Pubdate: Fri, 10 Jun 2016
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073

UN CHIEF SLAMS DUTERTE

Ban Condemns Digong's 'Endorsement of Extrajudicial Killings'

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has strongly 
condemned incoming Philippine President Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte's 
apparent support of extrajudicial killings, voicing particular 
concern over his comments seen as justifying murdering journalists.

"I unequivocally condemn his apparent endorsement of extrajudicial 
killings, which is illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and 
freedoms," Ban said in a statement posted on the UN website.

"Such comments are of particular concern in light of on-going 
impunity for serious cases of violence against journalists in the 
Philippines," the statement quoted Ban as telling UN correspondents 
at a New York reception on Wednesday.

Last week, Duterte launched a profanity-laced tirade against the 
United Nations.

"Fuck you UN, you can't even solve the Middle East carnage... 
couldn't even lift a finger in Africa... shut up all of you," he said.

He made the comments as he expressed irritation at criticism voiced 
by foreign and local media groups over his remarks about killing journalists.

On Wednesday, Duterte also told off two UN rapporteurs who had called 
him out on his statements about the media killings.

"It seems to me you are adept at fumigation, sometimes aka (also 
known as) foul or idiocy," he said, referring to UN officials Cristof 
Heyns and David Kaye.

"Go home and get some sleep. You are overworked and sound beat," he said.

Ban's comments were the most critical from any world leader about 
Duterte since he won the election.

Duterte will be sworn into office on June 30.

Ban promised to "continue to defend the rights of journalists and to 
do everything possible, publicly and privately, to ensure that 
journalists have the freedom to work."

"I am pleased to say that our efforts behind the scenes to free 
detained journalists have had some success, although we cannot speak 
publicly about specific cases," he said.

Law-and-order platform

Duterte won last month's elections by a landslide largely due to an 
explosive law-and-order platform in which he pledged to end crime 
within six months by killing tens of thousands of suspected criminals.

He has since offered large bounties to security forces as well as the 
general public to kill drug traffickers.

"If they are there in your neighborhood, feel free to call us, the 
police or do it yourself if you have [a] gun. You have my support," 
he told a weekend rally in his hometown, Davao City.

Duterte also told reporters last week that journalists who took 
bribes or engaged in other corrupt activities deserved to die.

"Even if you're a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, 
if you're a son of a bitch," he added.

Duterte raised the case of Jun Pala, a journalist and politician 
whose 2003 murder, like scores of other cases, has never been solved.

"I do not want to diminish his memory but he was a rotten son of a 
bitch. He deserved it," Duterte added.

He never said it?

Duterte's spokesperson Salvador Panelo told AFP earlier this week the 
President-elect never said killing reporters was justified.

"What he said is there were instances where journalists were killed 
because of corruption.... He recognizes the fact that there are many 
instances where journalists are killed because of their advocacies," 
Panelo added.

Duterte on Saturday also lambasted a local journalist, accusing him 
of "impertinence" when he questioned him about his health, asking to 
see his medical certificate.

"The son of a bitch.... What if I asked him, 'How's the vagina of 
your wife? Is it smelly or not smelly?'" Duterte said.

The journalist, who was named by Duterte, later said the question had 
been asked by another reporter.

- -AFP
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom