Manila halts aid talks with backers of UN rights probe into drug war

Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration has ordered the suspension of all loan and grant talks with foreign governments that backed a United Nations resolution to review human rights abuses during his signature anti-drug war. The Iceland-sponsored UN Human Rights Council resolution passed by a minority vote in July, drawing the ire of Duterte, who bristles at Western condemnation of his campaign which has killed thousands and drawn international condemnation but is widely supported by Filipinos. Duterte’s chief aide Salvador Medialdea, in a memorandum which he signed “by order of the president”, instructed all government agencies to cut off all official development aid talks with the 18 countries that voted for the resolution. (AFP)