(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday lashed out in public for the first time at two media organizations he described as “rude,” “vicious and virulent,” and as “trash,” while reiterating his frustration over other entities such as the European Union, the United States, and priests.
“Wag kayong magbasa ng newspaper. Marami ang ano dyan, virulent...ABS(CBN), Inquirer. Natalo kandidato nila, they become really vicious and virulent,” Duterte said in a speech during the oath-taking of newly appointed government officials and of the Philippine Councilors’ League in Malacanang.
That statement drew laughs from the crowd.
“Talagang tinitwist nila. Slant na slant. Sinasadya nila. They do not complete the sentence and they just zero in on the adjective kung ano nagdescribe (sa) situation. Ganun yan,” Duterte added.
Duterte referred to an Inquirer story which he said was “slanted.”
He did not say which story this was, but in the story, he said it was the Inquirer that said that he had the poor killed.
Duterte could be referring to the article titled “Duterte to poor: ‘If you die, I’m sorry'” that came out on March 26.
“Tignan mo ang Inquirer…Sila may sabi..na pinapatay ko raw ang mahihirap….Basura talaga yan. Pati (noong) eleksyon. The poor will be killed. Tignan (mo kung paano) magslant,” he said.
“But someday, di ko (sila) tinatakot, someday yung karma nila talagang..sabihin ko sa iyo.. Pati ABSCBN,” he said, hurling expletives here and there at both media organizations.
Duterte added that Inquirer and ABSCBN had “gone too far” when they hurled “trash” against him.
“Nandyan ako sa government ngayon, and you can request any(one) there sa Central Bank, tell them to get a statement. Bakit ako magbigay sa kalaban ko? If there are really 200 million (pesos) sa account ko, I will resign tomorrow. Yan ang hamon ko sa lahat. And if my children would get involved in corruption, I will gladly step down. Yan ang totoo mga Inquirer…Pati ABSCBN. Basura yang inano ninyo..Dapat may magsabi sa inyo ngayon… Sinobrahan ninyo ang kalokohan ninyo. Dapat talaga...Baka takot (ang iba na) atakehin (sila),” Duterte said.
The President also lashed out at the owners of the two media organizations, the Prieto and Lopez families respectively, saying, “Araw araw pag makita (ko) may-ari, sabihin kita sa mukha (mo)… bastos ka.”
“Kaya mga Prieto, mga Lopez..magbabuyan tayo dito. Babuyan tayo araw araw. Mga lolo niyo di namatay? Ang lamang lang ninyo mayaman kayo….Mga bastos din kayo sa totoo lang, sa ginagawa ninyo..Gawa ako ng programa araw araw sa PTV 4, bastusin ko rin kayo. Ganun nalang…Para tabla tabla tayo,” he said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
“Inquirer you’ve never been fair. I know that it’s supposed to be antagonistic..but…bastos kayo. Pati ABSCBN. Bastos talaga. Kasi alam nila...Pag eleksyon na pera pera na yan. Sino makabayad ng pera, ipublish nila. Kaya itong mga yan. Akala mo mga honest ito, respected members of society..Mukhang pera yang mga..yan…Kasi may-ari ng newspaper..baka atakihin ka. Well, let us see,” he added.
EU “hypocrite, inutile”
Duterte also lashed out at the European Union, which he called a “hypocrite,” and “inutile.”
The President also rejected outright the bloc’s supposed proposal to set up centers where drugs will be given for free to those who want them.
“Pag ganun salita ko, although it’s not expressed in terms of gutter language or straight slang, the proposal itself …it’s despicable actually,” he said.
“And you know, we must also realize that itong mga EU, do not (look up to them so much). For after all, you’re (the EU) ahead of the industrialization age. Why? Because you conquered lands, you got the oil of the Arabs to feed your industries way ahead than ours. Dito sa Far East you conquered Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, got the best of our lands, lived off with the fat of our lands, and you think now that..you should be listened to. And you come up with this morality. Do not impose your whatever it is, your values and everything, because we hate you for being a hypocrite,” he added.
US invasions
The President did not spare the US from his verbal tirades.
He noted that the US had threatened him with prosecution before the International Criminal Court over the deaths in his anti-drug war.
He found out later, he said, that the US was not a member of the court.
“Because if they were a signatory, the Bush, the son, pati tatay would go to jail,” he said, referring to the former US presidents.
Duterte also noted the invasions made by the US in several countries, such as Panama, Iraq, Libya and Syria.
“Remember they invaded a country just because of drugs…A sovereign country, invaded by the US. Panama, because sabi nila si (then-Panama leader Manuel) Noriega was pumping so many tons of drugs..Then they waged war against the Middle East. Wala namang kasalanan ang mga Muslim dun. Pati strongman. They did not like Saddam (Hussein). Then they came up with a pretext there were weapons of mass destruction only to find none,” he said.
“Then they started to erode, pati Libya, Syria and all. Saan yan sila (US) pumasok, sira ang mundo,” he said, recalling his harsh words against then-US President Barack Obama when he criticized Duterte “in public” even when he was “already carrying the sovereignty of the nation” as president.
Duterte also lashed out at the priests, saying: “Mga pari numero uno rin yan. Sige kolekta, sige kolekta. May second collection pa.”
“That’s what ails Philippine society. It’s corrupt media, mukha ng mukha ni Prieto, pati Lopez, at yang simbahan. The oligarchs of this country,” he said.
“I want to be as decent as I can ever be. I want to be…socially correct…pero minsan kasi ang ating society has to know the truth. Kung ano ang laro nating lahat,” he added.