 |
| President Duterte |
By Christina Mendez and Alexis Romero
MANILA, Philippines - He has never felt remorse for the death of thousands in his anti-drug war and is ready to accept his fate if charges are filed against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC), President Duterte said on Monday.
In a press briefing at Malacañang, Duterte stressed he was merely exercising his mandate to protect the country in his pursuit of a vicious war on drugs that has left thousands dead since he assumed power in July.
“Wala pa naman ako kasalanan sa Pilipino. Ano bang kasalanan ko sa inyo? Pagpatay ng kriminal? Ano pa? Anong ninakaw ko? Kasi nagtatrabaho lang ako, kung ayaw ninyo eh ‘di huwag (I did no wrong to Filipinos. What wrong have I done to you? Killing criminals? What else? I’m just doing my job, if you can’t take it, then go),” he said.
Stopping corruption and illegal drugs was his campaign promise, he emphasized.
“But I said I have to comply with my promise. There’s so much noise about this thing about extrajudicial killing – I’ve told you there’s none. Just ask any policeman here in Manila, ask him if I’ve ever ordered anyone down on his knees or about to surrender killed,” he said in Filipino.
At one point during the briefing, Duterte said he is undeterred by attacks from human rights groups. If criminals are undeterred by the death penalty, neither is he by the prospect of criminal liability that may arise from human rights issues.
Read the full story at PhilStar