By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte is ready to accept insults and criticisms from Filipinos dismayed with his work, but not from foreign visitors.
President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his call to his party mates to oust Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno during a press conference at the Davao International Airport upon his arrival from China and Hong Kong on Friday dawn.
(Keith Bacongco / MANILA BULLETIN)
The President said he would even hit back at foreigners who malign the government, adding that unlike Filipinos, these outsiders do not pay his salary.
"Babuyin mo na ako o ano, 'Duterte, inutil ‘yan ‘di marunong.' Okay lang sa akin . You know why? I am government worker," Duterte said during the launch of "balik-baril" program in Maguindano.
"Pero ‘yung foreigner magpunta dito ‘yung mga pari pati, ah... Kung ganunin mo ako, hampasin kita ng --- Eh hindi ‘yan pwede ganun na hindi ka naman Pilipino, hindi ka naman nakabayad sweldo ko, bakit ganunin mo ako? ," he said.
The President issued the remarks after the Bureau of Immigration revoked the missionary visa of Australian nun Patricia Fox and ordered her to leave the country.
The immigration bureau claimed Fox, 71, violated the terms of her missionary visa when she got involved in political activities.
Fox was detained for a day last week after President Duterte ordered an investigation for her alleged "disorderly conduct.” Duterte earlier warned that he would arrest foreigns who defame the government in political activities in the country.
Meantime, the President warned anew western nations against meddling with the affairs of the country and other Asian neighbors.
He said if the western nations were able to take advantage of Arab states, they should not interfere with the affairs of the region.
"‘Yan ang mahirap sa Western country, mas marunong ang mga p****** i** kaysa atin. Na alam naman nila talaga mas bright tayo sa kanila. Eh sinisira tayo eh. Tinuturuan tayo kung papaano," he said.
Duterte revealed that Indonesian President Jojo Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak have already complained of foreign interference in their domestic affairs.
"Ang Cambodia, iniipit nila," he said.
"Prankahan ko kayo. Sa ASEAN, except maybe Thailand, wala silang makuha diyan. Me? I am for the Filipino period. I am for the Moro period," he added.