AUSTRALIAN Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is set to meet President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao this week before he visits Malaysia.
Bishop will be speaking about strategic challenges and opportunities for Australia and the Philippines in Manila on Thursday before she flies to Davao for a courtesy call on the President.
Bishop’s visit to Davao comes as Australia campaigns for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The Foreign Minister said she will discuss issues including counter-terrorism, maritime and regional security and deliver a speech on opportunities for Australia and the Philippines.
“Australia is currently campaigning for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council and continues to be a strong advocate for human rights and the rule of law,” she said, adding that she may take up some human rights issues with Duterte.
The council’s chief, Zeid bin Raad al-Hussein, last December described Mr Duterte’s drugs campaign as an “appalling epidemic of extrajudicial killings” that violates international law.
Bishop said in a report that the practice of extrajudicial killings to combat the drug trade is of “deep concern” to Australia and a range of issues would be raised in her meetings with Philippine government representatives and NGOs.
“I will emphasize the importance of upholding human rights and the rule of law in democratic societies,” she said.
Last September, Bishop questioned Duterte’s decision not to join US patrols in the contested areas of the South China Sea, despite the fact the nation initiated the push back on China’s power in the region. This was when Duterte demanded that US troops to move out of the Philippines and hinted at buying Russian and Chinese weapons.
