MANILA, Philippines - In another profanity-laced speech, President Duterte has called on the European Union (EU) not to impose its standards on the Philippines in the wake of its strong criticisms against the administration’s brutal anti-drug campaign.
Known for his colorful language, the 72-year-old President hurled invectives at the EU, calling it a hypocrite before hitting the United States anew.
“Those in the EU. You know if they will ask you how I would describe them. Just tell them: you are a f***ing s**t,” Duterte said during the mass oath taking of the members of the Philippine Councilors League held in Malacañang yesterday.
Duterte lashed out at the EU, saying arrested drug suspects also pose problems for the government because jails in the Philippines are overcrowded.
“So what’s your problem? You arrest them alive? Or you’re dead, fine. If alive, they would go to prison. I have not expanded the space of the prison. So there is no space for them,” he said.
If there were some killed by the police, Duterte said he was sure the suspect was involved in crime or wrongdoing.
“The problem is how about the innocent? In my experience, out of 20 …probably around 13, two of them are innocently imprisoned but most of them are guilty,” he said.
In a speech before a gathering in Socorro, Oriental Mindoro the other day, Duterte claimed the number of people killed in the campaign against illegal drugs was only 600.
Duterte took exception to the claims of the EU that he should be held accountable for over 7,000 reported extrajudicial killings.
“Those claims were too exaggerated. When I was a Davao City mayor for 23 years, you can say there were 600 killed. Actually they were… criminals killed in action,” Duterte said.
“But on the question if I ordered the killings… go and ask (Major) General (Roderick) Parayno of Task Force Davao. Did I order the killing of someone on bended knees?” he said.
After earlier boasting of killing three men when he was Davao mayor, Duterte yesterday denied taking anyone’s life.
“For life’s sake, I have not killed anybody until now,” Duterte told the gathering of Go Negosyo at Malacañang.
From the time he served as mayor of Davao City until he became President, he reiterated his only order for the police and military was not to put their lives at risk.
‘Crazy’
Duterte stressed there will be no let-up in the anti-drug campaign, saying he is saving the nation from the wrath and ill effects of illegal drugs.
Duterte bashed the EU for portraying him as a villain in his campaign against illegal drugs.
“I’m being castigated by EU. I pity you guys for being naive. These westerners, they are terrible,” he said.
Duterte said he was not pleased that the EU is making a hero out of Sen. Leila de Lima, his most vocal critic.
The European Parliament issued a resolution seeking the release of De Lima from detention, and calling for a stop to the drug-related killings in the country.
Duterte then rattled off expletives anew, calling EU members “crazy” for attributing to him the drug-related killings in the country.
Duterte also expressed strong disapproval against recommendations for the Philippines to adopt a health-based strategy in dealing with illegal drugs, which is reportedly being done in parts of Europe.
“In the material that they sent, instead of killing them, which I am not inclined to do every time, that we just construct centers (where) if they want shabu, we give it to them,” he said.
“All over the town, they want us to set up clinics, and distribute shabu, marijuana, to replicate what they are doing,” Duterte said.
The EU has denied Duterte’s claims that it suggested to the Philippine government to build illegal drug stations as a constructive way to deal with addicts.
Reports said the EU has issued a statement saying that it has never suggested the use of any substitute drugs in the treatment of addiction.
“At no time has the EU delegation suggested, discussed, proposed or considered the use of any substitution drugs when treating addiction to methamphetamine or any other drug addiction in the Philippines,” the EU said.
They had it wrong
Duterte’s continuing attacks against the EU also came after it had summoned Charge d’Affaires Alan Deniega to its Brussels headquarters to provide an explanation for what it called “unacceptable comments of President Duterte.”
Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Deniega briefed the EU on developments in the Philippines.
“They had a good exchange of overall state of our relationship with the EU which has very long and extensive history,” Manalo said.
Manalo said Deniega informed the EU that the Philippine government was also concerned about some of the language used by the European Parliament in its resolution.
The Parliament expressed grave concern over the reported number of extrajudicial killings related to Duterte’s war on drugs.
Manalo, however, pointed out the Parliament is an independent entity in the EU. He said the body did not take into account the legal processes in the Philippines in calling for the immediate release of De Lima.
“They certainly have the right to say what they want. Not the language per se… but they make it sound as if nothing is being done,” Manalo said.
“They mentioned the fact that Senator De Lima was a political prisoner, which is not exactly the case. Sometimes we are not sure where they get information. They do not bother to check what is going on,” he said.
Duterte said the global community had it wrong when they appealed for the release of De Lima.
“Because there is a lady here, would you believe De Lima is a political prisoner? The EU wanted her released because she is a political prisoner, while they wanted me to go to prison (because of the war on illegal drugs),” Duterte remarked while hurling invectives.
In his speech yesterday at Malacañang, Duterte again attacked the US for meddling in his drug campaign.
While he had misgivings against former US president Barack Obama, Duterte had good things to say about incumbent President Donald Trump, whom he initially called “Bush” before correcting himself.
Source : PhilStar