Duterte defiant over 'slaughter' call
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte refused to back down yesterday over his stated desire to slaughter millions of people, as global condemnation built against him likening his crime war with Hitler's efforts to exterminate Jews.
Duterte on Friday drew parallels with the Nazi's mass murder of Jews and his anti-drug crackdown, which has left more than 3,000 people dead and raised concerns about the rule of law crumbling in the chaotic Asian democracy.
Facing a fierce international backlash, Duterte's spokesman released a statement insisting the president did not want to be compared with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler but confirmed he was prepared to kill three million people in his crime war.
"Duterte was referencing to his 'willingness to kill' three million criminal drug dealers - to save the future of the next generation and the country," Abella said.
On Friday Duterte raised the example of Hitler's genocidal campaign against Jews, as he talked about his efforts to extinguish the illegal drug trade in the Philippines.
"There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them," Duterte said.
"At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have," he said, then paused. "But you know, my victims, I would like to be (sic) all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition."
Duterte, 71, won elections in May in a landslide after a campaign dominated by his pledge to eradicate drugs by killing tens of thousands of people.
US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter also described Duterte's comments as "deeply troubling".
The United Nations special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Adama Dieng, warned in a statement that Duterte may be in danger of committing crimes against humanity.
Duterte, 71, has typically reacted with defiance abusive language to his critics, while insisting he is not doing anything illegal.
Duterte has branded Obama a "son of a whore", called UN chief Ban Ki-moon a "fool" and said "fuck you" to the European Union while raising his middle finger.
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