The Philippine government yesterday defended a recent expletive-laden tirade by President Rodrigo Duterte against the European Union, after the bloc summoned the country’s envoy to explain the “unacceptable” remarks.
Duterte had called members of the European Parliament “sons of b******” and threatened to hang them all for urging Philippine authorities to stop legislation to reinstate the death penalty in the country.
“It was in the context of non-interference with national sovereign affairs,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told a press conference when asked how the Philippine envoy explained Duterte’s remarks.
“The president felt that they were impinging, infringing on national sovereignty,” he added. “He (was) emphasising that we should be left alone to be able to do our part.”
The European Union’s external action service, which is equivalent to a foreign ministry, summoned the Philippines’ charge d’affaires in Brussels on Monday to discuss Duterte’s comments. “We wanted to receive an explanation for the recent, unacceptable comments of President Duterte,” EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said in a statement.
On March 23, Duterte warned the EU to stop pressuring the Philippines and other South-East Asian countries about the death penalty.
“You fools, you sons of b******, stop interfering with us,” Duterte said. “No one will tell you, so I will tell you, you are all fools.”
“I will just be happy to hang you. If I have the preference, I’ll hang all of you,” he added.”You are putting us down. You are exerting pressure in every country with the death penalty.”
On March 7, the Philippines’ House of Representatives voted to approve the restoration of the death penalty for drug-related offences in the country, 11 years after the punishment was abolished.
The Senate has to approve a similar bill before the measure can be signed into law by Duterte, who had called for the restoration of the death penalty.
In a separate controversy, an official of the Department of Social Welfare and Development was under fire yesterday for joking that Europeans should just make online child pornography instead of meddling in the Philippines’ domestic issues.
“For those in the EU, just make online child pornography. That’s what you are good at,” Social Welfare Assistant Secretary Lorraine Badoy said in a Facebook post.
The post, which officials described as sarcastic, was made on Sunday and addressed critics of Duterte, citing the president’s popularity in the Philippines despite criticisms from political opponents and the international community.
EU Ambassador to Manila Franz Jessen called for authorities to address the issue of child pornography in “a serious and responsible manner” in reaction to Badoy’s Facebook post.
“The issue of child pornography is extremely serious and a grave crime,” he said.
“It should be addressed in a serious and responsibly manner. The issue of child pornography is extremely serious and a grave crime.”
Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo defended Badoy, saying the official “loves children and cares about their welfare.”
“So, to even imply that she trivialises the issue is unfair and misleading,” she added.
“She is an outspoken critic of social injustice, and we have no doubt as to her stand against child pornography.”
Taguiwalo, however, admitted that public officials like her and Badoy should be careful about what they post on such social media sites to avoid scrutiny, adding, “All of us...will take lessons from this incident.”