Why Duterte likes to insult

In this Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016, file photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures with a fist bump during his visit to the Philippine Army’s Camp Mateo Capinpin at Tanay township, Rizal province east of Manila, Philippines. Since Duterte unleashed a massive anti-drug crackdown after taking office barely two months ago, nearly 2,000 suspected drug pushers and users have been killed. He has called the pope a son of a bitch, the US ambassador gay, the United Nations inutile, and threatened to declare martial law if the Supreme Court meddles in his work. But, according to a survey early last month, he has the support of nearly 91 percent of Filipinos. AP FILE PHOTO

FIRST he cursed Pope Francis; he apologized and eventually received forgiveness.

Then three days to marking his first 100 days in office, President Rodrigo Duterte went into wild fits of cussing again last Tuesday, telling US president Barack Obama to go to hell and the European Union to the purgatory.

Duterte admitted that his profanity-laced tirades are his “only way out” to fight back critics of his bloody “drug war.”

“Kaya ako nagsabi ako, naglaban ako because when you are already at the receiving end of an uncontrollable wrath of whatever ano yan, mababaon ka, the only way out is really, is to insult,” Duterte said, speaking at the Sulong Pilipinas forum in Makati City.

“That was my retaliation to them. Sabi ko putang-ina ninyo (son of a whore),” he added.

The President lamented that his critics and members of non-government organizations rode on the “garbage” that his political rivals created out of the alleged extrajudicial killings in Davao City and now across the country.

Duterte said “the proper way” is for his critics to go through proper channels instead of airing statements “that put the country and Filipinos in bad light.”

“Now if you start hitting me like this, mapapahiya yung Pilipino masyado…ah, kayo pala mga murderer… yung Presidente ninyo,” he said.

“There is an international forum. You bring it there. You have it referred to the Human Rights Commission then send the rapporteur to investigate and make a report then go back to the body and then magdaldal ka muna doon.”

He again reminded his critics that he is not a mayor anymore.