President Rodrigo Duterte said that there is no law preventing him from issuing threats against criminals, in an apparent snide against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, who said that his kill remarks were “not acceptable.”
Speaking before Filipino-American tourists late Friday night, Duterte reiterated that his repeated threats against criminals is not a crime in the Philippines, in what appears to be his response to Carpio-Morales who criticized him for “goading people to kill.”
“Point out to me a law in your country and in my country, which says you cannot threaten a criminal from destroying your country,” Duterte said in a speech during the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour Philippine Reception at Davao City.
“Is there a law, which says you cannot do it? Is there a law which says that you cannot blurt such statements as, ‘Do not bring our children to perdition because you’ll not only lose your funds, you’ll lose your life,’” he added.
Duterte likewise said that it was “not fair” for criminals to cite human rights, considering the suffering they inflict on their victims—calling the idea as ‘b*** s***.”
“You have the right—human right to go around wherever you want, you’re a citizen of this Republic, you can travel, you have all the Constitutional right,” Duterte said.
“Kaya ‘yang sa pasahero, wala naman tayong pera, anak natin magsakay ng jeep, sasaksakin, holdapin, kung anong pagawa. Pag-uwi, magsakay ng tricycle, a few kilometers away, pinatay na. And you just see these human rights idiots all around the world, ‘Ah, you know, human rights.’ That’s b*** s*** to me,” he added.
On Friday, Carpio-Morales, who is related to Duterte by marriage said that Duterte’s repeated public calls to kill is “not acceptable” as she accused him of “goading people to kill” with his tough rhetoric against drug pushers and users.
“He’s goading people to kill people. That’s a problem,” Morales told Japanese broadcaster NHK. “The directive to kill people under any situation in respective of the context to me, that’s not acceptable.”
Morales also dismissed the usual defense by Duterte’s spokespersons and other administration officials that said Duterte’s tough talk are all just “hyperbole.”
Malacañang, however, defended Duterte from Morales’ sharp criticism on his anti-drug rhetoric, saying that the Ombudsman has taken the President’s statements out of context.