Duterte: ‘Media partly to be blamed for how int’l community sees me’

President Duterte said media is partly to be blamed for how the international community sees him, and mostly on the opposition. In an interview in Davao City, the President, in jest, said that he did not want to do media interviews because he was choosy, and has lost trust in the media following their reports on the Bikoy videos which alleged that his family was involved in the illegal drug trade.

"Hindi na ako nagpapa-interview ha. Choosy ako, choosy (I don't do interviews. I'm a choosy person). I don’t... I don’t especially… I have lost completely... I have lost completely (my) trust diyan sa (in the) Philippine media," he said.

He also called out the media for reporting on what the opposition and his critics were saying about him.

"After all the trash that you have read, all of you. Pati ‘yung anak mo, drug lord. Sila rin lang may sabi na there will be a reckoning,

sabi ng Magdalo (Even your kids became drug lords. They were also the ones who said that there will be a reckoning, the Magdalo)," he said.

"Mainly, ‘yung mga kalaban ko, ‘yung si Otso Diretso. Kaya akala nila ako bastos, ako ganun (Mainly, the opposition, the Otso Diretso. That's why people think I'm disrespectful)," he said.

Just before the elections, Malacañang tagged some investigative journalists in a plot to oust him by sharing the videos supposedly made by Peter Advincula.

Before the elections, Malacañang said President Duterte has always recognized that the media's role was important in keeping the government on their toes.

According to Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, Duterte respects the work of journalists even though he does not agree with what he is seeing in the news all the time.