THE New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) slammed President Duterte over his comparing himself to Adolf Hitler, whom the President claimed murdered 3 million Jews during World War II.
Before that, Hitler suppressed Communists, Socialists and Protestants before turning his heavy guns on the Jews.
HRW’s tirade followed criticisms lodged by Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago of Kabataan, who said on Friday “this may well be one of the President’s many hyperbolic remarks. But we cannot just let this pass without batting an eyelash. Threatening to massacre 3 million Filipinos—all of whom the President claims to be drug criminals—is a serious matter. Mr. President, comparing yourself with Hitler is troubling, to say the least. You are talking about committing genocide.”
“We again appeal to the good sense of the President to always abide by the rule of law and respect human rights, especially in the ongoing war on drugs. When it comes to your independent foreign-policy direction, we can lend you unequivocal support,” she said.
However, Elago noted, such support would evaporate once Duterte considers himself the reincarnation of Hitler, who was baptized as a Roman Catholic, but ended up as the architect of the final solution to the Jewish problem—extermination.
For his part, HRW Asia Deputy Director Phelim Kine said on Saturday that Mr. Duterte’s comments referencing Hitler and the Holocaust are on their face obscene.
“But the lesson of the first three months of Duterte’s presidency is that we should not underestimate the impact of his statements on [the] police and others with firearms to lawlessly slaughter their fellow Filipinos without fear of arrest,” Kine said.
Kine has earned the goat of President Duterte many years ago for issuing a report about the Davao Death Squad and the death squads in Tagum City and other places in Southern Mindanao.
“Police officers and unidentified gunmen have together killed more than 2,000 people since July 1, 2016, a human-rights calamity that the Duterte administration has applauded rather than responded to as a national emergency requiring urgent and impartial investigation. Those killings—and the government’s celebration of them as evidence of a successful war on drugs – are nothing less than mass killings disguised as crime control,” Kine added.
“Mr. Duterte has been consistent in pronouncing that his war on drugs will continue, that the police have effective license-to-kill criminal suspects, and that his administration will turn a blind eye to the shooting of alleged drug users and dealers,” he said.
“Foreign donors, such as the US and the European Union, which provide technical and financial assistance to the Philippine security forces, particularly the National Police, urgently need to send a strong message to the Duterte administration that it risks an immediate suspension of that aid unless the abusive war on drugs and its skyrocketing death toll comes to a halt. More broadly, they should be clear that if President Duterte’s assault on some of the country’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens continue, their long-standing close relationship with the Philippines will be at risk,” Kine also said.
Upon his arrival in Davao City on Friday following an official visit to Vietnam, Mr. Duterte said: “Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now, there are 3 million drug addicts… I’d be happy to slaughter them.”
“At least, if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have… You know, my victims, I would like to be, all criminals, to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition,” Mr. Duterte added.
“Becoming the Philippine führer is not something to aspire for, Mr. President,” Elago said.
3 comments
How do you deal with a madman?
You don’t.
When a leader speak of change,either it would be drastic or slow, people expect the better ones and hopeful. Absolutely, there are no perfect changes as far as eradication of drugs, criminality and corruption are the core issues. In the Philippines, no leader has ever done and very vocal about them except the present PD30. With his campaign promises on the go, mouth-fouled or heartily expressed, its legitimacy is still being questioned by many, foreign and domestic. But very obvious that the 1st 100 days of presidency, changes are very visible; very sad to note that the EJKs and gutter words were the ones being highlighted and catch the eyes of the world. I can not see an angle of comparison of why a president, with an ill-equipped military and police, is being sensationalized and predicted to becoming a fuhrer at present times, not the Martial Law era stereo typed one . . . as he spoke several times that PD30 is against declaring it, not to say he won’t if the Constitution calls for it. Nevertheless, calling him a “madman” is unfair and unprofessional, considering his landslide victory over the election, when after winning, no vote buying protest has ever been raised or usually became the aftermath of this democratic process.