MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte vowed Tuesday to press on with his “war on drugs,” reiterating his threat to “kill” those who “destroy the young of my country” as he claimed the International Criminal Court “cannot acquire jurisdiction over me, not in a million years.”
Duterte resumed his tough talk on drugs in separate speeches before the 10th Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center in Pasay City and the oath taking of members of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission in Malacañang.
The ICC has opened a preliminary examination into whether Duterte could be liable for a crime against humanity for the thousands of deaths associated with his anti-narcotics campaign.
There have also been continued calls for a United Nations-led investigation into the killings, which the government claims it welcomes on condition it does not involve Agnes Callamard, the special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings.
“The war against drugs will continue with or without the ICC, with or without the human rights, with or without the politicians, it will last until the last day of my term as President. After that, wala na akong pakialam sa inyo (I have nothing more to do with you),” Duterte said at the World Trade Center.
Recalling his days as mayor of Davao City, Duterte said he set out to “build a city because that is the mandate of the people. Do not destroy it because I will kill you. Do not put to naught my toil and destroy the young of my country because I will really kill you.”
Referring to the ICC, Duterte, in his Malacañang speech, said: “They cannot ever, ever hope to acquire jurisdiction over my person. Hindi nga ako maniwala sa nanay ko, sa kanila pa. Putang ina ‘yan, buwisit kayo (I didn’t even listen to my mother, why should I listen to them? You sons of bitches, pests).”
He also repeated his explanation for why most of those killed in the war on drugs are poor, insisting that “drugs is really the commodity of the poor people. ‘Yan ang kaya nila, tag-dos syentos (That’s what they can afford, P200),” apparently referring to crystal meth, or shabu.
The rich, he claimed, stuck to “expensive cocaine,” although he noted the supply of this drug in the country was increasing, “because we suspect na ang cartel ng (that the cartel of) America is about to take over sa cocaine dito (cocaine here).”
