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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte was not affected by the US State Department’s decision to stop the planned sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“Hindi na tayo bentahan nila? Ay sus. ‘Yan lang pantakot niya sa akin? Hindi siya magpabili ng armas? Eh maraming de-bomba dito,” Duterte said.
The President was reacting to the statement of Sen. Benjamin Cardin, a ranking democrat in the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that he would oppose the sale of arms to the PNP due to human rights abuses during the present administration.
Between May 10 and Oct. 28, an ABS-CBN’s Investigative and Research Group report said that 2,236 drug suspects have been killed in legitimate police operations or by vigilantes.]
Duterte also expressed interest in purchasing firearms from Russia.
“Remember what the Russian diplomat said, ‘Come to Russia, we all have here anything you need,” he said.
Announcing his “separation” from the United States in October, the Filipino leader said he plans to strengthen ties with China and Russia.
“I have realigned myself in (China’s) ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to President Vladimir Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world – China, Philippines and Russia. It’s the only way,” he said during his visit to China./PN
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