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Foreigners safe in Philippines if they behave well: official

Xinhua, August 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Foreigners are safe in the Philippines if they would not engage in any wrongdoing here, a senior government official said Tuesday.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia made the remarks when asked of the likely impression to be created on the foreign investors because of the killings caused by the Duterte administration's war on drugs.

"I think foreigners have to be informed that if they come here and they behave, they didn't do anything, you know, any, they don't do any misdeed, then they're safe," he said in a press briefing in Malacanang, the presidential palace.

But he added that the government needs to counter the "negative perception" brought by the reported extrajudicial killings.

"The press secretary and the presidential spokesperson, they are both working on countering this negative perception," he said.

"The problem is the only ones interviewed by media are those whose husband or child has been killed or have been killed. We should also try to get the view of others who approve of what's happening and see it as maybe a necessary evil that has to happen in the pursuit of greater good," explained Pernia, who is also the director general of the National Economic and Development Authority.

He claimed that because of the effort of government to address illegal drugs, the crime rate in the country has gone down substantially.

With the improving peace and order situation, Pernia believed that the "investment climate will definitely, substantially improve and many will be rushing to the Philippines to invest."

Latest data of the Philippine National Police showed that nearly 2,000 drug suspects have already been killed since July 1, shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office on June 30. Endit