Duterte hits back at 'a—hole' NY Times: You better stop your publishing

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday had a profanity-laced response to this week's editorial by the New York Times supporting the filing of a case against him before the International Criminal Court.

"It's about time their publication also must stop," he told reporters in Malacañang after the welcome ceremony and bilateral meeting with Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

This week, the New York Times published an editorial titled "Let the World Condemn Duterte," which backed the ICC case filed by Jude Sabio, the lawyer of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato. The newspaper has also devoted extensive coverage to the killings in the war on drugs that is the centerpiece of the Duterte administration.

Duterte, in turn, hit out at the newspaper for its supposed role in foreign policy missteps of the United States.

"New York Times, asshole. You are an asshole. You cannot even criticize your own mistake? Invading a country? Making up excuses before the world that is not true?" he said.

"You better stop your publishing," he added.

Duterte's comments were in apparent reference to the New York Times' coverage of the Iraq invasion in 2001. The newspaper in 2004 admitted publishing "problematic" articles leading up to the US invasion of Iraq. —JST, GMA News