The president of the Philippines has likened himself to Adolf Hitler and said he wants to kill three million people.President Rodrigo Duterte was delivering a rather rambling speech in Davao City, shortly after returning from a visit to Vietnam.
‘Hitler massacred three million Jews,’ Duterte said. ‘Now there is three million, what is it, three million drug addicts there are.I’d be happy to slaughter them.’He continued: ‘If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have…’ before pausing and pointing to himself.You know my victims. I would like [them] to be all criminals, to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition’.
Earlier this month the US and EU expressed serious concerns about the lack of due process in the killings of suspected drug pushers in the country, saying they were extra-judicial in nature.Duterte had responded by giving his critics the finger.
Referencing this in his speech, he said: ‘If you’re in my position, why would you not curse?‘You US, EU, you can call me anything, but I was never into or I am never into hypocrisy like you.’
More than 3,100 people, mostly drug users and peddlers, have been killed in police operations and vigilante killings since Duterte took office on June 30.