MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night told Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that he has nothing to explain over reports of alleged human rights violations and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the Philippines.
“I said I will not explain,” Duterte said during a press briefing following the closing ceremonies of the 31st Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) Summit.
He said that what he did was ask his Canadian counterpart to “investigate first and find out the truth.”
He said Trudeau was likely presented only with reports of EJKs but without the full details of the incidents.
Duterte stressed that he answers only to the Filipino people adding that it angers him when a foreigner brings out the issues of extrajudicial killings without even investigating the truth.
“It is a personal and official insult. That is why you hear me throwing down epithets and curses… because it angers me,” he said.
“When you are a foreigner, you don’t know what exactly is happening in this country. You do not even investigate. What happened to the right to be heard?” Duterte said.
Earlier in the day, Trudeau said Duterte was “receptive” when he raised concerns over “human rights, rule of law and extrajudicial killings,” and describe his informal talks with the Philippine President as “very cordial and positive exchange throughout.”
Meanwhile, Duterte called on heads of states and other organizations not tot be easily taken in by reports coming from his critics whom he accused of fabricating records.
“Somebody here picks up the records of dead persons, they go there. You only show before the United Nations a record of how many persons died you claim to be extrajudicially,” he said.
“You know, my advice to everybody, even the ones that I curse publicly is: Do not get your documents from the opposition and from the communists because I said, they are all falsified,” Duterte said. (Jose Cielito Reganit/PNA)
