President Duterte has blasted the UN and the EU over criticism of his war on drugs, telling EU diplomats to leave the country “in 24 hours”.
In a speech at the Malacañang today (Thursday, October 12), the president said the Philippines cannot be expelled from the UN that easily because China, Russia and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) would not agree to it.
“You want to expel us?” he said, addressing the UN. “You try. Your $1,000 will earn one million pesos from me if you can expel us from the UN. You think China and the rest of the countries in ASEAN will agree to that? Where will be the crucial vote that will come? The Security Council. And you think Russia and China will allow that?”
The president’s tirade was in response to New York-based Human Rights Watch’s warning that the Philippines could potentially be expelled from the UN Human Rights Council for continuing drug war killings. No such threat has been issued by the organisation.
Despite this, the president raised the prospect of cutting diplomatic ties with UN and EU member-states, asking their ambassadors to leave the country within 24 hours.
“Son of a whore go ahead,” he told a press conference at the presidential palace. “Don’t f*** with us.
“You give us money then you start to orchestrate what things should be done and which should not happen in our country.
“You bullshitters. We are past the colonisation stage. You think we are a bunch of morons here. You are the one.
“The ambassadors of those countries listening now. Tell me, because we can have the diplomatic channel cut tomorrow. You leave my country in 24 hours. All, all of you.
“We will not allow anybody, not even the United States, to dictate on us. And I will tell it straight during the November… in the ASEAN.” Next month’s ASEAN meeting in Manila will be attended by President Trump.
President Duterte’s outburst was also in response to a recent visit of a seven-member delegation of international parliamentarians, including Europeans, who called for a halt in drug-related killings.
Members of the group warned that Manila could lose trade perks with the EU if it failed to improve its human rights record.
Edgardo Angara, Manila’s special envoy to the EU, stressed that the delegation did not represent the EU parliament’s governing majority.
“In all the meetings (between Filipino and European officials in Brussels), the EU representatives invariably asked how the EU can help the Philippines cope with the drug crisis and fight Islamic State,” he said yesterday.
The president has often lambasted the EU, saying its members did not understand the magnitude of the drug problem in the Philippines.
In May the government went so far as to decline 250 million Euros, nearly 14 billion pesos, in unconditional grants.
Also today, the president claimed that he had refused “$18-20 million” from the UK. He didn’t say why he refused the money, or what it was intended for.
Despite his fiery defence on his anti-narcotics crusade, the president today ordered the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to take charge of the campaign, prompting the Philippine National Police to terminate its controversial Oplan Tokhang or house-to-house “knock and plead” operations targeting drug suspects.
The administration has also reiterated that law enforcement authorities are not behind summary killings of drug suspects.