A Letter to the President of the Republic of the Philippines - RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE

24,July 2018

HIS EXCELLENCY RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE
President of the Republic of the Philippines
Malacañang Palace, City of Manila
Philippines

Dear Mr. President,

                              I am penning this letter in the firm belief that your honorable intentions when setting policy are either being applied by your departments without through to the consequences or, even worse, are being used to obstructs projects that could have a significant and positive impact on the Philippines. Like federalism, which intend to change the centralized government to a federal system in which newly created states would have a large degree of autonomy. On the second hand, lets talk about drugs. You immediately fulfilled a campaign promise and instigated a so-called 'War on Drugs'. You publicly endorsed the arrest and killing of suspected drug users and sellers, procedural challenges to overcome. Preliminary examinations can be notoriously slow, so quick proceedings are essential to ensure justice for any victims of international criminal law violations. However, this is made difficult in cases like the Philippines where you Mr. President is implicated in the possible crimes that have taken place. Despite the Philippine National Police and the Philippine's Drug Enforcement Agency saying they will provide date, the questions still remains whether it is realistic to believe that the Philippines will cooperate fully in providing evidence for the investigation. Furthermore, given the President has promised cover to those who have committed any wrongdoing, it is unclear how witnesses - often speaking at great risk to themselves - can be adequately protected. That does not mean the preliminary examination does not have importance. Victims of the alleged abuses should not be ignored, and there is a vital need for an international independent inquiry. Advocates for Human Rights should continue to push for the preliminary examination to happen in a timely manner but also prepare for some of the challenges ahead. Change, is hard and it hurts, but everybody changes even if they do not want to. It is recognizing the good changes and emphasizing them that makes you a better person.

Sincerely yours,


STEFANO YURI CADAOAS

                 Student