The United States has once again displayed how infirmed its intelligence gathering is with its recent claim of “credible” reports of human rights violations by the Philippine government in its State Department’s 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.

We consider the reports utterly devoid of bases. If at all, the reports are nothing but a rehash of old and recycled issues by the perennial detractors of the Duterte Administration.

To reiterate, these allegations, including violations committed by law enforcement officers in the conduct of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, have all been previously addressed.

We strongly suggest that the United States State Department to validate reports that reach their office, triangulate the same with all other open and institutional sources, and put to work its political officers in the US embassy in the Philippines who can then properly verify the same with the Philippine government. Engaged verification is key in all this.