‘Hand in hand with a killer’: British paper describes photo of Duterte, Trump

MANILA, Philippines — The photo of President Rodrigo Duterte and United States President Donald Trump with a caption “hand in hand with a killer” landed on the front page of a British paper.

The Independent published a photo of Duterte and Trump doing the customary handshake of Association of Southeast Asian Nations-related gatherings as its banner photo.

The photo was taken during the first day of the 31^st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings held in the Philippines.

Tomorrow's @independent front page #tomorrowspaperstoday To subscribe to the Daily Edition: https://t.co/XF8VnDpHYF pic.twitter.com/SagNlwCJKX

— The Independent (@Independent) November 13, 2017

Duterte is facing criticisms at home and abroad for the extrajudicial killings associated with his brutal “war on drugs.”

Several rights groups claimed that there are over 12,000 individuals killed in the course of the government’s drug war, a number which high-ranking government officials have disputed.

During his Vietnam visit last week, Duterte claimed he had stabbed someone to death at the age of 16.

But presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque downplayed Duterte’s remarks, saying the tough-talking president was just using “colorful language.”

READ: 'Colorful language': Duterte tells Pinoys in Vietnam he killed at 16

Trump has also been widely criticized for his government’s policies that pose threats to the rights of people both in the US and abroad.

According to a report published by Brown University’s Watson Institute, the United States has spent $4.3 trillion in its wars in Asia and the Middle East from September 2001 to 2017.

Moreover, the Trump administration has already dropped 32,801 bombs in at least seven countries in Asia and the Middle East in 2017 alone.

White House said the topic of human rights was “briefly” discussed during Trump’s first bilateral meeting with Duterte, contradicting the claim of Malacañang that the sensitive issue was not brought up by the two leaders.

In the joint statement of the Philippines and the United States, the two nations underscored that human rights and the dignity of human life are essential.

READ: FULL TEXT: Joint statement of the Philippines and the US