"The European Parliament has crossed a red line when it called for unwarranted actions against the Philippines," Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said in a statement late on Thursday. The European Parliament and its members have criticised the Philippines' brutal anti-narcotics crackdown several times, infuriating Duterte, who has directed his frustration on the European Union, rather than its legislative branch. They also condemned "the intimidation and the abuse" of human rights activists and journalists, and said Duterte's push to reintroduce the death penalty was against its international obligations. "In case the members of the European Parliament are not aware of it, may we remind them that their recommended actions already constitute interference in the affairs of a sovereign state," Cayetano added. The New York-based Human Rights Watch applauded the European Parliament for adopting the resolution and for its support for international efforts to investigate the Philippine crackdown.

Source: Bangkok Post April 20, 2018 05:37 UTC