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| Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte |
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has compared his anti-drug campaign to the Holocaust, saying he would kill as many addicts as Hitler did Jews.
"Hitler massacred three million Jews... there's three million drug addicts. I'd be happy to slaughter them," he said.
At least six million Jews as well as other minorities are known to have been killed by the Nazis.
Mr Duterte has overseen a bloody crackdown on drug users and dealers since taking office in June.
Official figures say more than 3,000 people have been killed in police operations or by vigilantes.
The bodies of those killed are often left out in public, with signs listing the crimes they were accused of.
The president has openly said he would "kill 100,000 criminals" to reduce crime in the Philippines.
'Disgusting rhetoric'
Mr Duterte was speaking in Davao, the city where as mayor he implemented a tough anti-crime policy and was accused of sanctioning death squads to kill criminals.
He told reporters he had been "portrayed to be some cousin of Hitler" as he lashed out critics who he said were accusing him of genocide.
"Hitler massacred three million Jews, now, there is three million drug addicts. I'd be happy to slaughter them," he said.
The most recent figures in the Philippines - released earlier in the week - suggests the number of drug users in the country is closer to 1.8 million, just 1.8% of the overall population, according to local news website Rappler.
Mr Duterte's rambling speech continued: "At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have..." - at which point he is reported to have pointed to himself.
His comments were criticised as "outrageous" by Jewish groups, Reuters reports.
"Duterte owes the [Holocaust] victims an apology for his disgusting rhetoric," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the US-based Simon Wiesenthal Center.
The US-based Jewish group the Anti-Defamation League said the comments were "inappropriate and deeply offensive".
"It is baffling why any leader would want to model himself after such a monster," said communications director Todd Gutnick.
Mr Duterte also used the speech to once again accuse the West of hypocrisy over their criticism of his brutal crackdown.
"You US, EU. You can call me anything. But I was never into... hypocrisy like you," he said.
"There are migrants escaping from the Middle East. You allow them to rot and then you're worried about the death of about 1,000, 2,000, 3,000?"
Source: BBC News, September 30, 2016
Duterte decries Hitler comparison
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at his critics who had been comparing him to Germany's Adolf Hitler.
The president called out the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and the United States (US) anew for criticizing his anti-drugs campaign in the country.
"Kaya kung ikaw nandito bakit hindi ka magmumura? (So if you are here, why wouldn't you curse?) You're portrayed or pictured to be some cousin of Hitler and yet do not even bother to find out, to investigate," Duterte said in his speech after arriving from Vietnam early Friday.
The president noted that Hitler killed three million Jews but said he is also willing to take down three million drug users to solve the drug issue in the Philippines.
"Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now, there are three million drug addicts. I'd be happy to slaughter them" Duterte said.
"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," the president added.
Duterte stressed that not a single case was filed against him when the Commission on Human Rights was looking into his alleged links with the Davao Death Squad during his term as mayor.
The international community has been criticizing Duterte's drug war due to the spate of extrajudicial and vigilante killings of drug suspects.
"Okay lang sa akin, sanay ako sa pulitika. Lahat ng kababuyan dumating na sa aking buhay. Pero itong mga ganito... look kayong US, EU you can call me anything but I was never into or I am never into hypocrisy like you," Duterte said.
The chief executive argued that both the EU and the US have closed its doors to migrants from the Middle East.
"There are migrants escaping from the Middle East. You allow them to rot and then you're worried about the deaths of about one thousand, or two thousand, or three thousand," the president said.
Duterte earlier said that he is willing to face investigation by the UN, the US and the EU over the killings of drug suspects as long as they follow Philippine laws.
Source: philstar.com, September 30, 2016
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