President Rodrigo Duterte FILE PHOTO / AP
President Rodrigo Duterte revealed on Tuesday that Jordan will be giving two Cobra attack helicopters to the Philippines.
“Jordan is giving us two Cobra helicopters. Those things we cannot really afford,” Duterte said during a speech at the 120th-anniversary celebration of the Philippine Navy in Manila.
Duterte revealed he was advised by National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. not to criticize United Nations High Commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein while the Philippines had ongoing talks with Jordan for obtaining the attack helicopters.
Zeid, a Jordanian Prince, said in March that Duterte needed a psychiatric evaluation after the President added a UN rapporteur to the list of alleged communist terrorists.
But even with the advice of his officials, Duterte went on with his tirades against the UN official, even calling him “empty-headed.”
READ: Duterte calls UN rights chief empty-headed
In November 2017, the President said the government would acquire 23 attack helicopters to boost the country’s military capability.
READ: Duterte: Gov’t to acquire 23 attack helicopters