Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, not a man to mince his words, has declared that if he were ever forcibly placed on trial before an international court over human rights issues in his country, he would lob a grenade and take his critics with him straight to Hell, according to Manila Bulletin.
Duterte, known for brash outbursts, has long refused to cooperate with any court proceedings abroad, insisting he is only answerable to a court in the Philippines.
As he addressed troops in Jolo, Sulu, on 13 July, President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly said in an unaired portion of his speech that “leftist Americans” were attacking him, and hoping to bring him to jail.
“Son of a b****. Jail me? I am only answerable to a Philippine court,” he said, according to an English translation offered by the outlet, adding:
“Why should I face those fools? It would be better to throw a grenade at you. I’d lob a grenade so we can all go to hell.”
Earlier, the UN claimed that President Duterte's war on drugs in the Philippines had resulted in “widespread killing and arbitrary detentions”, in a report urging an independent probe into alleged human rights abuses in the country.
#HRC41 The Council decides to adopt the resolution on the #promotion and #protection of #humanrights in the #Philippines with 18 in favour, 14 against and 15 abstentions. @UNGeneva pic.twitter.com/HwIOrzqS3i
— HRC SECRETARIAT (@UN_HRC) July 11, 2019
Police and vigilantes were encouraged to use lethal force in the country's war on drugs, said the report.
Despite being condemned for his "incendiary" language and the government's "heavy-handed focus" on fighting drugs, the bombastic Duterte, according to a Pulse Asia Research Inc. survey, enjoys a domestic approval rating of over 80 percent.
