Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte has told Barack Obama “you can go to hell” in his strongest tirade so far against the US over its criticism of his deadly anti-drug campaign, adding that he may eventually decide to “break up with America”. He also lashed out anew at the European Union, saying the bloc, which has also criticized his brutal crackdown, “better choose purgatory, hell is filled up”. He also described Washington as an unreliable ally, saying Filipino forces had not benefited from joint combat exercises with US troops. “Instead of helping us, the first to criticize is this state department, so you can go to hell, Mr Obama, you can go to hell,” Duterte said. The US has expressed concern over the killings and urged Duterte’s government to ensure law enforcement efforts comply with human rights obligations.

Source: The Guardian October 04, 2016 20:37 UTC