MANILA, Philippines - After telling US President Barack Obama to listen to him on the Philippines’ drug problem, President Duterte reminded his American counterpart that he also has some mess to clean up in his backyard.
Duterte said African Americans are being killed by police in the US while Washington is criticizing his war on drugs.
“They are threatening me because Obama wants to talk to me. Then? He will talk to me. What’s your problem? In your place, black people are being shot even if they are already lying down,” the President told a gathering of the Jesus Anointed One Church in Davao City late Wednesday.
Duterte also claimed the US has a “crazy community” as almost all people in Hollywood are using cocaine.
He also claimed that Obama, just like his critic Sen. Leila de Lima, keeps on raising the issue of human rights even if the Philippines is facing a serious drug problem.
“My number one critic keeps on yakking about human rights. Even Obama does. But we just learned that she has a series,” the President said, referring to De Lima’s alleged illicit affair with her former driver Ronnie Dayan.
Duterte claimed Dayan is De Lima’s link to drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.
He also claimed Dayan had collected money from drug personalities to fund De Lima’s senatorial campaign. De Lima has denied the allegations.
Duterte and Obama are set to meet on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Laos on Sept. 6.
The US leader is expected to raise the human rights issue during the bilateral meeting.
Duterte has said he is ready to talk to Obama about any topic but maintained the US leader should first understand the drug situation in the Philippines before they can tackle the issue of human rights.
“He (Obama) can raise any topic at all. I am ready to talk to him,” Duterte said in a press conference Wednesday.
“They must understand the problem first before we talk about human rights,” he added.
The US has expressed “deep concern” over the Philippine government’s anti-drug campaign that has seen over 2,000 people killed so far.