Cayetano: We don’t need other countries to ‘tell us what to do’

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano reiterated his assurance to the international community that the Philippines remains a “fully functioning democracy” after a report from the United States Department of State highlighted extrajudicial killings as a main human rights concern in the country. “While we note that the United States and other entities such as the European Parliament have their own reporting mechanisms, the Philippines has its own internal processes and mechanisms to ensure that the human rights of all our people are protected and respected,” he said in a statement. “We do not need others who think they know better than us Filipinos to tell us what to do. As a sovereign nation, the Philippines deserves the same kind of respect we have been extending to our friends in the international community,” he added. — Camille A. Aguinaldo