Bipartisan US Senate bill would limit arms sales to PH due to EJK

Arms sale limit sponsors, left, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Ben Cardin (D-Maryland). AJPRESS

LOS ANGELES — Two US senators filed a bill on Thursday, May 4 to restrict the sale of certain arms to the Philippines and reaffirm US support for human rights policies, amid reports of the rising death toll associated with the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.

The Philippines Human Rights Accountability and Counternarcotics Act of 2017 filed by Senators Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida) calls for withholding the exportation of “certain defense articles” to the Philippine National Police (PNP), working with the Philippines to tackle the drug epidemic from a “public health approach,” and reporting on the sources of narcotics to the country.

The legislation comes less than a week after US President Donald Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte spoke over the phone.

Trump — who is scheduled to visit the Philippines in November for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit — reportedly invited Duterte to the White House and reiterated the two countries’ decades-long alliance.

Trump invitation

The call on Saturday, April 29 was the second time the two heads of state communicated. They previously spoke in December — following Trump’s win in the presidential election — wherein the American leader lauded Duterte’s handling of the drug problem as the “right way.”

Further details, including an exact date, about Duterte’s possible White House visit are yet to be announced. On Monday, May 1, he said he was unsure if he’d travel to the US because he was too “tied up” with a busy schedule.

Since Duterte assumed the presidency last June, over 7,000 individuals have been killed both by legitimate police operations and vigilantes in the crackdown on narcotics. These numbers, coupled with his brash statements, have drawn criticism from other nations and international human rights organizations. The administration, however, has continually argued that the killings were not state- sanctioned.

Not the right way

Rubio, the chairman of the US Senate’s foreign relations subcommittee on human rights and civilian security, said that the use of force was “not the right way to conduct an anti-drug campaign.”

“…[O]ur legislation reflects our sincere desire to work with the Philippines to support human rights, expose narcotics networks emanating from mainland China and other countries, and use a public health approach to responsibly counter the dangers that drugs pose to our societies,” he said in a statement.

The senators’ bill reiterates the US’ commitment and support toward the Philippines, in particular with defense, counterterrorism and maritime law enforcement. The transfer of defense articles used for these purposes will not be halted, however.

It also authorizes $50 million to the US State Department and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for public health and human rights programs.

“Senator Rubio and I recognize the Philippines is one of America’s oldest friends and allies, and that is why we are committed to the health and well-being of this relationship, and the fundamental human rights of the Filipino people,” Cardin said.

Last fall, the State Department halted the sale of 26,000 firearms to the PNP after Cardin publicly announced he would oppose the transaction.