‘It might be crucial to attend and signify the Philippines within the Common Meeting and meet with different world leaders,’ says Marcos
MANILA, Philippines – President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. might attend the 77th United Nations Common Meeting in New York in September, mentioned his camp Friday, June 10, a day after the US authorities introduced diplomatic immunity can cowl for him for a standing contempt order within the US.
Marcos’ camp mentioned in a press launch Friday that the president-elect is “mulling attending the UN Common Meeting, citing the significance of assembly different world leaders.” The camp mentioned nonetheless Marcos “is but to substantiate his attendance.” The 2021 UNGA was held in-person.
Marcos and his mom, former first woman Imelda Marcos, have a standing contempt order in the US value $353 million and efficient till 2031. The Marcoses have evaded going through the order issued in 1995 over violating a Hawaii courtroom injunction on their belongings {that a} choose needed preserved to pay damages to victims of human rights abuses in the course of the repressive martial regulation authorities of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Human rights legal professionals within the US can alert the courtroom when Marcos steps foot within the nation, and might request a subpoena. If the subpoena is ignored, they will transfer for a warrant of arrest.
However in a press convention in Manila Thursday, June 9, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman mentioned: “When somebody is head of state, they’ve [diplomatic] immunity and could be welcome in the US.”
United Nations consultant to the Philippines Gustavo González met Marcos Friday and instructed reporters after that he and the incoming Philippine chief already talked concerning the preparations for him to attend the UNGA.
“This UN Common Meeting assembly would be the first time that president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will likely be in entrance of a variety of heads of state, this will likely be an excellent, and historic alternative for the president, and for the Philippines to share the brand new imaginative and prescient, and the brand new challenges,” mentioned González.
“It might be crucial to attend and signify the Philippines within the Common Meeting and meet with different world leaders,” mentioned Marcos.
The Marcos camp had been dodging this challenge from the marketing campaign, as much as his presumptive win within the latter a part of Could. Marcos’ incoming govt secretary Vic Rodriguez even pointedly ignored Rappler’s query about it in a post-win press convention.
Diplomats and worldwide regulation specialists that Rappler beforehand talked to mentioned that Marcos may both be confined throughout the perimeters of the UN headquarters in New York, or the US authorities can safe an assurance from courts that the top of state can go out and in easily.
When controversial heads of state fly
When Marcos went to Melbourne, Australia this month, he was met by a small protest of Filipinos calling him and his household thieves.
Rodriguez had known as the protest shameful, and an improper conduct for Filipinos.
“Marcos, Marcos magnanakaw. Marcos, Marcos sinungaling” protesters sing in Melbourne the place Philippine presumptive President Bongbong Marcos is for a “personal go to.” Marcos’ supporters are additionally set to greet him close to this place to counter the protest @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/ptn7xWb63b
— Lian Buan (@lianbuan) Could 18, 2022
The UNGA will not be a stranger to controversy, particularly with regards to attendance of controversial world leaders.
In 2013, now ousted Sudanese chief Omar al-Bashir canceled his attendance to the UNGA after an uproar. On the time he had a standing warrant of arrest from the Worldwide Legal Court docket (ICC). The USA had by no means ratified its membership to the ICC.
President Rodrigo Duterte had hostile relations with the UN, hurling expletives on the physique and calling it ineffective for the primary years of his administration. Duterte lastly spoke on the UNGA in 2020, and slammed his critics for “weaponizing human rights.”
The 77th UNGA for this 12 months comes at a backdrop of a joint human rights program that began underneath Duterte and can proceed underneath Marcos, a minimum of in line with González. The UN joint human rights program is the operational challenge of a 2020 Human Rights Council decision to supply the Philippines with technical cooperation to resolve human rights issues, together with killings in Duterte’s battle on medicine.
In line with González, Marcos “talked about additionally the significance of guaranteeing high-level of accountability by way of human rights and we additionally discuss with the October session of the Human Rights Council the place the brand new administration will likely be prepared for a profitable session.” – MR
