SUAL- Pangasinan was witness to President Rodrigo Duterte’s renewed tirades against the United States when he arrived on Nov, 2 to send off the 17 Vietnamese fishermen accused of poaching in Philippine waters, detained for a few months and eventually released.

After expressing his elation briefly over the send-off ceremony, he began a monologue lambasting the US government for its critical statements over his war on drugs, cussing at some points, fired up this time by the refusal of the Americans to sell 26,000  assault rifles to the government over alleged human rights violations in this country.

“The reason I am angry at certain jurisdiction (referring to the U.S), is because they do not understand the real problem. What they are instead doing is looking at the negative side and not the positive side,” President Duterte told the audience.

He reiterated his clarification about the war on drugs he declared, citing the four million drug addicts in the country who he said are all potential drug pushers and criminals.

“To us, this is a very serious problem that must be attended to immediately,” Mr. Duterte said, pointing out that it is a situation that both the U.S. and the European Union fail to accept and understand.

He highlighted the following in his tirade:

1. Most of the four million drug addicts belong to the poorest sector of the society who have to steal, stage a hold up and kill just to produce money in order to sustain their illegal habit, and worst things happen when they become drug-crazed.
2. Among the 3,000 people reported dead were killed because of encounters with law enforcement agencies and the government is losing 2 to 3 policemen and soldiers every day.
3. Some 4,000 government officials and policemen involved in the illegal drug trade need to be stopped.

“Believe me, if I do not interdict now, I will have compromised the next generations, the future of your children and their children’s children.” he told the crowd of some 2,000 people, among them government officials and employees.

Then he cited China’s help in building a huge drug rehabilitation center at Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija capable of accommodating around 10,000 drug dependents at one time.

Mr. Duterte belittled the refusal of the U.S. to sell 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, pointing out that he is not worried at all because he can buy these instead in Russia and China that offered to sell anything they have to the Philippines.

He said he places importance on the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) because of his belief that the neighboring countries are the ones that must protect each other and their own interests.

At the same time, Duterte identified terrorism as the next serious problem in the Philippines after illegal drugs and rallied the Filipinos to help the government prevent the disastrous scenario.

Pangasinenses noted that the President broke his earlier promise not to cuss but obviously the reported refusal of the US government to sell assault rifles provoked him to anger and the tirade that followed.

Among the local officials present at the event were: Governor Amado Espino III, Vice Gov. Jose Ferdinand Calimlim, Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue, 1^st District Rep. Jesus Celeste, 2^nd District Leopoldo Bataoil, andothers. (Leonardo Micua)

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