Duterte: 'Mr. Obama, you can go to hell'

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday hit out anew at the United States and the European Union in yet another tirade against criticisms of his administration's crime war.

“Instead of helping us, ang unang tumira, itong [US] State Department. So, you can go to hell. Mr. Obama, you can go to hell," he said, referring to American president Barack Obama.

"EU, better choose purgatory. Puno na ang impiyerno. Bakit ako matakot sa inyo?" he added.

Duterte launched his rant after brushing off criticisms over the rising death toll in the crime war. He bristled at suggestions to build rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, noting anew that he came into power in the middle of the year and is working on a budget his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, had enacted.

“Nawalan ako ng respeto sa Amerika. Instead of helping us knowing fully well — alam nila kasi they have a similar government as ours — alam nila na iyong bottoms up, bottoms up talaga iyon. Sabi nila, ‘Duterte, why do you have to kill people? Why not go to rehab?’ Easier said than done," he said.

"Where do you get the money? You get money from all department pati Education at kay [Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto] Yasay [Jr.]? Kunin ko kay [Transportation Secretary Arthur] Tugade just to build a rehab? It’s like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Alam nila iyan,” Duterte added.

'At odds'

Sought for comment, the US State Department spokesman said Duterte's remarks seem at odds with the warm relationship between the Philippine and U.S. people and the record of cooperation between the governments.

"We've already spoken to this sort of rhetoric," John Kirby said when asked about Duterte's comments on Tuesday.

"Frankly, it seems at odds with the warm relationship that exists between the Filipino and American people and the record of important cooperation between our two governments, cooperation that has continued under the Duterte government."

Duterte had made numerous international headlines over the past few weeks over his near-daily rants against groups who have spoken out about the rising death toll in his war on drugs.

The president brought up the issue again in his speech at the Sulong Pilipinas Local Governance Series while justifying why he has decided to end joint military exercises with the United States.

"Maniwala ka diyan sa Amerikano. They will not fight to die for us. Tanungin mo diyan ang military. Iyang war games war games, sila lang ang natututo diyan using our soldiers," Duterte said.

Filipino and American troops began their latest joint exercise on Tuesday. Duterte had said that the scheduled exercises would be the last under his term.

"'Wag mo ako paluhurin sa Amerika. Never," he said. —JST, GMA News