Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has told President Barack Obama to “go to hell” over America’s condemnation for his crackdown on drug dealers.
He said: ‘Instead of helping us, the first to criticize is this State Department, so you can go to hell, Mr Obama, you can go to hell.’
‘Eventually I might, in my time, I will break up with America,’ he said without elaborating. ‘I would rather go to Russia and to China.’
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said yesterday; ‘This is an alliance that is robust and that benefits both of our countries. Even as we protect this strong alliance, the administration and the United States of America will not hesitate to raise our concerns about extra-judicial killings,’ he said.
‘We remain deeply concerned by reports of widespread extrajudicial killings by or at the behest of government authorities in the Philippines. The use of that kind of tactic is entirely inconsistent with universal human rights and the shared values of our two countries.’
The leader has been sensitive over criticism of his recent crackdown, which has left more than an estimated 3,000 suspected drug dealers dead in three months.
