WATCH/READ: Duterte to EU: It's true, I'm no statesman.

'You know you get a retort from me that’s really bull shit? Because you are also bull shitting us,' says the President to the European Union
'RURAL' MOUTH. President Rodrigo Duterte presides over a command conference at the Police Regional Office-10 Headquarters in Cagayan de Oro City on September 22, 2016. TOTO LOZANO/PPD

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte could not care less if he isn't well-liked in Europe for his foul mouth.

"Si Duterte, sabi doon sa EU, Europe, pinaka ‘unpopular’ daw ako. Gago. Tapos na ang eleksyon, nanalo na ako dito," said Duterte in another tirade-filled speech on Friday, September 23.

(Duterte, they say in Europe, I'm the most 'unpopular.' They're insane. The elections is over, I won over here.)

Duterte, who was voted into the presidency by over 16 million Filipinos last May, said he sees no need to impress Europeans with his "statesmanship."

"Tapos hindi daw ako statesman. Excuse me? Hindi daw ako statesman. Ang pagkaalam ko, tumakbo ako ng Presidente, wala mang posisyong statesman doon sa ’min, bakit mo ko pipilitin maging statesman?" he said.

(Then they said I'm not a statesman. Excuse me? I'm not a statesman, they said. As far as I know, I ran for President. There is no position of 'statesman' here, why will you force me to be a statesman?)

In a speech the previous day, Duterte said his mouth was "rural" and he has no plans of refining his way of speaking.

"I never took a course of statesmanship and I do not intend to be one," he said.

In his Friday speech, Duterte also apologized for referring to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as "Ban Ki-sun."

"Sabi ko Ban Ki-sun, Ban Ki-moon pala...Sun and moon kasi, so I apologize for that faux pas," said the President.

(I said Ban Ki-sun, when it's actually Ban Ki-moon...Because of sun and moon, so I apologize for that faux pas.)

'Bull shit' retorts

In the same speech, Duterte took the opportunity to slam the European Parliament for supposedly blaming his government for the spate of extrajudicial killings happening in the country.

"You know you get a retort from me that’s really bull shit? Because you are also bull shitting us. ‘Di pa nga nila alam kung sinong nagpapatayan (You don't even know who's doing the killing), why do you attribute all the killings in Manila to the police and me?" Duterte asked.

The President has denied his government is behind the summary executions that make up more than half of the deaths linked to his "war" on drugs.

The police say over 3,300 people have died in incidents linked to drugs. Of these, some 1,200 were killed in police operations supposedly because they violently resisted arrest. Over 2,100 were victims of vigilante-style killings. (IN NUMBERS: The Philippines' 'war on drugs')

Duterte has invited the United Nations and European Union officials to come to the Philippines to probe his drug war themselves instead of relying on media reports.



In his Friday speech, Duterte extended his invitation to US President Barack Obama, another critic of his campaign against illegal drugs.




SOURCE: RAPPLER

READ: Duterte says Obama can join drug war probe

Says, in jest, PH should send a rapporteur to Charlotte

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte threw yet another jab at US President Barack Obama on Friday, saying he could join United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) representatives in investigating the Philippines' bloody war on drugs.

Duterte on Thursday invited UN and EU officials to investigate the drug killings in the country, but added that he should also be allowed to engage them in a debate.

“So I would be inviting the CHR (Commission on Human Rights, EU, and [Barack] Obama if he wants to come here, Ban Ki-moon,” Duterte said in a speech before police officials in General Santos City.

Duterte threatened to curse at Obama at an ASEAN Summit meeting earlier this month after US officials criticized his anti-narcotics campaign. This prompted Obama to cancel their planned meeting on the sidelines of a regional summit in Laos.

Duterte has since apologized and clarified that he did not curse Obama.

Obama, in turn, said he did not take Duterte’s language personally, but he added that his Filipino counterpart should fight crime "the right way."

The UN and EU have raised concerns over the country's controversial war on drugs, which Duterte's sees as a violation of Philippine sovereignty.

On Friday, Duterte said the US must first mind its own affairs before looking at the Philippines. He cited the situation in Charlotte, North Carolina, where violence erupted after officers fatally shot a black man.

“Mamaya sa Charlotte na iyan state of emergency na. Bakit? Pinagbabaril ang itim… Sabi ko si Bato (police chief Ronald dela Rosa) mag-prepara ka kung sinong general ipadala mo doon sa Amerika, rapporteur, paimbestigahan mo rin,” he said.

