Duterte to EU: Take PHL explanation on slays or go to hell

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said the European Union could "go to hell" if it would not accept his explanation as regards the thousands of extrajudicial killings blamed on his war on drugs.

Duterte made the remarks after an EU report on human rights and democracy for 2016 found that a culture of impunity remained in the Philippines and that the human rights situation worsened in the second semester of the previous year.

Duterte became president  on June 30, 2016.

"Pardon me, Senator Angara. I appointed him as an envoy to EU. I've been trying to explain to them, but I said to them, if they listen to you, sir, fine. If not, they can all go to hell," Duterte said addressing former Senate President Edgardo Angara, his special envoy to the EU.

"That’s what I said to Obama, you go to hell. Why should I not tell him that? He was berating me in public," he added, recalling how he lashed out at former United States President Barack Obama for his comments against the drug war.

Duterte made a lengthy rant against the EU and reiterated that grants from the regional bloc should not be accepted because it came with conditions.

"When Sonny Dominguez, my finance officer says, 'There’s a plan to give us'. I said: 'For all of the European Unions, say no to them. Say no. We do not need that I said, Sonny, we can survive as a nation,'" he said.

Duterte said those critical of his drug war did not ask why the drug suspects were killed.

"But they look only on how many persons allegedly killed by extrajudicial process. They don't even bother to see why were they killed?" Duterte said.

The Philippines as early as May informed the EU that it will no longer accept development aid from the foreign body.

Ambassador Franz Jessen said the decision to cut aid from the EU, a strong critic of Duterte's drugs war, would mean the loss of about 250 million Euros ($278.73 million) worth of grants mostly allocated to Muslim communities.

Manila's move came days after Duterte secured billions of dollars in pledges from China after attending the Belt and Road summit in Beijing.

"The Philippine government has informed us they no longer accept new EU grants," Jessen said. —NB, GMA News