Duterte tells rights groups: You defend criminals; I kill criminals

MANILA, Philippines — There is no stopping President Rodrigo Duterte from enforcing his brutal anti-criminality campaign despite heavy condemnation from human rights groups.

“Kaya human rights bahala kayo. Kanya-kanya tayong trabaho sa mundo. You defend criminals, I kill criminals,” Duterte said in a speech during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Bacolod City.

(Human rights groups, we both have work to do. You defend criminals; I kill criminals.)

He said he doesn’t care about criminals even if they were killed like dogs.

“Walang akong ano [pakialam] sa mga kriminal, ‘yong mga mga holdaper, mga ganoon, patayin ka diyan parang aso (I don’t care about criminals. They can be killed like dogs),” he said.

Duterte again delivered his speech behind bullet-proof glass. The first time he spoke behind a bullet-proof glass was during the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Malabon City on April 2.

READ: PSG explains use of bullet-proof glass during Duterte’s Malabon speech

Duterte’s anti-criminality campaign has earned global condemnation, particularly his no-nonsense war on drugs that has reportedly killed at least 5,000 people. /ee