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Monday, April 17, 2017
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MANILA – President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte, speaking before the Filipino community in Qatar at the Lusail Sports Arena, was again crudely critical of his alleged detractors, not mincing his words for ABS-CBN News, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, and human-rights defenders
Neither did he spare the European Union from his ire, reiterating his claim that the EU had suggested the use of substitution drugs to treat methamphethamine, or shabu, addiction in the Philippines despite the Union’s blunt denial.
Duterte also recounted how he had called former US president Barack Obama a “son of a bitch,” and how he had told the ex-chief executive to “go to hell.”
In contrast, Duterte saw President Donald Trump as a kindred spirit, calling the US president a “realist” and a “pragmatic thinker.”
Duterte was given a “rock star” reception by some 6,000 members of the Filipino community that gathered at the arena. Many of them held up small Philippine flags, and cheered the President on during his expletive-laden address.
Duterte again centered on his promise to get rid of corruption and illegal drugs in the Philippines.
He again shared how he took key officials out of his government, including former Interior secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno, who the President said “lied through his teeth” when asked about the legal opinion issued by an undersecretary over the payment of Rosenbauer firetrucks.
Duterte noted his promise to appoint “the brightest” to his Cabinet, many of whom were his friends from as far back as his days in San Beda College. He said his long-standing relations with many of these officials would not get in the way of his quest against corruption.
“Sinabi ko naman sa kanila, ‘Magkaibigan tayo. Magka-roommate tayo.’ … Magkakaibigan tayo, pero ito lang ang ano – the first whiff… ‘wag na totoo, maamoy ko lang [a hint of corruption], sorry, sorry talaga,” he said.
He assured OFWs they will no longer face repeated opening of bags for inspections at airports, in apparent reference to the so-called “laglag bala” scheme that hounded the past administration.
He also vowed to “stop smuggling,” the scheme of holding back balikbayan boxes at the Bureau of Customs, and overtaxing OFWs. (GMA News)
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