MANILA – “You are interfering in our affairs. Sons of b****es. Go ahead. Do it!” an angry President Rodrigo Duterte told Western critics on Thursday, referring to separate reports citing pronouncements from nongovernment global groups that there could be basis for expelling the Philippines from membership in the UN Human Rights Council, and that his insistence on a flawed drug war policy could have trade and economic impacts.
The Geneva-based Human Rights Watch’s advocacy director, John Fisher, said in media interviews last weekend that among the possible consequences if the Philippine government continues to ignore the dire assessment of its human-rights record by UNHRC member states is expulsion from the council. That, however, is not something that could happen very quickly, according to Fisher, as Council members weigh well the efforts of members to comply with recommendations.
On the other hand, it was a delegation from the Progressive Alliance (PA) and the Party of European Socialists (PES), which visited the country recently to call out the Duterte Administration on drug-related killings, that pointed out there could be “consequences” for the Philippines’ inclusion in the special trading instrument of the EU, known as GSP+ (Generalized Scheme of Preferences)” if the Philippines falls sort of its obligation to uphold human rights standards. Inclusion in the GSP+ has granted the Philippines preferential status – either zero or minimal tariff – for some 6,000 products, but among the terms for such privilege is adherence to universal values like human rights.
Seething with anger on Thursday, President Duterte’s dark mood unraveled as he addressed the launch of a refurbished press briefing room at Malacañang and reacted to what he may have misconstrued as warnings the Philippines could be expelled from the U.N. itself, and not the UNHRC only.
Obsessed with interfering
“So those who are obsessed with the affairs of other countries and interfering, I would tell them that ‘Do not do it or else I’d start looking at you,” Duterte said during the course of is talk.
“Remember, you, Europeans, all by your lonesome selves, you started the First World War … You killed, slaughtered each other, 15 million stupid Europeans died because of you.
“You are interfering in our affairs kasi mahirap lang kami. Magbigay kayo ng pera (because we are not a rich country. You give money) then you start to orchestrate what things should be done and which should not happen in my country, you whores.”
“We are past the colonization stage. Don’t f*** with us. We ASEAN members can export to each other. We can also have tariff free [market].”
The litany went on from there. “You were ahead in the industrial race of the planet Earth because you stole the greatest resource of the Arabs – and that was oil .. You paid a pittance for the raw materials … You colonize, then started to divide the Middle East. That’s you: United States, UK, France. And that is why you are paying heavily now with terrorism.”
Stupid, morons
“You want to expel us? Do it, stupid. Do it now,” Duterte seethed. “You try. My 1,000 dollars will earn one million pesos if you can expel us from the UN. You think China and the rest of the countries of ASEAN will agree to that? From where will be the crucial vote come? Did you think that China and Russia will allow that? Do you think we know nothing about the charter of the United Nations? You think that we are a bunch of morons here. You are the ones.”
“Now,” he said pointedly, “the ambassadors of those countries listening now, tell me. Because we can have the diplomatic channel cut tomorrow. You leave my country in 24 hours. All of you. Come on guys. You must have taken the Filipinos for granted. Saying that we could be excluded. You really think that you can do it? You have to pass by the security council … Do you think Russia and China would allow it?”
“So we will not allow anybody, not even the United States, to dictate on us,” Duterte said. “And I will tell it straight during the November summit in the ASEAN … You idiots came to our lands, Indonesia, Malaysia. The Dutch for Indonesia, Malaysia for the British; and the Philippines for the Americans and Spaniards, and you have the gall to say to us, ‘We will expel you.’ Son of a b****.
There’s always China and Russia
“My language is horrible. That is part of our grammar here. Why? Because we are angry at you for colonizing and stealing our resources for so many hundreds of years. G*** pala kayo eh. Sabihin mo sa kanila. You are funding Rappler .. Go ahead and fund more. There’s always China and Russia. What should we worry [about]? You keep on funding those – Soros is funding Human Rights Watch. So you think that you are the conscience of the people? That you are the right ones because you are the white? Excuse me. Are we talking of a monkey here … One day, I will just drive you away. Your cahoots [sic] here will have to kill me or you have to get out of my country. Choose. I will tell my nation: ‘Pag namatay ako, America na ‘yan. CIA na ‘yan (If I get killed, it’s America. CIA.).”
He ended the tirade with “That is my inaugural speech.”
The News5 video report below, explains Malacañang’s take on what President Duterte must have meant to convey:
The European Union, for its part, responded by issuing the following statement:
“The EU and the Philippines work constructively and productively together in a close partnership in many contexts and areas, including, of course, in the UN context. The cooperation covers a very wide range of subjects, including trade, where this year the Philippines made extraordinary progress on its exports to the EU.
The recent visit of the delegation of the “International Delegates of the Progressive Alliance” to the Philippines on 8-9 October was not a “European Union mission”, as falsely reported by some media outlets.
The European Union was not part of the organization or planning of that visit – neither the Delegation of the European Union in the Philippines nor the European Union institutions in Brussels. The statements made by the Progressive Alliance during its visit to the Philippines were made solely on behalf of the Progressive Alliance and do not represent the position of the European Union.
The Delegation continues to operate and function normally, and is committed to working constructively and productively with the Philippines for the benefit of the population”.
