By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte said Wednesday that he did not like Vice President Leni Robredo's move to talk to international bodies, particularly human rights advocates about the drug war because it was insulting for him that they continue to refuse to understand the situation.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The President earlier said that he could not bring back Robredo to the Cabinet because he does not fully trust her after she began consulting foreign organizations when she agreed to co-chair the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
He said Robredo had the power to investigate all killings but what he could not understand was why the newly-appointed drug czar would have to consult foreign institutions.
"I invited her to the ICAD for a joint management... she can give the direction, give orders to make the killings especially if they brand it as extrajudicial, to take all the steps to do it, examine, then get the witnesses and all. Those are policies," he said.
"But I cannot understand why the day after I ordered the police to give way to her being a co-chairman, she started to say, 'well, I’m going to...'" he added, referring to Robredo talking to foreign bodies like the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Duterte named Robredo the government's drug czar after she said that the government's anti-illegal drugs campaign was a failure and needed reassessment. The Vice President took the position despite administration critics saying that the offer was a trap.
Insulting
Duterte also said that the remark of former Deputy Director of the Human Rights Phelim Kine that he was ready to go to the Philippines to recommend that Duterte be arrested because of the "murderous" drug war was an insult.
"And then the Human Rights --- I think the Human Rights guy said, 'I’m packed and I’m ready to go there to arrest Duterte.' You --- you… It’s --- it’s an insult actually," Duterte said.
He added that the greatest insult from international human rights bodies was they still believe that the case against drug-linked detained Senator Leila de Lima was to silence her.
"The greatest insult that I have received from these people is they refused to understand that the case against De Lima is true and accurate. They took the line of the left that she is a political prisoner," Duterte said.
"I'm telling you, it is true. If she really did collect money, why? She was not into business but ambitions can blind you. That is why you need money to run for senator. You need millions to do that," he added.
Duterte also raised De Lima's supposed affair with her driver while she was still Justice Secretary and even asked his critics if they wanted a copy of her alleged video.
"Can you really believe a woman like that? Allowing herself... She was then the Justice Secretary. And if you want, I will give the disc to you. Look at the way she slurped after doing it," he said.
"Maybe she would tell us that those are fakes. Well, we can submit it to any expert if you want. That was a part of a bad dream. And she's making a crazy course to everybody to write unfair," he added.
The President also slammed anew Iceland and the other countries who voted for the resolution urging the United Nations to look into the human rights situation in the Philippines.
"I said I take full responsibility. If that responsibility would bring me to the criminal bar, I'm willing to go to prison. But I would not tell you that it is not true. Yes, it is true. I said it. I said it before. Do not do it. Do not destroy my country because I will really kill you," Duterte said.
"If that is not enough for the human rights idiots to understand that. Do not destroy my country. I have to preserve the Filipino. You do something crazy, then you get something from the President and all others who never believe me," he added.
"We have our own advocacies in life. If you do not like it, fine. You go out of this country and go somewhere else," he continued.