Rody: Obama also welcome to probe Philippines killings

MANILA, Philippines - After calling out the United Nations and the European Union to come to the country to investigate summary executions of drug suspects, President Duterte extended yesterday his invitation to US President Barack Obama to find out the real score of the drug-related deaths under his administration.

 “That is why I am now (telling) the human rights (group), halika kayo (come here). So I would be inviting the Human Rights Commission, EU, Obama if you want to come here, and also Ban Ki-moon,” Duterte said in a speech at the Philippine National Police Region Office XII in General Santos City.

Duterte defended his administration’s campaign, which has been marred by killings that reached the 3,000 mark on his third month in office. Although he has openly backed police and the military in the conduct of anti-drug operations, Duterte belied that he had given a direct order to kill drug addicts and pushers.

He reiterated that he would not issue such illegal orders.

 “Sino nagpatay? Mga patay marami in legitimate police action. Mayroon ring napatay ang mga pulis sa Mindanao (Who killed? There were many killed in legitimate police action. There were those killed by police in Mindanao). It’s a purely military undertaking a police action,” Duterte said.

 While many were killed in legitimate operations, Duterte maintained that some who were “mummified” were not the handiwork of the law enforcers, referring to victims wrapped in packing tape with cardboards detailing their alleged crimes beside them. 

The President effectively shunned insinuations that summary executions had presidential imprimatur – which has been dubbed by international news outfits as “state-sanctioned killings.”

He said there was infighting among drug syndicates, allegedly coddled by police generals and politicians, which increased the killings.

Duterte also challenged anew UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who he jokingly called Ban Ki-sun. “Ban Ki-moon. Sun and Moon kasi. I apologize for that faux pas,” he said.

Duterte again lambasted the UN and the European Union for calling on him to tone down his “rhetoric’” and take a second look at his policies related to respect for human rights.

He said he ran as president, not as “statesman,” eliciting laughter from the audience.

On being described as not a statesman, Duterte called his critics “rowdy.”  – With Edith Regalado