"IS IT wrong to say, 'If you destroy my country, I will kill you?' Is that a crime?"
President Rodrigo Duterte posed this question on Friday, July 12, after the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution seeking an investigation into his war against the rampant narcotics trade.
In a profanity-laced tirade during the 28th anniversary celebration of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Quezon City, the President slammed Iceland, which sponsored the resolution, for questioning his way of dealing with the proliferation of illegal drugs in the Philippines.
He called Iceland "stupid" for failing to assess the drug problem in the Philippines.
Unfazed by the adoption of the resolution, the President maintained that there is nothing wrong in killing individuals linked to illegal drugs.
"Itong mga gagong ito (These stupid people), they don't understand the social, economic, political problems of the Philippines," Duterte said.
He said around 12,000 barangay captains are in the narcotics business, as well as some mayors.
Duterte recalled calling the mayors to a meeting in the MalacaƱan Palace and warned that he would kill them if they get involved in illegal drugs.
"Do not ever commit the mistake of going into drugs. Because if it would destroy my country, I will kill you (drug offenders). Nothing could be more clearer," the President recalled telling the mayors.
He also called the governors, he said.
"P***** i** ninyo (Son of a b****), don't f--k with me. I'll really kill you. So what's wrong? I'm asking human rights people: Is it wrong to say, 'If you destroy my country, I will kill you?' Is that a crime for a president, mayor, or a governor to say that in public?" he added.
The President made the remarks a day after 18 of 47 member-states of the UNHRC voted in favor of the resolution submitted by Iceland, mandating the council to initiate a "comprehensive" international review of the Philippines' anti-narcotics campaign.
Iceland's resolution stemmed from the rising number of suspected drug personalities killed since Duterte started waging the war on illegal drugs in July 2016.
Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) showed that a total of 6,600 alleged drug offenders were killed from July 2016 to May 2019.
Duterte said Iceland was apparently clueless about the worsening illegal drug problem in the Philippines that continues to affect millions of Filipinos.
"Drugs is really running the country. Hindi nga natin mahabol (We cannot cope), even if there are -- The human rights are coming. Good. And I'll tell them: How many millions are affected by drugs? Huwag mo na lang isali yung tinamaan. (Count) the social dysfunction that it creates in the average family," he said.
Such dysfunction creates another problem in society. Duterte said human rights advocates fail to see the social, economic and political implications of the drug problem.
"Hindi maintindihan nitong mga p***** i**** na 'to na may problema tayo. Iceland, ano ang problema ng Iceland? Ice lang. That's your problem. You have too much ice. And there is no clear day or night there. Parang alas kwatro ng hapon ang araw at gabi. So you can understand why there is no crime, there is no policemen either, and they just go about eating ice," he added.
(These sons of b****** do not understand that we have a problem here. Iceland, what's your problem? Only ice. That's your problem. You have too much ice and there is no clear day or night there. It's hard to differentiate day and night in your country. So you can understand why there is no crime, there is no policemen either, and they just go about eating ice.) (SunStar Philippines)