IN THE KNOW: Duterte’s remarks vs United Nations

After the UN rapporteurs criticized his ruthless war on drugs, President Duterte called the United Nations “stupid” and threatened to pull the Philippines out of the world body.

“Maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that rude, son of a bitch, then we’ll just leave you,” Mr. Duterte said in a news conference in Davao City on Aug. 21.

His anger was provoked by the warning of the UN special rapporteur on summary executions, Agnés Callamard, that government officials could be held liable for the extrajudicial killings in Mr. Duterte’s war on drugs.

The President also challenged UN officials, whom he called “sons of bitches,” to solve the Philippines’ narcotics problem that has generated more than 3 million drug users.

“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 in a late-night press conference on Aug. 24.

On June 8, weeks before Mr. Duterte’s inauguration, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned his apparent support for extrajudicial killings, saying they were “illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and freedoms.”

“Fuck you, UN, you can’t even solve the Middle East carnage … couldn’t even lift a finger in Africa … Shut up all of you,” Mr. Duterte retorted then.

On the same day, he also told off two UN rapporteurs who had called him out on his statements about journalist killings in the Philippines.

“It seems to me you are adept at fumigation, sometimes aka (also known as) foul or idiocy,” he said, referring to UN officials Christof Heyns and David Kaye.

“Go home and get some sleep. You are overworked and sound beat,” Mr. Duterte said. Inquirer Research