Duterte says no EJK talk with Trump
MANILA — The issue of extrajudicial killings was not discussed during President Rodrigo Duterte’s brief interaction with United States President Donald Trump last Saturday in Vietnam.
Duterte said they merely exchanged pleasantries during their first encounter, which happened hours before the Philippine leader returned to the country. Both Duterte and Trump attended the recently concluded Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meet.
“Well, I shook his hands. And before the closing, he kept on saying ‘ba-bye.’
“And he said something about, 'You know, you handle it very well…' I do not want to brag. These are the things that you do not brag about: the Marawi and then the drugs - words of encouragement,” Duterte told journalists at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Sunday.
“Not extrajudicial killing. Well, he cannot afford it. We do not talk about these things because, first of all, they are not true; and the second is, we do not do it,” he added.
Duterte believes Trump will not bring up the issue during their bilateral meeting on Monday.
“I’m sure he (Trump) will not take it up,” Duterte said.
“He is not the Human Rights Commission. So it’s only the representatives there. Because the US like the Philippines is run by three great departments,” he added, referring to American lawmakers who had urged Trump to raise the issue of killings in his meeting with the Philippine president.
The US under former President Barack Obama had a rough relationship with the Philippines over the spate of deaths tied to Duterte’s brutal war against illegal drugs.
The Obama administration had repeatedly raised concerns about the killings and had urged Duterte to uphold human rights in all anti-drug raids.
Duterte lashed back at the US by accusing it of undermining the Philippines’ sovereignty by interfering with its internal affairs. He also claimed that the US has no moral ascendancy to lecture him on human rights because of its atrocities during the Iraqi invasion, the Vietnam War and the Philippine-American War. The tough-talking leader has also denied endorsing extrajudicial killings, saying those who are into it are doing a “dirty job” and do not act like men.