MANILA, Philippines – After the French embassy took exception to President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks on his understanding of French law, Malacañang issued a clarification on Wednesday, August 30.

“The Philippines and France share the same values of respect for human rights, due process, and accords primacy to the presumption of innocence,” said Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella in a statement.

The clarification, however, is the opposite of Duterte’s words during a press conference on Monday, August 28, in Pampanga.

The President claimed that the laws in the Philippines and France are different when it comes to presuming the innocence of a suspect.

“Sa kanila (There), they can detain a person almost indefinitely, under the French law. And the French law says you are guilty, and you have to prove your innocence. Gano’n ‘yan. Presumption dito, inosente ka (It’s like that. Here, the presumption is, you are innocent),” he had said.

Abella explained that what Duterte meant to say was all countries are still improving their legal systems.

Duterte, he said, only wanted to “express the sentiment that while no judicial or legal system in the world is perfect, countries are continuously working to refine their laws and improve their respective national systems.”

Duterte had mentioned France’s legal system while ranting against United Nations special rapporteur on summary executions Agnes Callamard, a Frenchwoman.

He wanted to point out the supposed hypocrisy of her criticizing him about human rights when France’s legal system does not, supposedly, even presume the innocence of a suspect.

The French embassy refuted Duterte’s statement.

“We have to point out that, as in the Philippines, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is at the core of the French judicial system, based on the principles enshrined in the French Declaration of Human and Civic Rights of August 26, 1789,” the French embassy said. – Rappler.com