(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte said that Iceland and the other countries which supported and voted for the resolution seeking a comprehensive review and report on his government’s war on drugs do not really understand the problems ailing the Philippines.
The 73-year old Philippine leader, known for his acerbic tongue, did not mince words in criticizing Iceland in particular which authored the resolution that was approved by 18 countries of the 47-member council.
“Iceland does not understand our problem,” he said in Filipino.
“What is the problem of Iceland? It’s only ice. That’s your problem. You have too much ice and there is no clear day or night there,” he said on Friday, July 12, during the 28th anniversary of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
“Parang alas kwatro ng hapon ang araw pati gabi (Its day and night there is like 4 in the afternoon),” he said.
“They don’t understand the social, economic, political problems of the Philippines,” Duterte observed.
The Philippine president also explained how the country’s geography made it an ideal place for “jettisoning drugs.”
“If you look at the map of the Philippines, your right hand is the east, your left hand is the west. So they are jettisoning drugs here, nag-je-jettison rin sila dito sa kabila.” he said.
-12,000 barangay captains into “narcobusiness”, says Duterte-
Duterte explained that most of the barangay captains – around 12,000 of them – are in “narcobusiness” along with some mayors.
That is why, he said, that he had called them earlier to report to Malacanang where he gave the warning for them “not to destroy the country.”
“I called them diyan sa Malacañan. And I said, ‘Do not ever commit the mistake of going into drugs because if it will destroy my country, I will kill you.” Nothing could be clearer,” he said.
The President said he also gave the same warning to governors administering provinces in the Philippines.
“I’m asking the human rights people: Is it wrong to say, ‘If you destroy my country, I will kill you?’ Is that a crime for a president, mayor, or a governor to say that in public?” he asked.
During the event, Duterte also recognized the work of the BJMP that helped the government’s drug war, saying how BJMP had been working with the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the fight to stamp out illegal drug operations in the country’s jail facilities.
But he said that despite the intensified campaign against illegal drugs, the drug trade in the country continues.
“Lumulusot talaga eh. I don’t know why,” he said.
“Pero, be that as it may, nandiyan ‘yung trabaho natin. And drugs is really flooding the country,” the President added.
