Threat just a joke – Duterte

– President Rodrigo Duterte has said his threat to pull the Philippines out of the United Nations (UN) for criticising his deadly crime war was just a joke, while attempting a light-hearted wordplay on genocide.

Duterte on Sunday said he may withdraw the Philippines from the world body after a UN human rights expert said last week the president’s encouragement of security forces to kill drug suspects violated international law.

Nearly 2 000 people have been killed since Duterte was sworn into office on June 30 and immediately launched his war on crime, according to the national police chief.

Duterte has insisted most of the 756 people confirmed killed by police were drug suspects who resisted arrest, while the others died due to gang members waging warfare against each other.

However, rights groups, some lawmakers and others have said security forces are engaging in unprecedented extrajudicial killings. The US State Department also said it was “deeply concerned” about reports of the killings.

Duterte once said 100 000 people would die in his war on crime with so many bodies dumped in Manila Bay that fish would grow fat from feeding on them. He also told a reporter he had personally killed three people. – AFP