Duterte invites Ban Ki-moon, UN rapporteurs, EU to probe spate of killings in PHL

President Rodrigo Duterte has extended an invitation to the United Nations and the European Union to the Philippines to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country. 

In an impassioned speech made during the inauguration of a power plant in Misamis Oriential on Thursday, Duterte once again lashed out at his foreign critics.

“I am formally announcing the United Nations, si Ban Ki [Moon]—ano ang pangalan ng yawa [devil] na iyan. I am inviting the EU, iyong pinakamahusay. Send the best lawyers of your town. Pati ang mga [UN] rapporteurs, pumunta sila sa Pilipinas. I will write them a letter to invite them for an investigation,” Duterte said.

“But, in keeping with the time-honored principle of the right to be heard, matapos nila akong tanungin, tanungin ko sila. Siya! Isa-isahin ko sila. In an open forum. You can use the Senate or iyong Folk Arts Center, whatever, everybody here will be invited. Tapos manood kayo. Tignan ko kung paano ko lampasuhin iyang mga yawa na iyan,” he added.

The UN and EU both expressed concern on the spate of killings of drug suspects since Duterte took office on June 30.

The President won the elections with a promise to suppress crime, drugs, and corruption.

Why can't I threaten criminals?

Aside from the spate of killings of drug suspects recorded since Duterte took office on June 30, his critics in the international scene also slammed for his threats against criminals.

"Noong mayor ako, it was alright for them to criticize me. You know, you have a mayor in that Mindanao island who was very talkative about killings so easy, okay lang ‘yun," Duterte said.

"Pero Presidente ako, lecturan ako ng p*** ina niyang rapporteur, tapos sabihin ako--You know there is no crime at all in the Philippines which says I cannot threaten criminals or else I will go to prison," he added.

The President continued to defend his style by enumerating the actions done by the western powers in some troubled nations.

"Walang crime nagsabi na bawal magsabi ka criminal. Kayong mga terorista, kayong mga—tapos ako ang… sila, sila din nandoon sa, they went into Iraq on the excuse of mass destruction. Pinatay nila si Saddam, Iraq is no longer a state.  They undermined Libya, binobomba nila ang Syria patay pati mga bata," Duterte said.

"O, ang tinatakot ko mga kriminal, itong inyo mga bayan ng mundong ito ang mga kawawang Arab,  mga Muslim pinagaapi-api ninyo. The Middle East is a destroyed part of the planet na wala na talagang—wala, kasi ‘yan sila…kaya ako nagpu—nag-mumura kasi kung sila akala mo with all the pontification and every word that they utter, they would like it to be treated as an ex-cathedra thing," he added.

In another speech delivered in a police camp in Cayagan de Oro City, Duterte said that his mouth was not the problem.

"Do not keep complaining about my mouth because my mouth is not the problem. It cannot bring down a country," he said. — RSJ/NB, GMA News