Philippines leader: EU ‘hypocrites’ atoning for ‘sins’

“When I read the EU condemnation, I'm telling them, f*** you. You're doing it in atonement of your sins,” he was quoted as saying Tuesday by news broadcaster ABS-CBN.

Over the past month, Duterte has slammed critics of the drive, including the United States and United Nations following their calls for the president to stop extrajudicial killings taking place in the Philippines in the fight against illegal drugs.

Earlier this month, he made a controversial expletive-laden statement during which he lashed out at U.S. President Barack Obama for his perceived meddling in his government's crackdown -- resulting in the cancelation of the presidents’ planned bilateral meeting on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-East Asia summit.

“They [EU states] are hypocrites,” Duterte said Tuesday in a speech before local government officials in southern Davao City, where he served 22 years as mayor.

“You should look at history books, encyclopedia of events. It's them, Britain, France. And the EU now has the gall to condemn me,” he added. “What the spoiled eggs America and Europe think is that the killing of Filipinos is an old issue and they are now focusing on human rights.”

According to the Philippines national police, nearly 3,000 drug-related killings have been reported since Duterte assumed office June 30.

Of the 3,000 deaths, around 1,490 are under investigation as of Sept. 10 with authorities blaming suspected vigilante groups.

Last week, the EU adopted a five-page resolution calling on the Philippine government to “put an end to the current wave of extrajudicial executions and killings”.

While it did not cast blame on the government, the resolution referred to how Duterte “repeatedly urged law enforcement agencies and the public to kill suspected drug traffickers who did not surrender as well as drug users”.

“President Duterte publicly stated he would not pursue law enforcement officers and citizens who killed drug dealers and who resisted arrest,” the resolution added.

Anadolu Agency