Debate Over Trade Agreement With Philippines

Members of parliament for the Left Greens and the Pirate Party are fighting a free trade agreement with the Philippines due to major human rights violations at the hands of President Rodrigo Duterte, reports Vísir.

Members of Parliament with the ruling coalition insist however, that the agreement will benefit the people of the Philippines.

Roughly 9000 people have been murdered under Duterte’s rule, and just this week he claimed he was prepared to cannibalise terrorists by cooking and eating their livers.

“It’s worth noting that I criticised the government of the Philippines and Duterte very harshly at the United Nations Human Rights Council this past February,” Minister for Foreign Affairs, Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson told parliament before recommending the agreement be confirmed.

The opposition were unimpressed.

“Why are the ruling coalition bringing this before parliament?” asked Left Green MP, Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir at the podium, after citing reports that Duterte’s human rights violations extended further than drug addicts; that children were being forced into sexual slavery, that attacks had been made against native minorities, farmers and the LGBTQ community. “Why do the Independent Party, the Reform Party and Bright Future want to increase business dealings with murderers?”