Outgoing President Duterte will leave a safe Philippines that has lower crime rates than before, Malacañang said Thursday, May 19.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar issued the statement after an expanded report from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) stated that Duterte will leave a government that has "failed in its obligations to protect human rights" and "encouraged a culture of impunity" by preventing investigations from independent bodies as well as bringing to trial police officers implicated in crimes committed during his six-year war against drugs.

"In contrast to what a handful of critiques would want the international community to hear and read about our country, the Duterte Administration leaves a legacy of a safe and secure Philippines," Andanar said.

Andanar also said that the latest CHR report was only "a rehash of old issues," to which the government has already responded.

Nevertheless, Andanar said the Palace is "pleased that this body has independently exercised its mandate," which is "a testament to how the Duterte Administration has allowed our democratic civic space to be enriched under his term."

"Foreigners who come to the country as tourists are seeing how safe our streets and communities are," he said.

Andanar said this only affirms "the more than half drop in the crime rate since President Rodrigo Roa Duterte took office in 2016, and validated by his high satisfaction, performance, approval and trust ratings at the end of his presidency."

The acting presidential spokesman then asked the body to coordinate with the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat "so that its recommendations may be discussed with all the government offices it has put to task."

In many of his speeches, Duterte would repeatedly hit CHR for conducting investigation on his bloody war on drugs by saying the latter should also investigate the victims of illegal drugs.