Rody apologizes to Jews

MANILA, Philippines – After reaping international condemnation, President Duterte yesterday issued a “profound” apology to Jews for remarks likening himself to Adolf Hitler.

Duterte’s chief legal counsel also said the President meant the opposite in his remarks and had in fact resented being compared with the Nazi dictator and architect of the Holocaust.

But the President said he was not apologizing to “stupid” critics, whom he cursed and threatened to kick.

“I apologize profoundly and deeply to the Jewish community,” Duterte said during the opening of the MassKara Festival in Bacolod City.

“I would like to make it clear here and now that there was never any intention on my part to derogate the memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Germans,” he added.

The President said while his statement had nothing to do with the Holocaust, he would like to apologize if it left a “bad taste in the mouth.”

“The Jewish community all over the world reacted,” the President said, adding, “It’s not really that I said something wrong, but rather they don’t really want you to tinker with the memory.”

But he had harsh words for his critics.

“With regard to the stupid lawyers in EU (European Union) and (United Nations Commission on) Human Rights, screw you. Sipain ko pa kayo (I’ll even kick you),” the President said.

“They said I love to curse. What would be my defense when you pretend to be a friend of the Philippines? America, and the Human Rights (Council) of the United Nations, when they hit you, you cannot do anything. They hog the international press. Your response will not reach them,” he added.

Despite the outcry over the alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, Duterte maintained that he was determined to pursue his brutal war on drugs.

 “If you destroy my country, if you destroy my children, I will really kill you. That’s for sure,” the tough talking Duterte said.

“What is the (Commission on) Human Rights doing? Who did you kill? I don’t know. It’s just your story. The (Commission on) Human Rights actually started a garbage,” he added, referring to allegations that he was behind the summary executions of suspected drug offenders.

Duterte claimed that all killings were being blamed on him, including those who were hit by cars. “If someone dies without suspects, it’s extrajudicial killings. In Manila, it (the number of deaths) has reached 3,000. I was the one being blamed,” the President said.

“All of these incidents have piled up. I really do not mind,” Duterte said.

Out of context again?

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said Duterte’s remarks that drew widespread condemnation in the Philippines and the international community were taken out of context.

Panelo said Duterte did not want to be compared to Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945 responsible for the killing of about six million Jews, or Joseph Stalin, a dictator in the communist Soviet Union.

“When he made the remark about Hitler, he was in fact reacting against some UN rapporteur (who said) that he is like a Hitler killing people. And he said ‘these people don’t know what genocide is. They want to try me for the crime of genocide. Genocide is committing a crime against humanity – killing innocent people, children. I’m not that,’” Panelo said.

Panelo said some critics suggested haling Duterte to the international court for genocide. “The remark being ascribed to the President is wrong… I was surprised by how the story had been run. Either the reporter came in late or the reporter did not hear the predicate,” he added.

Panelo said there was no need for Duterte to apologize because the reported statement was only a reaction to a previous criticism.

Upon his arrival from Vietnam last week where he had an official visit, Duterte said his critics were portraying him as the cousin of Hitler due to his illegal drug war.

“At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have,” Duterte said, then paused. “But you know, my victims, I would like to be (sic) all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition,” the President said.

“Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there are three million drug addicts… I’d be happy to slaughter them,” he said.

Asked about the condemnation that the statements generated, Panelo said “they reacted that way because they didn’t get the context of how it was said.”

“Hitler massacred a race, the Jews… The President is not,” Panelo said while admitting that Duterte was actively going after criminals as part of his promise to rid the country of drugs and criminality.

“He is angry because he was compared to Hitler and Stalin,” he added.

More than 3,000 deaths have been attributed to Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs. But of the number, police said only more than 1,200 were killed during police operations while the rest were done by vigilantes or drug syndicates.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella earlier said the Hitler statement was an “oblique deflection of the way he has been pictured as a mass murderer, a Hitler.”

Abella added that the Philippines recognized the deep significance of the Jewish experience “especially their tragic and painful history” and that the government “does not wish to diminish the profound loss of six million Jews in the Holocaust.”

