Duterte scores UN for ‘failure to establish world order’

President Duterte has railed against the United Nations (UN) for supposedly failing to establish world order and impose punitive action against those involved in piracy attacks after several Filipino sailors were abducted by pirates in the waters off West Africa early this month.

“I’m kind of telling the United Nations. Napaka-inutil naman ninyo diyan (You are very useless). I mean it has been an inutile body actually,” he said at the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities event in Malacañang Thursday.

“But the United Nations has failed to establish order in this planet and that is why everybody is just, you know, to each his own. It has not established order. It has not prevented wars. It has not taken any punitive, strong action against the pirates,” he added.

He noted that there have been many piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden, citing the recent abduction of Filipino sailors.

“There’s a narrow strait where you pass before you can reach the Mid

dle East countries. Dadaan ka diyan (You will pass there)... But ‘yung mga Filipino sailors, whenever they are hijacked in the high seas, ang kinukuha nila ‘yung mga Pilipino (When they are hijacked in the high seas, they abduct Filipinos) – about six now, seven,” he said.

“Kung hindi Hapon, Pilipino, Indonesians (If not Japanese, they seize Filipinos and Indonesians). They are the favorite in the menu of the pirates,” he added.

Duterte said he once offered to send the Philippine Navy to the waters off Libya to save Filipinos and South Koreans kidnapped last year. He was trying to follow South Korea’s move when it redirected a vessel to take part in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

“Sabi ko, kung pumayag ka (I said, if you allow it), I will send my Navy ships there to patrol the areas. And whenever you see the idiots there, fire your cannons and blast them to kingdom come. Do not give them a chance to live and to kidnap again,” he said.

With the latest abduction of Filipino sailors, Duterte said he might threaten to send navy ships again to address the piracy concerns.

“Napipikon na kasi ako (I’m really annoyed),” he said.

“Yung DSW army man ‘yan. At baka talaga na he will coordinate with the Navy and I will send the Navy there. And ‘pag nakita nila ‘yung mga… Patayin na lang nila. Tabla-tabla na lang (The Social Welfare Secretary is an army man and he might coordinate with the Navy, and I will send the Navy there. If they see them, kill them all so we’re quits),” he said.

He was referring to Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, former military chief, who was present at the Palace event.