MANILA: The Philippine foreign minister hit back on Saturday at the United Nations’ human rights chief for issuing “irresponsible and disrespectful” comments about President Rodrigo Duterte, warning that such remarks could set a dangerous precedent. Duterte’s attacks against U.N. human rights activists suggest he needs to see a psychiatrist, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein told a news conference on Friday after the Philippine leader criticised U.N. special rapporteurs. The petition included Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, appointed in 2014 as U.N. special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, who was listed as a senior member of the Maoist rebel group. Tauli-Corpuz has denounced the government, calling the complaint “baseless, malicious and irresponsible.”Zeid said Duterte’s attacks against U.N. special rapporteurs cannot go unanswered and the U.N. Human Rights Council must take a position. Cayetano said the U.N. human rights official “may not be aware of it but he is being used in a well-orchestrated effort to destabilise a legitimate government ... by parties with self-serving agendas.” — REUTERS

Source: New Strait Times March 10, 2018 05:15 UTC