MANILA, Philippines – President Duterte yesterday threatened to withdraw the country from the United Nations in his latest outburst against critics of his anti-drugs campaign that has left hundreds of suspects dead.
In an early morning news conference, Duterte ridiculed the UN as “inutile,” and lashed at US police killings of black men.
He pointed to the haunting image of a bloodied child pulled from the rubble of a missile-struck building in the Syrian city of Aleppo, hitting UN and US inability to stop such deadly conflicts while he said he comes under fire for the deaths of criminals.
“The UN could not end wars and maintain peace among its members, had not done any good for the Philippines,” Duterte said.
“So take us out of your organization. You have done nothing. Where were you here the last time? Never. Except to criticize. When have you done a good deed to my country?”
Duterte said the Philippines should be reimbursed of whatever contributions it made to the UN.
He said the money would be put to better use funding the rehabilitation of thousands of drug addicts in the country.
“You return the money to us, then we go off. With that amount we can build so many rehab centers in the country,” Duterte said.
He also suggested the possibility of forming a new global organization with China and African countries. He pointed out China earlier also threatened to withdraw its membership from the UN.
“If you are that rude, we might just as well leave,” Duterte said.
Duterte lambasted reports made by the UN special rapporteurs, saying they broke protocol when they came out with statements criticizing his administration.
The President said he does not care about the possible repercussion of his statements against the UN, stressing its representatives were the first to break protocol.
“Repercussions? I do not give a s**t to them. They are the ones interfering. You know what… they should have started it with the protocol. They would have sent somebody to talk to me,” he said.
“You do not go out and just give shitting statements against a country. What repercussions? You have fallen short of protocol and need to show some respect. And you want me to respect you. You must be a s**t.”
Duterte said he is not afraid of facing UN sanctions for the summary executions of criminals.
“Threaten me with prison?” he said. “Do not s**t with me.”
Duterte was referring to Agnes Callamard, the new UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, and Dainius Puras, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, accusing them of meddling in the country’s internal affairs.
Callamard and Puras called on Duterte to put a stop to the extrajudicial killings stemming from his campaign against illegal drugs.
Duterte slammed them for being disrespectful. He said the UN executives were relying on reports of non-government organizations and merely basing their opinions on what they read in the news.
“(You) rely on the reports of the newspapers. That’s what you do. (expletive) that’s what you do… I’d like to talk with the expert of the UN, I demand that he comes here,” the chief executive said.
“Let him talk to me, and present me with hard facts. Not newspaper clippings… unless edible,” he said, hinting he might force the UN officials to swallow the news clippings out of his frustration with them.
Duterte said he would only pose five questions to the UN officials regarding the reports.
“Let those UN experts come here. (I) would ask only five questions. Only five questions and I will prove that you are stupid experts,” he said.
“I studied my laws very well. Look at the subjects –consular practice and procedure, international law and everything… you thought that I am that stupid… you observe protocol. If you do that directly, you are addressing me… remember, I am the President of a sovereign country,” he said, then pulling back a little for emphasis: “well okay I may be stupid but not as stupid as you UN rapporteurs.” (Hindi ako kasing gago n’yo)
Global explanation
At the start of the two-hour briefing in Davao City, the President said he would call the UN for a public conference to explain his administration’s aggressive campaign against illegal drugs.
“Extrajudicial killings, I will do the explanation in public, for international release if you want,” he said.
The tough-talking Duterte said he would be willing to face the UN human rights experts and lecture them about the country’s illegal drugs problem.
Duterte though admitted some of the lawmen involved in the anti-illegal drugs campaign could have gone overboard by killing suspected drug offenders.
He said he cannot discount the possibility that some of the slain drug offenders and criminals were victims of rubout.
But the President said it is also the same situation in the US where black Americans were being liquidated.
Duterte slammed the human rights groups for criticizing his anti-illegal drugs campaign that left some 600 people dead since he assumed the presidency.
“I don’t know why but they would insist in counting the dead criminals and never making comparison of the dead victims – innocent people, law-abiding people – being killed in the streets,” he said.
Duterte said policemen were previously hesitant of doing their jobs and going after those involved in the illegal drug trade because no one assured them of their welfare.
He said the law enforcers do not have lawyers who are exclusively assigned to defend them in court, thus ending up victims of counter charges that may affect their careers.
“That could give a leverage. And ordinarily, and you can check this out in the courts, they (illegal drug traders) have to use that leverage against the poor old policeman… they are left on their own, they are left behind,” the President said.
Since suspension from service carries a great impact on the policeman and his family, the law enforcers were not as brave to do their jobs as they are now, he said.
“Why were they afraid then? They face charges in court. Then at the same time they are accused, they lose their jobs because they get suspended. And for the time that they are suspended and the hearing of cases that can take you to eternity as long as it can ever be, the family is without food,” Duterte said. – Giovanni Nilles, AP