PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte challenged Thursday the United States (US), European Union (EU), and the United Nations (UN) to withdraw any of their assistance to the Philippines, saying the country would survive even without their assistance.
Speaking to policemen at the Camp Rafael Rodriguez in Butuan City, Duterte was unmoved by the prospect that the US and international organizations might withdraw assistance to the country, saying he would not "beg" for such aid as he would "never compromise our dignity as Filipino."
The President said he did not expect the UN, the EU and US President Barack Obama to understand him in the way he was handling drug situation in the country.
He added the US, and the two international organizations did not understand the pain the Filipino had been suffering because of drug menace.
He said they could "go away [and] bring their money to somewhere else."
"I do not expect the [UN] human rights, I do not expect Obama, I do not expect the EU to understand me. Do not understand me and if you think it’s high time for you guys to withdraw your assistance, go ahead, we will not beg for it," Duterte said.
"We have a problem here, trying to preserve our society and you mess up by [bringing up the issue on] human rights. You are even threatening us. Assistance? What do you think of us? How do you look at us? Mendicants,” he added.
The 71-year-old chief executive said the Philippines would survive even without their assistance.
"Go ahead, we will not follow. We will survive. We will survive even we suffer here. I’ll be the first one to go hungry. I'll be the first one to die of hunger. Don’t worry, but we will never compromise our dignity as Filipino," the President said.
Vice President Leni Robredo had called on Duterte to be more prudent in his pronouncements.
"As far as diplomacy is concerned, it might be helpful if one is more deliberate... Think carefully before speaking," the Vice President said on Wednesday.
The President, however, downplayed Robredo's advice and maintained that his administration has to "make a stand."
"We have officials, here is Leni [Robredo saying that] now. We lose the international assistance. You know, you have to choose: the crumbs of the country of the favor of other nation? We will just seek for their help? Or we make a stand that this country has to survive? That this country must see to it that the next generation is protected?"
Duterte has been in a disdainful relationship with the US, the EU, and the UN after they all expressed concern over the spate of killings in the country.
Since Duterte assumed the presidency in June, over 1,000 individuals linked to drugs were killed. (Sunnex)