Duterte threatens to pull Philippines out of UN

President denounces world body after call by two UN rights experts for an end to extra-judicial executions and killings.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to declare martial law if the country''s judiciary interferes with his ongoing war against illegal drugs
About 900 suspected drug traffickers have been killed since May 9 [EPA]

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has denounced the United Nations after it called for an end to killings blamed on his war on drugs, saying that he might leave the organisation and invite China and others to form a new one.

Two UN human rights experts last week urged the Philippines to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings that have escalated since Duterte won the presidency on a promise to wipe out drugs.

About 900 suspected drug traffickers have been killed since he came to power after winning the election on May 9.

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


READ MORE: Rodrigo Duterte – Shoot a drug dealer, get a medal


“I will prove to the world that you are a very stupid expert,” he said, urging them to count not just the number of drug-related deaths but also the innocent lives lost to drugs.

He then launched an attack on the UN and its members – including by inference the Philippines’ traditionally close ally, the United States – saying, it could not fulfil its own mandate but was “worrying about the bones of criminals piling up”.

UpFront (Arena): Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war

“I do not want to insult you. But maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations,” he said.

“Why do you have to listen to this stupid?”

Criticising the UN for not doing enough to address hunger and terrorism and for not being able to do anything about Syria and Iraq and allowing big powers to bomb villages and kill innocent civilians, he said he would invite China and African nations to form another global organisation.


READ MORE: Rodrigo Duterte – ‘I don’t care about human rights’


“You know, United Nations, if you can say one bad thing about me, I can give you 10 [about you]. I tell you, you are an inutile [useless]. Because if you are really true to your mandate, you could have stopped all these wars and killing.”

Asked about the possible consequences of his comments, he said: “What is … repercussions? I don’t give a sh*t to them.”

He said that the UN should have acted according to protocol by sending someone such as a rapporteur to talk to him.

“You do not just go out and give a sh*tting statement against a country,” he said.

Source: News Agencies