MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte praised United States President Donald Trump’s desire to execute drug dealers to address America’s opioid crisis.
“Was it yesterday or the other day? Tignan mo ‘yung front page ng either Bulletin or ‘yung Philippine Star. 'Trump, he would like to follow Duterte because they have no problem in the Philippines, he just killed them,’” Duterte said Thursday during the National Special Weapon and Tactics Challenge.
The firebrand leader said that Trump was absolutely right.
“Tama ka talaga, Trump. P***** i**. Bilib ako sa’yo. Nagsasabi ka ng totoo,” Duterte said.
He added that he prefers drug personalities who resist arrest.
“Bakit? Kung lumaban ka hindi kita patayin? Ay naku. Eh ‘yun nga ang gusto ko eh. Mas gusto kong lumaban ka,” Duterte said.
READ: Trump says ‘Filipinos don’t have drug problem because they kill dealers’ — report
An Axios report, citing five sources who have spoken to Trump about the topic, said that the US leader lauds Singapore’s mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking offenses.
The US news outlet also reported that Trump seems to admire the drug policies of China and the Philippines.
“He (Trump) often jokes about killing drug dealers... He’ll say, ‘You know the Chinese and Filipinos don’t have drug problem. They just kill them,’” a senior administration official told Axios.
In an opioid summit at the White House Thursday, Trump said that the United States has “to be very strong on penalties,” citing countries that have much stricter punishments for drug dealers.
Trump had earlier congratulated Duterte for his administration’s crackdown against illegal drugs.
“Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that,” Trump told Duterte.
Individuals and organizations both at home and abroad have criticized Duterte for his ferocious war on drugs which has claimed over 12,000 lives, according to human rights watchdogs.
The government, however, dispute these numbers and counts a little over 4,000 “drug personalities” killed in police operations.
READ: White House, Palace issue contrasting accounts of Duterte-Trump talks