Duterte dares US, EU, UN: Go ahead, withdraw your aid to PHL

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday lashed out anew at international bodies amid criticism of the rising death toll in his administration's crime war.

In yet another rant directed at the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations during his speech in Butuan City, Duterte dared the groups to withdraw their aid to the Philippines. 

Duterte said that the international community would never understand the depth of the drug problem in the Philippines. 

"I do not expect human rights, I do not expect Obama, I do not expect the EU to understand me. Do not understand me. And if you think it's high time for you to withdraw assistance, go ahead. We will not beg for it," Duterte said, partly in response to Vice President Leni Robredo's earlier statement saying his rhetoric may affect foreign aid for anti-poverty programs of the government.

“Ano’ng paningin n’yo sa amin? How do you look at us? Mendicants? Na magsige lang sunod-sunod kami?” he added. “We will survive. We will survive as a nation.” 

He also said Filipinos should not worry about foreign groups withdrawing aid, noting that if it happens: "Maski magkahirap dito, we will survive. And I'll be the first one to go hungry and the first the one to die. Huwag kayong mag-alala. We'll never never compromise our dignity as a Filipino." 

The President earlier in his speech asserted that the government has been fighting itself amid the drug war because thousands of government workers including Senator Leila de Lima, barangay captains, and police officers had drug links. 

"You’ll never understand the pain that we are suffering for my countrymen. Go away, bring your money to somewhere else. We will survive as a nation. Pero tignan natin. There is always a day for reckoning. Hindi lahat ng panahon inyo eh," Duterte said.  —JST/RSJ, GMA News