10 quotes: Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte in his own words

Hardline leader takes aim at range of public figures and others since coming to power


Since he came to power on June 30th, Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly shocked the world with a series of outrageous quotes. The following are 10 of the most notable.

 Speaking of ongoing war on drugs which has seen thousands of extrajudicial killings:

“Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts … I’d be happy to slaughter them.”

On the rape/murder of 36-year-old Australian missionary Jacqueline Hammill after a prison assault in Davao City in 1989:

“When the body was taken out, it was already wrapped. I looked at her face. I said, ‘F**k, she looks like an – like an American actress, a beautiful one … I said: ‘F**k, what a waste’. What went through my head was that they raped her. That everyone had lined up to rape her. I got angry. That she was raped? Yes, that too. But it was that she was so beautiful – the mayor should have been first. What a waste.”

On five-hour traffic delay in already traffic-thronged Manila during a visit by Pope Francis:

“Pope, you son of a bitch, go home. Don’t visit here any more.”

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After his daughter Sara said she had been raped, Duterte described her as a drama queen:

“She can’t be raped – she carries a gun.”

After EU criticises extrajudicial killings of thousands suspected of involvement in the drugs trade, Duterte raises his middle finger in an insulting gesture - and repeats the message the following day:

“Even the EU is scolding me … When I was mayor, that was OK, but it is different now because I am the president. Why would you insult me? It is as if I am your subordinate … F**k you.”

Message to US president Barack Obama after the US criticised his administration’s human rights record:

“Son of a whore, I’ll curse you at that forum. Don’t do anything like that to me.”

Remarks addressed to drug lords during election campaign:

"Forget the laws on human rights. If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because I'd kill you. I'll dump all of you into Manila Bay, and fatten all the fish there."

When compared to US presidential candidate Donald Trump:

“He is a bigot and I am not.”

Speaking after a meeting with US ambassador Philip Goldberg:

“We were talking to [US Secretary of State John] Kerry. He’s okay but I had an argument with their ambassador, that homosexual. Son of bitch, he really annoys me.”

On territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea:

"I will ride a jet ski [to the Spratlys] while bringing the Philippine flag. I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, 'Kill me.'"