[Charlotte may declare a state of emergency. Why? Because a black man was shot… I told Bato, you prepare to send someone to America, a rapporteur perhaps, to investigate.]

SOURCE: ABS-CBN

READ: Duterte says he doesn’t care about ratings agencies.

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he does not care about credit rating agencies after debt-watcher Standard and Poor’s warned that his bloody war on drugs and tough rhetoric raised questions on the predictability of the country’s economic policies.

The US-based S&P maintained its investment grade ratings on the Philippines’ sovereign debt but warned that an upgrade in the next two years was “unlikely.”

“Tapos sabihin nitong mga BB plus, credit. Wala akong pakialam sa inyo [And they raise this BB plus, credit. I don’t care about you],” he said.

The Philippines has a BBB rating from S&P. It also enjoys investment grade status with Moody’s Investor Service and Fitch Ratings.

An investment grade rating means the country can sell government securities to a wider pool of investors, giving it a better shot at raising funds for sorely-needed development projects.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said on Wednesday that contrary to S&P’s observation, Duterte has been “loud and clear” on his policy statements.

The debt-watcher’s assessment on the country is “quite fair at the moment,” Mike Enriquez, chief investment officer of Sun Life Financial Philippines told ANC’s “Market Edge with Cathy Yang” on Thursday.

Investors are “watching closely” whether Duterte can implement his 10-point plan to sustain the momentum of one of Asia’s fastest growing economies, Enriquez said.

SOURCE: ABS-CBN

READ: 97 cops test positive for illegal drugs, face dismissal..

The number of Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel who tested positive for narcotics has reached 97, a police spokesman said.

The number rose as the government continues to conduct random drug tests among its ranks amid President Rodrigo Duterte's intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

"Of the number, 91 are PNP personnel, while six others are classified as non-uniformed personnel," PNP Spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said.

The 97 personnel will be subjected to a "confirmatory drug testing" to verify if initial results were accurate.

Those who will test positive in the second round of tests will be dismissed from service.

At least 135,393 PNP personnel have undergone random drug testing from July 1 to September 16.

11 cops test positive for drugs

MANILA (UPDATED) - A total of 11 police personnel tested positive for illegal drug use in an unannounced random drug testing conducted by the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory over the weekend.

Newly-installed PNP Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa ordered a surprise drug test during his first command conference in Camp Crame in Quezon City. The PNP chief earlier said he was alarmed over the findings of the initial test.

All 75 generals in attendance were tested.

The PNP said a total of 2,405 personnel from the national headquarters, regional police offices and police districts took the random drug testing over the weekend.

The test yielded negative results on 2,394 urine samples submitted for analysis. However, 11 samples yielded positive results. These specimens will be subject to further confirmatory test for presence of methamphetamine and THC metabolite.

"Nakakahiya, nakakagalit, nakakasuklam. Anong klaseng mga tauhan mo? Kayo tagapagpatupad sa batas tapos kayo ang nagba-violate. Kayo mismo ang drug addict! They don’t deserve another day in office," Dela Rosa said.

He said those found positive for drug use would be pre-charged, investigated and ultimately dismissed from service.

"Two to three days ang confirmatory, then pre-charge is mabilis ‘yan. Basta I make it sure na mabilis," he added.

Last Friday, the PNP chief issued a 48-hour deadline for police protectors of drug rings to surrender or face the merciless war on narcotics.

He particularly zeroed in on policemen from Metro Manila who boast about being "ninjas" or recycle illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa said Monday that none of the 20 ninja policemen have surrendered so far.

"Hindi naman lahat drugs ang involvement, mayroon din iba diyan na patong sa ibang sindikato na kailangan nating bigyan ng pansin," he said.

Asked about what he plans to do with the drug-tainted personnel, he said: "I will send them to Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi to fight the Abu Sayyaf."

Dela Rosa also clarified that these officers do not include the three high-ranking police officials whom President Rodrigo Duterte earlier accused of having links with the drug trade.

In his first flag raising ceremony speech, Dela Rosa called on the PNP to get their acts together as internal cleansing of the organization is underway.

He also issued a stern warning to police personnel who are moonlighting and playing golf while on duty. "Instruction ko na bawal mag-golf during office hours. Pag nilabag nila mananagot sila sa akin. Hintayin ninyo, basta mayroong punishment na darating diyan. May darating."

He also prohibited police personnel from engaging in cockfights and gambling in casinos.

SOURCE: ABS-CBN