Duterte rejects EU’s ‘health-based’ solution to drug problem

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday rejected the European Union’s (EU) proposal for a “health-based” approach to the Philippines’ drug problem and insisted on continuing his war on narcotics amid growing criticisms against the spate of killings from the international community.

“Ang EU, they communicated with us, they want a health-based solution for the drugs, mga p**** ina niyo (sons of b*****), do you want us to build clinics? Then instead of arresting, putting them in prison, put them there?” Duterte said during a Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry event in Pasay City.

The EU, through ambassador to Manila Franz Jessen,  earlier committed to fund rehabilitation projects of the government despite Duterte’s unsavory comment toward the international body.

READ: Palace welcomes EU aid to PH for drug rehab

“Doon sa ibang (in other) countries, you go there, and if you want shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), they will inject you or give you shabu, then you go out. If you want marijuana, there’s a place there.  If you want cocaine, heroin… people will just go there and consume until they are crazy, like the 4 million contaminated (here),” he added.

He said that there are 4 million Filipino drug users and peddlers in the country.

“I’ll give it a liberal increment of something like 700-800,000 out of their mind all over the Philippines… Who will answer for this? Who will answer for those who died? The 77 children who everyday look at the papers, (seeing) ‘a child 1, 2, 3 year old raped?’” a fuming Duterte said.

“Who will now answer for those? The EU? The Human Rights Commission? How about the lives of the people killed because of shabu?” he added.

READ: EU joins call for halt to killings in drug war

Duterte, who won the presidency on a campaign promise that he will rid the country’s drug problems in six months, said drug users are inclined to commit different crimes.

“Then they go inside the houses and rape the mother and all of the children there.”

“Who will answer for that injustice?” Duterte said.

Duterte reiterated that he will answer for all who died during police operations because he ordered the police to shoot those will resist arrest.

“If you think you will die, p***** ina, patayin mo (then kill him), and I will accept the consequences,” he said.

“This drug war will continue until the last drug lord is killed and the pusher taken out of streets,” he added. IDL/rga