Duterte threatens to withdraw Philippines from UN, hits US

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has encouraged people to kill drug dealers and has called a USA ambassador “gay”, but it seems he can’t take criticism himself.

The U.S. State Department and two United Nations human rights experts have urged Mr. Duterte and Filipino authorities to stop extrajudicial killings in the fight against illegal drugs and ensure law enforcement compliance with worldwide human rights obligations.

The comments come days after the United Nations urged Duterte’s administration to step back from its violent approach to drug crime.

“I do not want to insult you”.

Duterte gained popularity in 1988 when he became the mayor of Davao on the southern island of Mindanao, where he reigned for 22 years over different periods characterised by his strong defence of extra-judicial killings. Philippine police say more than 500 drug suspects have been killed in gunbattles with police since Mr. Duterte was sworn in eight weeks ago.

Duterte frequently peppers his public comments with swear words – he has also called Pope Francis and the U.S. ambassador to Manila sons of whores – and days after his election win used typical language to criticise the UN.

“I don’t give a sh*t about them”, he added.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in June also strongly criticised Duterte, who during the election campaign promised to kill 100,000 people and dump so many bodies in Manila Bay that the fish would grow fat from feeding on them.

Duterte reportedly said Sunday: “Take us out of your organization”.

“Why is it that [the] United States is not doing anything?”

“Is that stupid body complaining about the stench there of death? They are the ones interfering”, he said.

The tirade was prompted by a statement released on Thursday by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that urged Duterte to end a wave of violence that began after he was elected in May.

When asked about the possible repercussions of his comments, he said: “What is … repercussions?” He said, “I appreciate it”.

“What do you think the Americans did to the black people there?”

The killings represent a massive increase on crime deaths before Duterte took office.

Duterte on Friday denied that the government was responsible and in a middle-of-the-night news conference in his home town, Davao, said the deaths were not the work of the police and invited United Nations experts to investigate themselves.