President Rodrigo Duterte will renew his appeal for "peaceful" conduct of the Philippines’ 2022 national and local elections in the upcoming Summit for Democracy, a Palace official said Thursday.
Undersecretary Robert Borje, Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs, said Duterte’s intervention in the US-organized summit would tackle not just what has been done insofar as democracy is concerned, but also ongoing efforts to guarantee its continuation.
“Another important component here is we know the President’s term is ending. And in the context of democracy, a democracy cannot be strong if there's no peaceful and regular transfer of power. And I think this will figure very strongly and very prominently in the speech of the President,” Borje said in an interview over state-run PTV-4.
For Duterte, the country could not be truly democratic unless Filipinos had the opportunity to choose the country’s next leaders through elections that are “peaceful, honest, free, and credible," Borje said
“It's an admission on the part of the President, and maybe re-affirmation of his strong belief, that it is his responsibility first and foremost as President, he will make sure there is a peaceful transition, because without it, we cannot be called a democracy. This means we are authoritarian. If our elections are not peaceful, honest, free, and credible, it calls into question the integrity of the electoral process and our democracy,” he added.
Despite challenges, he said Duterte would reiterate his continuing commitment to the promotion of democracy and its core values.
“What the President is saying is that the Philippines is democratic, Filipinos are democracy-loving people. We value democracy. We may continue to have challenges as a democracy, but we're firmly committed to democratic values. And that's always been his message as President of the Philippines,” he said.
“This is a great opportunity for the President to show that the Philippines is a democracy, remains a democracy, and that Filipinos are free and remain democratic in heart, mind, and deed,” he added.
Earlier, Malacañang described Duterte's decision to accept the invitation of US President Joseph Biden Jr. to participate in the summit as "consistent" with his independent foreign policy.
“President) Duterte has always been consistent in his foreign policy and even foreign relations. And to put it quite candidly and very consistently, the foreign policy of the President has never changed – it has always been a friend to all, enemy to none,” Nograles said in an interview over CNN Philippines’ “The Source” on Wednesday.
The two-day Summit for Democracy, which will run from Dec. 9 to 10, will focus on challenges and opportunities facing democracies and will provide a platform for leaders to announce both individual and collective commitments, reforms, and initiatives to defend democracy and human rights at home and abroad, according to its website.
Leading up to the summit, the US is consulting with experts from government, multilateral organizations, philanthropies, civil society, and the private sector to solicit bold, practicable ideas around three key themes namely defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and promoting respect for human rights.
More than half of the world, including the Philippines, was invited while the rest were left out.
Some of the countries that were left out include China, Russia, Hungary, Egypt, and Turkey.