Duterte kills deal for Canadian helicopters

OTTAWA — The president of the Philippines has told his military commanders to cancel a controversial deal to buy 16 helicopters from Canada, after the Trudeau government ordered a review of the contract over human-rights concerns.

President Rodrigo Duterte issued the order at a news conference Friday in which he said that he respected Canada’s position, but also lashed out against restrictions on the use of military equipment against terrorists and rebels.

“I am sure Canada is a bright boy. But the terrorists, ISIS, are contaminating the locals. And if I cannot use the gunships, the helicopters, then I might as well surrender this government to them,” Duterte said in Manila.

“I do not question your logic. Your logic is your logic. My logic is mine. It’s based on the reality on the ground. So henceforth, this is a direct order to the commander in chief of the armed forces of the Philippines and the police.”

The decision sparked a surprisingly sharp response from the Canadian government, which only a few days earlier had been defending the deal, which would have been worth an estimated $300 million.

“The president’s troubling comments only underscores the confusion and contradictions that have emerged recently on the intended end use of the helicopters,” International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.

“That is precisely why I ordered a review and that process will continue.”

The government had initially said the Bell helicopters would only be used for search-andrescue and disaster relief operations, and that the deal would support about 1,000 jobs in the Montreal area.

The Philippines military has been accused of extrajudicial killings, torture and other rights abuses during its conflicts with Islamic State-linked terrorists and communist rebels.