Duterte: Never mind my mouth

MANILA, Philippines — Despite calls for him to act like a statesman, President Rodrigo Duterte continued to lambast his critics Tuesday as he vowed to continue to talk tough on illegal drugs and criminality.

 

Duterte, who has been advised by his allies to talk less and to focus on his job, justified his no-nonsense style and gutter language, saying he does not belong in the “big league.”

 

“I don’t want to demean myself. Ang ugali ko talaga pang mayor lang (I can only act like a mayor). I’m not ready for the big league,” the president told local executives in Makati.

 

“Never mind my mouth. I never aspired to be a statesman,” he added.

 

Duterte said he would continue to talk about the drug menace until the last drug pusher is taken off the street.

 

“They said I should stop making noise. No, I cannot stop. I’ll lose momentum. I cannot afford it. I’m now the president. The momentum has to be there,” the chief executive said.

 

“That got me into trouble. But whose s**t was it? Was it mine? This is my country. There is no law which says I cannot threaten criminals either as a mayor or president. If anyone disagrees, give me the provision or law,” he added.

 

Last week, Duterte caused an outrage after he issued a statement about German leader Adolf Hitler, who killed millions of Jews during World War II. According to him, he would be "happy" to kill 3,000 drug addicts and criminals, a comment that critics viewed as a comparison of the anti-drug war to the Holocaust.

 

Duterte has apologized for the remark, saying he did not intend to derogate the memory of the Holocaust victims. Some lawmakers have advised Duterte to be more careful with his statements, noting that his frankness has stirred controversies and have elicited negative reactions here and abroad.

 

Sen. Richard Gordon, the chairman of the Senate Justice committee, said Duterte is “falling on his own sword” and believes the president should refrain from threatening to kill criminals.

 

Businessmen defended Duterte’s style, however, saying he was just expressing his sentiments.

 

“The two letter ‘h’ that comes to mind: he’s humble and he’s honest,” Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon said.  

 

Employers Confederation of the Philipines president Donald Dee also defended Duterte from those who are critical of his narcotics crackdown.

 

“I tell you all these noises by foreigners are just noises. They do not understand what is happening here,” he added.

Duterte proved anew Tuesday that he can talk about anything under the sun as he joked about his sex life, or the lack thereof, during a freewheeling speech in Makati.

 

Duterte lamented that he is often alone as he performs his demanding job.

 

“I do not have a companion. If I court someone, will they reciprocate my feelings? Nobody will, I’m old. I’m 71,” he said in a forum of local officials in Makati.

 

“They are only after my money. Would they still want my body? What would my body give to her?” he added.

 

Duterte also joked that one’s sexual appetite is diminished once one gets old.

 

“The problem is once you have positioned yourself, you no longer have the bullet train of Japan. People of our age only have the western train of the cowboys. Tsug tsug tsug,” he said.

 

“This is the only train in the world than can go backwards. Once you restart, it does not work anymore.”

 

Duterte is known for his long speeches and not even his aides are brave enough to ask him to stop. However, one occasion nudged him to stop during a visit to a Jewish synagogue also in Makati.

 

“It’s the birthday of my wife tonight and I promised her a dinner,” he said.