From Presidential Spokesperson Ernest Abella: “We are aware that Dr. Callamard is currently in the Philippines and we are disappointed that, in not contacting our government in advance of this visit, she has sent a clear signal that she is not interested in getting an objective perspective on the issues that are the focus of her responsibility. On September 26, 2016 we sent a letter to Dr. Callamard congratulating her on her appointment as UN Special Rapporteur and in that letter we issued an invitation for her to visit the Philippines to meet with members of our government and others to get our perspective on the drug menace confronting our country and the efforts of law enforcement and others to address that challenge within the means allowed by Philippine law. Our hope at that time was that Dr. Callamard would accept this invitation as part of a commitment to carry out her new responsibilities in a manner that was objective and fair to all perspectives on th...