Duterte hits US for American abuses in PH

Photo by Trending News PH

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said that he spoke about American human rights violations in the Philippines on Thursay, in response to the colonizers now raising human rights violations in the country, but in fact had killed many Filipinos.

United States President Barack Obama was one of the leaders who listened to Duterte’s speech at the East Asia Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

Obama cancelled a meeting with Duterte  after the Philippine president allegedly directed the curse word “son of a bitch” at him and warned US not to bring up the issue of human rights in the country.

Duterte also claims that UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon raising the issue of human rights at the East Asia Summit mad him ditch his speech and make remarks about human rights violations in Mindanao during colonial times.

“It’s an illegitimate statement. But me, because of the pressure to stop it, I said since human rights was mentioned, I produced a few pages with pictures in the pacification campaign by the Americans at the turn of the century,” he said.

Duterte claims the American colonizers killed 6000 muslims in Mindano when they occupied the land.

“They were just buried in a common pit. The soldiers stomped on the breasts of naked women. This is human rights? What do you intend to do?” Duterte said.

“Do not tell me that is water under the bridge. A human rights violation, whether committed by Moses or Abraham, is still a violation of human rights,” he added.

Duterte said he stated this in a room with National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo and two generals.

“They were squirming at first. Nobody knew I wasn’t reading my speech … I asked when was this philosophy about the human dignity and the human rights evolved? Now or during this time? They were quiet,” he said.

He said he would argue with anybody who would raise human rights concerns with him, Obama included.

“I was ready, I was waiting for Obama to respond. This will be lawyer to lawyer, because we are both lawyers,” he said.

Obama did not respond, he added.

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