Abella also said though that Duterte drew an “oblique conclusion, that while the Holocaust was an attempt to exterminate future generations of Jews, the so-called ‘extrajudicial killings’, wrongly attributed to him, would save the next generation of Filipinos from this problem.” This part of his statement likewise became controversial and was criticized by various sectors.

Senior US officials, a UN rights envoy, the German government and Jewish groups quickly condemned Duterte’s comments.

An Associated Press report also quoted Israel’s foreign ministry as saying it was “unfortunate” that Duterte chose to invoke Hitler and the Holocaust in his bloody anti-crime war.

Its spokesperson, Emmanuel Nahshon, said Saturday Israel was convinced the Philippine president “will find a way to clarify his words.”

The United Nations special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, warned Duterte might be in danger of committing crimes against humanity.

Dieng called on Duterte to “exercise restraint in the use of language that could ‘exacerbate discrimination hostility and violence and encourage the commission of criminal acts which, if widespread or systematic, could amount to crimes against humanity,’” a UN statement said.?Before his Hitler comments, Duterte had faced a barrage of criticism from Western governments and rights groups over the apparent extrajudicial killings.

Get your act together

A member of the opposition in the House of Representatives, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman called on Duterte and members of his Cabinet to get their act together and avoid controversial statements that would earn the ire of the public – be it local or international.

Senators also warned of serious repercussions on the country’s economy and security if the President would not temper his language especially on key national issues and when addressing world leaders and the international community.

Lagman said it would be imperative for the President and his team to hold prior consultations and discussions before making any statements.

“The President must avoid outlandish and provocative statements with detrimental consequences,” Lagman said, adding “the mouth must be the oracle of discreet and studied statements, not ill-conceived and outrageous utterances.”

According to Lagman, there is a principle in law that when the language of the statute is clear, there is no need to construe.

“In the same manner, when the utterance is unmistakable, there is no justification to interpret or mitigate,” Lagman said.

“Duterte’s apologists cannot again incant that the President was quoted out of context,” he said, describing the Hitler remarks – another episode in the President’s colorful language – as “vivid and undeniable” and could not be taken out of context.

“The defenders of Duterte maliciously demeaned media, both local and foreign, by accusing them of misreading the President’s clear statement,” Lagman said, implying that media should not be blamed for such controversial remarks.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, for his part, said the outrage over Duterte’s remarks on Hitler and his bloody campaign against illegal drugs was understandable, especially that these were preceded by his previous controversial statements and cursing of world leaders.

Despite immediate clarifications from Malacañang and Duterte himself, it is hard to “cure” the negative effects caused by foul or insensitive language, the senator said.

He said he pitied Duterte’s Cabinet officials and spokespersons for finding it increasingly difficult to defend him and repair whatever damage was being caused by his foul mouth.

“The President should keep in mind that whenever he speaks, whether it’s before the international, local media or the media from Davao, they all come out as policy statements,” Lacson told dzBB.

“Such language (is) hard to take back, like toothpaste that has come of the tube. You may correct, clarify or even change the meaning but to those who heard them, it’s hard to change it,” he said.

Lacson said it was getting to be “tiring” to interpret Duterte’s speeches and the international community and world leaders could not be expected to always read between the lines whenever he spoke as he was supposed to be issuing clear statements since these would be treated as policy.

The country risks losing trade and investment opportunities if foreign governments and businesses feel the country is unstable because of its leader, Lacson warned.

He cited the business process outsourcing industry as one sector that could suffer decline should multinational BPO operators decide to relocate to other countries with good English-speaking workers.

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara also said sooner or later Duterte would realize his words have a powerful effect and could be taken as policy by many outside the country who do not know him well.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said while most Filipinos were supportive of Duterte’s aggressive campaign against drugs, the drive should be made clear to the world “with respect and diplomacy.”

“I urge the administration to promote a balanced foreign policy which welcomes and respects all nations,” Gatchalian said.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she was saddened by Duterte’s latest controversial remarks, reminding him that Filipinos too suffered under a Hitler-like regime during the reign of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

Hontiveros also took offense on his threat to kill drug dependents, saying the drug problem was not only a criminal but also a public health concern.

Despite being under fire for his remarks, Panelo also expressed confidence that any move to oust Duterte from office would not succeed. - With Delon Porcalla, Paolo Romero