Duterte tells EU: 'Come to PH, I'll slap you'

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has challenged the European Union (EU) to visit the Philippines so he could have the chance to slap them in the face.

In an event organized for several women sectors held at the Palace grounds on Friday, Duterte spewed his usual caustic comment against the EU following condemnations of his deadly war on drugs.

The President maintained that he ordered police to hunt down drug suspects and kill them if they resist.

However, Duterte insisted that he does not tolerate the more or less 7,000 drug-related killings by police and vigilantes.

"This EU believe to NGOs (non-government organizations) about the killings, even [those who die because of] epilepsy. They calculate it on me. Stupid," the President said.

"I said, 'Come here and we will talk because I will slap you,'" he added, addressing his statement to European lawmakers.

The EU earlier castigated Duterte and sought for explanation over his pronouncement that he would be "very glad" to hang all of them.

The Philippines may risk losing zero tariffs with EU due to extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs.

The EU threatened to remove the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) or the full removal of tariffs on two-thirds of all product Categories, if there is no "any substantive improvement in the next few months" in the country.

To date, the Philippines is paying less or no duties on the exports to the EU. (SunStar Philippines)