Duterte said Sayan was “not a special person.”“And I do not recognize his rapporteur title. Duterte also admitted that he was angered by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s accusation that he was behind her ouster. In his statement on Friday, Sayan said the numerous derogatory tirades of Duterte against Sereno was evidence of a threatened judicial independence. “The derogatory statements and threats by President Duterte, which have been televised, broadcast on radio, and carried by newspapers, constitute a vicious attack on the independence of the judiciary,” Sayán said. All other public officers and employees may be removed from office as provided by law, but not by impeachment.”Sayan, a Peruvian, was not the first UN special rapporteur to incur the wrath of Duterte.

Source: Manila Times June 03, 2018 06:22 UTC