Duterte threatens to expel EU diplomats

manila — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened on Thursday to expel European ambassadors, accusing their governments without citing evidence of plotting to get Manila expelled from the United Nations.

Duterte signalled in a fiery speech he would not tolerate European criticism of his drug war, which has seen police kill at least 3,850 people since he took office 15 months ago.

Duterte accused the European Union of interfering in the Philippines’ domestic affairs, and alleged it wanted to get the Philippines expelled from the UN. “Just like that you tell us: ‘You will be excluded in the UN’. Son of a wh*** go ahead,” Duterte told reporters, adding European nations were taking advantage of the Philippines being poor.

“You give us money then you start to orchestrate what things should be done and which should not happen in our country. You bullshit. We are past the colonisation stage. Don’t f *** with us.”

Duterte said he was prepared to kick European ambassadors out of the country if their governments tried to expel the Philippines.

“You think we are a bunch of morons here. You are the one. Now the ambassadors of those countries listening now, tell me, because we can have the diplomatic channel cut tomorrow. You leave my country in 24 hours, all, all of you.” —