Following the arrest and deportation by the Philippines’ authorities of Italian citizen Giacomo Filibeck, PES Deputy Secretary General, who had been invited to attend the congress of the opposition party 'Akbayan', Enrique Guerrero Salom MEP, president of the Global Progressive Forum (GPF) stated:

 

“The GPF strongly condemns the deportation of PES Deputy Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck and calls on the Italians and the EU to summon the Filipino ambassadors.

 

“This unacceptable incident shows that Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte is desperately trying to silence any criticism because he has a guilty conscience for the ongoing human rights violation in his country and his ‘war on drugs’.

 

“All democratic countries should be worried and strongly react against the appalling lack of democracy and fundamental freedoms in the Philippines.”