He can only blame himself and not the UN. The UNHRC is just enforcing its laws that Ph agreed to its terms and limits. Duterte had the chance before when he threatened to withdraw from the UN after several member nations criticized his war on drugs but he said later on “it’s just a joke,” now that it comes to this kind of scenario, he went full berserk. That’s lunacy.
Still you don’t get it because you are an idiotic redtard zombie and a real asslicker of Duterte admin. Enjoy your own blunder.
@Jason:
Look who’s talking. In retrospect, it’s Yellow Zombies are committing numerous blunders for the past 3 years so you waste your time here with your pointless Sinophobia and baseless accusations just to make yourself feel better.
Try again, lad.
Excuses and excuses, the same excuses I’ve heard from idiots like yourself who call others “zombies”, and yes, the UN is inutile unless there’s something that the influential nations in the Security Council can gain, but guess you don’t know how ineffective and pathetic PR statements the UN has been giving to conflicts like in Libya or Yemen because your vaunted media doesn’t report it, but guess calling out people with ad hominem attacks like “zombie” or “asslicker”, anyone can presume you’re just an unoriginal idiot with nothing to say while your head is in the sand along with others like you, pot calling the kettle black, but in this case you’re constantly projecting your own inadequacies to others, but please, you didn’t win the last argument with your pathetic defense of the UNCLOS and barely understanding the different between “Territorial Waters” and “EEZ”, but guess you’re the type who thinks fish that travel in International Waters has citizenship, if you delusionally think the UNHRC is not a bludgeon to use as a weapon by the West, go check the Middle East, but sadly, you’re too focused on issues you can weaponized.
But don’t worry, I’m sure this time and your hard work for the last three years is gonna pay off and Duterte is gonna be removed by the UN and Robredo and the Yellows who have said that there’s no drug crisis in the Philippines pre-2016 will be back in power, and what a shock, you’ve been repeatedly saying that Duterte’s moves are “stupid”, but somehow he’s been effective, I’m sure the advice you’ll give him will be left unheeded, thank whatever power there be that you and your kind are not the President of the Philippines, because you grovel at Western approval to the detriment of your country.
Tenor, seems like you don’t want to answer my above questions and would rather choose to rebut me with shallow arguments and pointless attacks. Just a reminder you were the one who attacked me first with a baragge of ad hominems and when it is my turn to do it for you, you cried like you are the victim of your lunacy. Last time I checked you lost in our previous debate because you fell short of substantive arguments to counter mine and only replied me with other topics unrelated to the main issue. Now you are using the same pitiful strategy in this thread just to appear relevant but i already get your style that you love to divert to other issues and you desperately try to avoid the main topic and line of hard questions for you to stay afloat even if in reality you already appear to be drowning. So again your lost this time second in a row. Next time when you debate with me, be prepared with a fully loaded gun with enough reserve ammunitions to counter my attacks on you in order not to look like a certified pathetically loser and an ignorant asshole. I pity you because it seems you are older than me and yet i am more informative than you. Try again and study harder next time.
P.S. Duterte can only blame himself if eventually he is ousted or dethroned by the UN. I will give Robredo a chance to prove herself. Won’t judge her unless she sucks like Duterte then that’s another thing. I will criticize her just like how I criticize Duterte now but that remains to be seen. I chose to be objective than be a simple puppet like you.
Meh, Leni Robredo will be another Noynoy 2.0 when she is the President. So why bother to give her a chance to prove herself?
No, you’re not even objective in the first place. Actually, you’re just a simple Yellow puppet. Your nonsensical rants says otherwise.
“Most of those countries who voted “yes” saw something a violation of Ph to those terms and conditions which the Ph is a signatory thereto.”
You seem to believe so much that these countries who voted “yes” really saw what they needed to see – the supposed violations that actually happen to Philippines even though they were not there in the first place and no actual proof nor solid evidences could be produced by the accusers and spin-doctors like sorority blog Rappler incessantly report with dubious sources they say they have.
Instead of “seeing the violations”, they were fed “information”. And who knows if these info are true or not, but one thing is for sure, this is just one of the plans to remove Du30 from the seat of power.
If you think Benigno is “funny and idiotic”, you are in turn “idiotic” only. Idiot to believe that these countries “saw the violations” truely.
Get real, grow a brain, or at least show one as proof you are a thinking pinoy (not).
Another idiot who don’t understand what UNHRC issue for Ph is all about. That’s why they will conduct preliminary investigation in the Ph to gather facts and weigh those things if what their initial report to conduct as such is true or not based on a comprehensive report after a year.
Hey “Jason”…
Can we have your CV profile and qualifications? Maybe we can connect you up with Sass Rogando Sasot about your views on this matter.
Nope, i already got her style. She will just spin things around that suits her taste if she feels like it plus with all the drama.
^Says the guy who thinks Jover Laurio is more credible and much better than Sass. When you’re just here to troll, try harder next time.
I smell a deportation of several UN Investigators here in our country just like what former DFA Secretary Del Rosario & former Asoc Justice/Ombudsman Conchito Morales when they went to Hong Kong & they came back to our land & their complains to the ICJ against Chinese President Xi didn’t materialize.
If so then the UN-backed War on Drugs investigation will never happen anytime soon because it’ll give a biased investigation against our president.
So this will be a warning to those who oppose President Duterte & it’ll will happen. Ano na kaya ang Plan-B or even Plan-C ng mga Dilawans at “Illuminati sponsored” UN?
This is a cycle between the opposition cabal of political parasites; they can’t impeach him, they can’t stop his growing political influence, they can’t beat him and his allies in an election, they keep trying to get the average Filipinos to join them in declaring War against China for stupid reasons why clinging to the US and get back support they squandered during the last administration, now, they and their allies of International Liberals who share the same mindset and political ideology that when they can band with each other and “condemn” the enemies of their fellows in their own native countries, they can retain their influence and power, take note, they have been begging the UN and even the US to remove their political enemy while having their media rags repeat the same trash they’ve been peddling to the world, Liberal-Yellow-Communists reported Liberal-Yellow-Communists , so it’s reality now.
A great hypocritical moment that will never dawn on them, they can’t beat their political enemies and they hide behind this pathetic veneer of righteousness to mask their pathetic spite and grudges, this is “Daang Matuwid”
The United Nations is an international body of nations, for the purpose of promoting peace and understanding between nations. It is not to be used to put political opponents down, thru fake news and biased opinions. Then, put yourself in power, without legitimate election…a coup d’ etat agency…
The Aquino Cojuangco political axis, is using the same tactic, whereby they put the late Pres. Marcos Sr. down thru fake news and disinformation…..
The Liberal party, the Aquino Cojuangco political axis and the opposition badly lost in the 2018 Senatorial election. Their bets, the “Otso diretso”, went directly to the “inodoro”…
So, what do they do ? They now use fake news and disinformation to feed to foreign media outlets. They go to international agencies, to complain about violation of human rights in our country. The sole purpose is to put down the duly elected government; and install themselves into power, with the help of the ignorant/biased foreigners.
We request all foreigners, foreign agencies, including the United Nations and International Criminal Court; or the United States and other foreign nations, not to meddle in Philippine’s political affairs.
We may be an economically basket case country, because of the failures of the Aquino era; but we have a duly elected President and other government officials. Remove those idiotic human rights investigations, and allow us to grow as a mature nation !
All we’re going to tell you is investigations, whether it be this and others, where you have partial facts, analysts, agents are always trying to interpret what those facts mean, extrapolate from them what they mean.
Overly vigorous investigations of ominously ill-defined ‘bullying’ can themselves constitute a form of bullying.