The problem is also human rights dogmatism

Not because we seek to fall in line behind President Rodrigo Duterte’s ongoing debate with human rights advocates and critics of the Philippine drug war, but because we want a full examination of the issues, we call attention today to that sector of national and international opinion that has raised valid and thoughtful criticism of the human rights movement and its excesses.

For far too long, the public debate on human rights in this country has been dominated by human rights groups who espouse the ideology of human rights. It has been heavily influenced in our country by international media, whose values may be different from ours. The arena of public discussion has sometimes been closed to those voices who espouse a different philosophy and approach.