PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Thursday, Oct. 12, slammed anew the European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) in response to criticisms, not by those organizations, but by another group, the New York-based Human Rights Watch — which had warned of the possibility of the Philippines being removed from the UN Human Rights Council.

But this week, parliamentarians belonging to the Progressive Alliance and the Party of European Socialists have added their voice to concerns the Philippines could lose its preferential trade deal with the EU if it failed to resolve extrajudicial killings in the country.

“My God. Do it now, stupid. Do it,” Mr. Duterte said, in the course of a long rant on Thursday afternoon during the launching of a press-briefing room at the New Executive Building.

“You want to expel us? You try. Your $1,000 will earn P1 million from me if you can expel us from the UN. Bakit papayag kaya ang Russia pati China?” (Do you think Russia and China will allow it?) he said, adding that Philippines may not be easily removed from the UN as other countries in the Association in Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will not agree to the possible expulsion.

Mr. Duterte also threatened to have European ambassadors leave the country within 24 hours.

“The ambassadors of those countries listening now. Tell me, because we can have the diplomatic channel cut tomorrow. You leave my country in 24 hours. All, all of you,” he said.

“We are past the colonization stage….Don’t f*** with us. We ASEAN members can export to each other. We can also have tariff free. Do not come to this country again. We do not need you,” he added.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella, for his part, said the parliamentarians’ “irresponsible statements protesting the alleged killings under the Duterte administration demean our status as a sovereign nation.”

“The call of the President for EU ambassadors to leave the country in 24 hours must be taken in this light. For so long has our President tolerated these undue interferences in our domestic affairs, and he has decided that these must stop if only to preserve the integrity and dignity of our State as a sovereign nation,” he added.

Mr. Duterte also resumed his criticism of the United States, saying: “Basta ako, sabihin ko sa Pilipino, ‚ÄòPag namatay ako, America na ’yan. CIA na ‚Äòyan.” (I’ll say in Filipino, if I die, that’s America, that’s the CIA (’s job).” — Rosemarie A. Zamora

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