Leader threatens to cut diplomatic ties with critics

MANILA — The Philippine president said he has asked his finance secretary to reject an unspecified British financial aid package and that he’s ready to cut diplomatic ties with all European countries critical of his deadly antidrug crackdown.

President Rodrigo Duterte also threatened in a state TV interview late Friday “to declare a revolutionary government until the end of my term” to allow him to arrest opponents and launch an all-out war against communist guerrillas if they attempt to destabilize his government.

The volatile leader was incensed by concerns over the unabated drug killings raised by a group of European parliamentarians and human rights advocates who recently visited Manila.

“I am prepared to lose all diplomatic relationships with all of the European countries now . ... You’re not allowed to enter here now. I will write that letter,” Duterte said, adding that the Philippines could drop European imports.

Duterte said his country could survive “as long as I have China, Russia and Eastern Europe,” along with a bloc of Southeast Asian nations that he currently heads.

He said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III recently informed him of a financial package Britain wanted to provide, but that he told Dominguez to reject the offer. “Tell them Duterte may use that to buy guns and ammunition to carry out extrajudicial killings, so keep your money,” Duterte said he told his finance chief.

Duterte has made bold threats in the past but later walked back on his public remarks. He threatened Thursday to expel EU ambassadors and suggested they could be asked to leave the Philippines in 24 hours, but his spokesman later clarified that the diplomats would not face expulsion.

He has denied he has a policy condoning unlawful drug killings.