Duterte threatens EU over wrong info

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in his speech during the relaunching of the Malacañang Press Briefing Room (MPBR) at the New Executive Building (NEB) on October 12, 2017, urges the members of the media to remain committed to the truth. YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

During his speech on Thursday at the relaunching of the Malacañang Press Briefing Room, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gave the European Union (EU) ambassadors 24 hours to leave the country over false claims of expelling the Philippines from the United Nations (UN).

The President was discussing his decision to hand over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) his campaign on drugs when he mentioned hoping that this move will ‘suffice’ for the EU.

“And they threatened us. I said that they will have us expelled from the UN. My God, do it, stupid. Do it now,” Duterte said.

Duterte went on by tracking back to the colonized history of the Philippines, further criticizing the Europeans, and lashing that the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will not allow the expulsion.

“It’s a security council. And you think that China and Russia will allow that? Kasi ang pagtingin ninyo kasi sa amin, walang alam sa (This is because you think that we know nothing about the) charter ng (of the) United Nations. You think that we are a bunch of morons here. You are the one. Now, 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. All of you,” part of his speech said.

The President was actually referring to the Human Rights Watch (HRW) director’s statement that the Philippines can be expelled from the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) if the drug-related deaths continue – not the UN itself.

Malacañang clarified in a statement that the European Delegation to the Philippines separated itself from the seven-member delegation of the International Delegates of the Progressive Alliance, which falsely portrayed itself as EU mission.

“Any group or person who unduly interferes in our domestic affairs demeans our status as a sovereign nation. For as long as this condition remains, the President is duty-bound to preserve the integrity of the State,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said on Thursday.

“The call of the President for EU ambassadors to leave the country in 24 hours must be taken in this light. For so long has our President tolerated these undue interferences in our domestic affairs, and he has decided that these must stop if only to preserve the integrity and dignity of our State as a sovereign nation,” he added.

Abella also defended that the UNHR unanimously accepted and commended the Outcome Report of the Philippines’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

“Thus, the noise from HRW amounts to nothing more than unwarranted nuisance,” Abella said.