Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano denounced the US State Department’s report on the alleged human rights abuses by the Philippine security forces.

In a statement Tuesday, Ano said the US State Department’s 2021 Country Report on Human Rights Practices is "sweeping, rhetorical, and unfounded".

"The said Report, which is a mere repetition of unsubstantiated accusations against Philippine security forces that were loosely picked up from the traditional and social media, paints a grim picture of the country’s peace and order situation that is so far removed from the realities on the ground," he said.

Ano said the "operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) down to the grassroots level have led to dramatic improvement of the general peace and security situation in the country since 2016."

"Therefore, the Report belittles the hard work and sacrifice of the men and women of the PNP and the AFP who have been risking their lives to fulfill their sworn duty to fight criminality and illegal drugs," he said.

"We join the Department of National Defense in posing a challenge to the US Department of State to substantiate their accusations so that we can properly address them through our internal mechanisms and the courts. Nonetheless, we will continue to do our sworn duty without fear or favor to maintain peace and order in our country," he added. Robina Asido/DMS