In interview, Cory Gardner says he talked with notorious Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte about human rights abuses – The Denver Post

U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner on Wednesday met with notorious Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, who isaccused of allowing thousands of extrajudicial killingsas part of a drug crackdown. The Colorado Republican says the pair talked about human rights abuses in the Philippines, battling extremismand North Korea.

I am very concerned about the direction that things are heading in the Philippines, Gardner told The Denver Post in a phone interview Thursday after getting off a plane back to the U.S. Im very concerned about the extrajudicial killings and Im very concerned about the rule of law, and if it is being followed when it comes to human rights. Imvery concerned about human rights abusesand thats why I brought it up face to face.

Gardner said he also met with several other high-ranking Filipino officials, as well as the chairman of the Philippines Human Rights Commission, Chito Gascon.

Instead of engaging in press release diplomacy, Gardner said, Im actually going to do something about it.

Gardner met Duterte in Manila, the Philippines capital. ThePhilippines Presidential Communications Operations Office, which released photos of the two men shaking hands and speaking, called the meeting a courtesy call.

The meeting came during a four-day trip that Gardner, chairman of a Senate subcommittee on East Asia, took to the regionwhile Congress has been in recess. On that trip, he alsovisited withU.S. military leaders in the region, senior officials in South Koreas newly elected government and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The senator from Yuma met, too, withSung Kim, U.S. ambassador to the Philippines.

ProgressNow Colorado, a left-leaning advocacy organization, quickly criticized Gardners meeting with Duterteand demanded a full accounting of Gardners meeting with a murderous strongman who has been condemned by international human rights organizations.

Sen. Cory Gardner owes the people of Colorado an explanation for why he cant meet with us, but has time to visit with murderous Filipino strongman Rodrigo Duterte, said ProgressNows executive director Ian Silverii. Since taking office last year, Dutertes regime has been accused of thousands of extrajudicial killings, encouraging lawless vigilante violence against civilians, and threats against journalists. Duterte has boasted about personally committing murder. Duterte is the last person Sen. Gardner should be associating with, and yet there he was a headline in Filipino news media, smiling and shaking hands with this murderous strongman.

Gardner brushed off the criticism, saying liberal groups did not attack U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, his Democratic counterpart in Colorado, after hisvisit to Cuba.

Gardner also said he was able to secure a guarantee from Duterte that the Philippines would stop trade with North Korea. That they would help us on North Korea.

President Donald Trump and Duterte spoke on the phone about two months ago. A White House statement in April described the call as very friendly and said the U.S.-Philippine alliance is now heading in a very positive direction.

Duterte has taken a friendlier approach with Trump versus the antagonistic stance he had toward President Barack Obama, whom Duterteoncetold to go to hell for criticizing the Philippines leaders bloody anti-drug crackdown.

During Obamas final months in office, the Philippine president moved to build closer economic ties with China and Russia while repeatedly threatening to end his nations longstanding military alliance with the U.S.

Go here to read the rest:
In interview, Cory Gardner says he talked with notorious Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte about human rights abuses - The Denver Post