Global ambition

Critics may dismiss as a political circus the ongoing investigations at the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Others, however, see the probes as a unique chance to unearth the elusive truth and pursue justice in the mass executions carried out in the name of law enforcement when Rodrigo Duterte was in power.

Surely even the international community is taking notice. And the efforts to dig up the truth are reflecting positively on President Marcos.

The United Nations in the Philippines, for one, while seeing problems in the overall human rights situation that have persisted beyond Duterte, has noted improvements in illegal drug control under BBM.

UN Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez told a small media gathering last Tuesday that UN-Philippines is working closely with the government on two “important topics.”

One is continuing UN support for the peace process in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, particularly on decommissioning.

The Number One topic is the implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 45/33, including technical cooperation and capacity-building for promoting and protecting human rights in the Philippines.

In July 2021, the Philippine government signed a joint program with the UN for reforms in six key areas: investigative and accountability measures; data gathering on alleged police violations; the establishment of a national mechanism for reporting and follow-up; engagement with civil society and the Commission on Human Rights; counterterrorism legislation and rights-based approaches to drug control.

This was during the Duterte administration.

In October 2022, four months into Marcos 2.0, acting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif reported the underwhelming progress on the joint program during the 51st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We look to the newly elected administration in the Philippines for leadership in human rights and strengthening the rule of law,” Al-Nashif said, noting that “concrete progress on accountability is expected – to help bring about human rights reforms that will prevent recurring violations.”

*      *      *

Gonzalez, who is also the humanitarian coordinator of UN-Philippines, said that “while we recognize that there is a long way to go,” there have been improvements in the rights situation under the Marcos administration.

BBM enjoys the low base effect of being compared with Duterte particularly in the approach to the illegal drug problem. In his publicly avowed effort to rehabilitate the Marcos name, BBM is achieving the most success in this area as well as in foreign policy.

Gonzalez, who arrived in the Philippines at the height of the COVID crisis and can therefore compare the current and previous administrations, said the country is now “positioning in the global arena.”

“We see in this administration a genuine global ambition,” he said, citing the Philippines’ objectives of attaining upper middle income status, for example, and membership in the UN Security Council.

Asked to describe what it’s like to work with the Marcos administration, Gonzalez said, “The dialogue and coordination with the government is happening in a more predictable manner.”

Another plus: “Accessibility of the UN to decision-makers here is remarkable.”

He can call a Cabinet secretary even on weekends, he said, and the secretary would even go to his house for a meeting. The accessibility, Gonzalez said, “makes a difference” and “is a distinct Filipino characteristic.”

This is also the only country, Gonzalez pointed out, where the President himself witnesses the signing of a UN document.

Gonzalez was referring to the new cooperation framework for 2024 to 2028 that he signed at Malacañang on Oct. 24 last year, together with Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. The framework signifies the Philippines’ commitment to the achievement of the UN sustainable development goals.

*      *      *

Gonzalez conducted the media briefing last Monday to kick off UN Month, with events leading up to UN Day on Oct. 24.

I asked UN Development Program deputy representative Edwin Carrie about difficulties they have encountered in carrying out climate change programs particularly at the local level.

His reply: “The Philippines has very strong political will to tackle climate change… overall, there is a general sense that climate is an emergency” requiring all hands on deck.

“Of course,” he said, “implementation is another story.”

Senior peace and development adviser Melinda Nathan observed that government responses have been mostly reactive and lacking in proper prioritization and planning. Climate responses, she said, still fail to take into account the impact of certain policies and actions on the environment, communities and biodiversity.

Apart from climate action and environmental sustainability, the cooperation framework also monitors outcomes for human capital development and inclusion as well as economic development including “decent work” and innovation.

Talking about human capital outcomes, UN Population Fund country representative Leila Joudane pointed out that with one out of three Filipinos below 18, greater investment is needed in early childhood and youth-focused development, making sure that “no one is left behind.”

About 17.1 percent of youths are unemployed or “underengaged” or not actively looking for work due to inadequate skills, according to Khalid Hassan, country director of UN-Philippines’ International Labor Organization. While this is lower than the global average of 21 percent, “this reflects weak job creation,” he said.

In surveys, BBM has consistently received the lowest approval ratings in battling inflation and unemployment.

Still, after Rodrigo Duterte’s constant cussing of the UN, the US and the European Union, the new Marcos administration is a breath of fresh air for much of the international community.

As Gustavo Gonzalez puts it, the Philippines is now seen “as a strong friend of multilateralism.”