Duterte vows fight vs Hitlerlike leaders

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has

who idolize German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler as he expressed hope that a tragedy like the Holocaust will not happen again.

In his brief remarks during a solemn visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem on Monday, Duterte said the murder of six million Jews in Hitler’s Holocaust was an “insanity” and expressed hope that the world

has learned from what he described

human history.”

“Me, I realized that war is insanity. And what happened here, in Europe especially under the Nazis. I could not imagine a country obey[ing] an insane leader. And I could not ever fathom the spectacle of a human being going into a killing spree, murdering old men, women, men, children, mothers,” he added.

“I would like to say that we are one in saying that it [Holocaust] will not happen again and my country will be

massacre of a race just because of hate,” the President said.

Despots and insane leaders, according to Duterte, “should be disposed of

“I hope that this will not happen again... We have learned so much along the years during the two wars. There is always a lesson to be learned and that despots and leaders who show insanity should be, well they should be dis-

About six million died during the Holocaust, the systematic killing of Jews by the Nazis and their collaborators.

foot on the Holocaust Memorial, also paid tribute to the Jews who fell victims to Hitler’s pogrom by visiting the Hall of Names inside the Yad Vashem with his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

“I would like to thank Israel, the government and the people for inviting us here to see for ourselves in visuals what we have read time and again in our history books,” he said.

“We know the brutal and cruel journey of the Israelites. From one scattered generation,

sun,” the President added.

In the memorial’s guestbook, he urged nations to provide sanctuary to persecuted people.

“Never again. May the world learn the les-

human history,” the President said.

“May the hearts of peoples around the world remain ever open. And may the minds of all men and women learn to work together toward providing a safe haven for all who are being persecuted,” he added.

Duterte’s visit to Israel’s largest Holocaust memorial came two years after he drew condemnation from the Jewish community after he mentioned that he would be “happy to slaughter” some three million drug addicts, similar to what Hitler did to the Jews during World War 2.

The President later apologized to the Jewish community, saying it was not his intention to derogate the memory of Jews slaughtered during that period.

Israel views its ties with the Philippines as special as the latter provided refuge to around 1,300 Jews who escaped the Holocaust.

The Philippines also cast a crucial vote for a United Nations resolution that led to the creation of the Jewish state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his meeting with Duterte on Monday, said Israel remembers the Philippines’ exceptional role of accepting Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.

The Philippines, under then- President Manuel L. Quezon, reinforced the Commonwealth government’s open-door policy to accommodate the Jews who escaped from Europe between 1935 and 1941.

In 1947, the Philippines, under the administration of then-President Manuel Roxas, cast the tie-breaking vote at the UN to separate Israel from Palestine.

The two countries established diplomatic ties 10 years later.

After the trip to the Jewish state, the President will also visit Jordan, where he is expected to sign agreements on labor, defense and foreign affairs.

for a sitting Philippine President.