Rody dares UN: Solve PH drug woes

Calling UN human rights officials “sons of whores,” President Duterte challenged the United Nations to take a stab at solving the country’s narcotics problem that has produced more than 3 million drug users and affected 27 percent of the nation’s 42,000 barangays, mostly in urban centers.

In a late-night press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Duterte cited the 600,000 drug users or dealers who have surrendered since he came into office June 30 and launched his war on illegal drugs to fulfill his election campaign promise to eliminate the scourge in three to six months of his presidency.

“Do you think it’s a joke? It’s a joke for you to tell me about human rights. Come here and solve the problem yourself. I will fund you … . I will buy even your toilet paper,” he said.

The President said he was facing the country’s problem, and lashed back at the world body.

“Gago kayo (You are jerks),” he said. “Don’t keep on talking and talking. I am facing a problem here—600,000, and you would talk like that.”

Mr. Duterte lashed out at his critics who had described the drug-related killings as “genocide.”

 ‘So stupid’

“These sons of whores are so stupid,” he said.

He then asked if the press conference was being aired live. When told that it was, he repeated the expletives.

“I have a serious problem. The enormity of 3.6 million people hooked to drugs is appalling,” he said, adding that the previous administration did nothing to deal with the problem.

“We are losing on the average, two policemen a day in this war,” he said.

UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and Dainius Puras have expressed alarm at the rising death toll in Mr. Duterte’s drug war, declaring that his promises of immunity and bounty for the execution of drug lords violated international humanitarian law.

Smarting at the criticisms, Mr. Duterte in a news conference on Sunday threatened to pull the Philippines out of the United Nations.

Aides later  sought to downplay the remark and he himself on Tuesday told reporters, “Can’t you take a joke?”

Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said the President had given assurances that he would respect human rights and was firmly against illegal or criminal killing of people suspected of drug-related offenses.

But Yasay also chastised the rapporteurs, saying they should have followed UN protocols to request an investigation instead of relying on media reports and issuing critical statements without legal basis.

Vigilante killings

In his news conference on Wednesday, Mr. Duterte lamented that the administration was immediately being blamed for the drug-related deaths by critics.

Not all vigilante-style killings of drug suspects should be attributed to the government, he said.

The Philippine National Police said its  operations in the drug war had resulted in 756 deaths and that another 1,160 killings were blamed on vigilante groups and rubout cases.

The police could not have been behind the killing of drug suspects who were wrapped in sacks or plastic, as they would not waste their time doing that, Mr. Duterte said.

“So if you include [in the count] even those killings that I have nothing to do with, why not include the dead in the funeral parlors, even those who died from cancer or diabetes? All the dead that you are seeing are being blamed on me,” he said.

Drama strategy

He also disclosed that he earlier suggested a strategy of creating drama by having suspects go after each other and letting them kill each other. The government could come in later.

With regard to legitimate encounters between the police and the drug suspects, he said it had been his experience as Davao City mayor that the suspects fight back and carry guns.

He said he would assume full responsibility for these, but he also said he was looking into alleged “salvage” incidents, and would study affidavits.