Strained US-Philippines ties must be repaired
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte calling US President Barack Obama, the ‘son of a whore' in a public speech on Monday is absolutely uncalled for and it does not match the words of a man who is the first citizen of a nation. It simply shows how he was acting too defensive about his actions against the drug traffickers, fearing that Obama may raise the issue of human right violations in his visit to the island nation. As White House officials immediately cancelled Obama's last tour as a President to Philippines, citing Duterte's use of obscene language against the latter, it may hurt long standing bilateral relations between the two nations.
The newly elected leader who was elected to office with a landslide victory earlier this year had pledged to kill 1, 00,000 people in an unprecedented war to take on the criminals across the country. In an age of yearning and protecting every bit of our rights, the call issued by the leader of a sovereign nation by killing lakhs of law breakers for cleaning up the rotten system of his country, does not hold good both in spirit and in reality. Though he regretted for his rant against Obama, his contorted apology issued by his spokesperson at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in laos came only after Obama cancelled his meeting with him.
It can be termed as a serious insult to the office of the President of America and this can also be seen as the global hegemon's over-reach to some of the sensitive issues like human rights, genocide, religious fundamentalism, territorial integrity etc. wherein the aggrieved nations become too protective, citing at times an interference in internal matters. With this, America, particularly Obama, who is on the last leg of his presidency, must learn how not to meddle or highlight some of the intricate issues which demand first national attention and then only, probably the intervention of the esteemed office of the UN. America's unilateral moments and playing the big brother spree is fast fading with the rise of regional powers and associations which try leveraging power and influence much beyond the Bretton Woods institutions and the shadow of security bolstered by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. However, the Philippines is very much within the grip of America's Asia outreach and it needs the continuous support of that country to survive its claims on the contested islands of the South China Sea against China's aggressive posture throughout in recent months.
The shoddy faux paus created by the office of Duterte in the post-Obama diatribe, saying his use of the tagalog slur ‘putang ina' was not directed against Obama but meant for a particular reporter who provoked the leader, seems how Manila is working hard to manage and restore the normalcy with Washington. Duterte must discipline the thugs, but should ensure adequate space for basic human rights in Philippines.