Duterte ready for death penalty in PH than facing international trial
President Rodrigo Duterte said he would rather face death penalty in the Philippines than undergo international trial.
This was after the adoption by the United Nations Human Rights Council of the Iceland-initiated resolution calling for the investigation on the deadly Philippine war on drugs.
"Look, as I have told you before, ladies and gentlemen of the world, including...and all the governments there, I will only face a - be tried or face a trial in a Philippine court presided by a Philippine - Filipino judge, prosecuted by a Filipino," he said early Wednesday in a television interview by his friend evangelist Apollo Quiboloy.
He said Congress can even reimpose the death penalty, which could be meted out to him.
"And may be they can reimpose death penalty, then die in Filipino hands," he said.
"I will not answer a Caucasian asking question, or white man there. You must be stupid. Who are you? I am a Filipino, we have our courts here. Why would you have to bring me somewhere else. I would not like that. I have my country," Duterte added.
He said that justice is working in the Philippines.
Eighteen countries, including Iceland, out of the 47-member UNHRC have voted for the resolution against the Philippines during the recent UN body's 41st session in Geneva.
Duterte has said he was seriously considering to cut ties with Iceland.
However, he also raised concern that if the Philippines would do it, some 2,000 Filipinos in the Nordic country could be affected.
"I learned that there are 2,000 workers in Iceland. I have not seen any rice - ice-eating white man here around. So as I said, I am seriously considering because it might affect the relations between our citizens and the host country," Duterte said.
"They might not like the way we behave towards them, and so it would prompt them to take measures. I hope they do not have to do it because I will not also take it sitting down," he said.
Duterte admitted that Iceland's move against the Philippines surprised him.
"It's always been a country complianing about extrajudicial killing. And for a country who does not have a night - it's always like four o'clock in the afternoon all day long, they don't have problem...As far as their streets, it's safe because they don't have full night of darkness," he said.
But Duterte added, "Wait until the drug menace reaches their shores. And that would be the time that I will answer it (the question if the Philippines would cut diplomatic ties with Iceland)."
The government said that there were only over 6,000 deaths in its anti-drug operations since July 2016 compared to 27,000 figures being claimed by some groups critical of the administration. Celerina Monte/DMS
