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To believe, or not to believe, President Duterte?

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/nation/9/6/duterte-090616.jpg"/></figure></div><p>MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte frequently makes controversial comments that he or his aides later seek to clarify or quash completely. </p><p>Here are some of Duterte&#x27;s remarks and subsequent clarifications that often leave journalists and the public unclear on his actual position:</p><div><strong>JOURNALISTS AT FAULT</strong></div><div><em>The quote:</em></div><p>Just before taking office, Duterte said in June that journalists could be murdered <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/05/31/16/duterte-journalists-are-killed-for-being-corrupt">if they were corrupt</a>.</p><p>&quot;Just because you&#x27;re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you&#x27;re a son of a bitch.&quot;</p><div><em>The explanation:</em></div><p>After UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern at the comments, Duterte&#x27;s then spokesman, <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/06/07/16/duterte-condemns-all-killings-of-journalists-panelo">Salvador Panelo</a>, released a statement blaming the controversy on &quot;incorrect news reports&quot;.</p><p>&quot;The president-elect has not endorsed -- cannot -- and will never endorse extrajudicial killings, they being contrary to law.&quot;</p><p>&quot;He does not condone the killing of journalists nor any citizen for that matter, regardless of its purpose.&quot;</p><div><strong>DEATH THREAT</strong></div><div><em>The quote:</em></div><p>Duterte threatened in November to <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/30/16/duterte-threat-to-kill-rights-defenders-alarms-groups">kill human rights activists</a> because of their criticism of his crime crackdown that has seen police and vigilantes kill thousands of people:</p><p>&quot;Human rights (defenders) say that I kill. I said: &#x27;Okay, let us stop and let them (criminals) multiply. So when harvest time comes, here will be more who will die.&#x27; I will include you in that because you let them multiply.&quot;</p><div><em>The explanation:</em></div><p>Presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said human rights activists should not fear being killed.</p><p>&quot;The president did not mean he would do that. It was just <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/30/16/duterte-frustrated-did-not-threaten-to-kill-rights-advocates-palace">frustration</a> he expressed through language. You know that is how the president talks.&quot;</p><div><strong>SPLIT FROM US</strong></div><div><em>The quote:</em></div><p>In an October address to Chinese businessmen in Beijing, Duterte signalled his intent to end the Philippines&#x27; decades-long alliance with the United States in favour of closer ties with China and Russia:</p><p>&quot;In this venue, I announce my <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/20/16/while-in-china-duterte-announces-separation-from-us">separation from the United States</a>.&quot;</p><p>&quot;America has lost. I&#x27;ve realigned myself in your (Chinese) ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to (President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. It&#x27;s the only way.&quot;</p><div><em>The explanation:</em></div><p>After Duterte said upon returning from China he would not sever US ties, spokesman Ernesto Abella urged journalists not to take the president literally:</p><p>&quot;Let us not be too literal. You’ve seen the way he speaks, so in other words watch and understand the context of what he says, okay?&quot;</p><p>&quot;Maybe the most important thing here is to understand the words &#x27;cut ties.&#x27; He said it&#x27;s a possibility that he could, that he might... so let&#x27;s try to use our <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/05/16/abella-to-media-use-creative-imagination-when-decoding-duterte">creative imagination</a>, okay.&quot;</p><div><strong>LEAVING THE UN</strong></div><div><em>The quote:</em></div><p>In August, Duterte said the Philippines may <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/21/16/duterte-threatens-to-quit-un-after-drugs-war-censure">withdraw from the United Nations</a> in response to UN criticism of his war on crime. </p><p>&quot;Maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that disrespectful, son of a whore, then I will just leave you.&quot;</p><div><em>The explanation:</em></div><p>Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay quickly insisted the Philippines <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/22/16/ph-remains-committed-to-the-united-nations-yasay">would remain with the United Nations</a>:</p><p>&quot;The president was tired, disappointed, hungry when he made the statement. We must give him leeway. He is also human.&quot;</p><p>Later, when reporters asked him about the issue, Duterte replied: &quot;Can&#x27;t you take a joke?&quot;</p><div><strong>RESPECTFUL</strong></div><div><em>The quote:</em></div><p>Just before departing for a September summit in Laos that was meant to include a bilateral meeting with Barack Obama, Duterte used foul language in a warning to the US president against criticizing the crime war.</p><p>&quot;You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/05/16/duterte-calls-obama-a-son-of-a-w">Son of a whore</a>, I will curse you in that forum.&quot;</p><div><em>The explanation:</em></div><p>Duterte quickly released a statement <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/06/16/duterte-regrets-comments-vs-obama-hopes-to-resolve-spat">expressing regret</a>, after Obama cancelled their planned meeting:</p><p>&quot;While the immediate cause was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the US president.&quot;</p><p>But, once out of Laos, Duterte said he had never insulted Obama. </p><p>&quot;I never made that statement. You can check it out.&quot;</p><div><strong>CHAT WITH GOD</strong></div><div><em>The quote:</em></div><p>Duterte said in October he <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/28/16/duterte-promises-to-stop-cussing-after-god-talked-to-him">spoke with God</a>, who ordered him to stop swearing:</p><p>&quot;A voice said that you know: &#x27;If you don&#x27;t stop epithets, I will bring this plane down now.&#x27; And I said: &#x27;Who is this?&#x27; So, of course it&#x27;s God. Okay. So I promised God not to express slang, cuss words and everything.&quot;</p><div><em>The explanation:</em></div><p>After the comments were widely reported in the Philippines and overseas, Duterte said <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/04/16/duterte-says-talk-with-god-just-a-joke">he was only joking</a> and ridiculed journalists for believing him:</p><p>&quot;Those idiots fell for it. I may not be a (law) bar topnotcher but I am not that stupid.&quot;</p><div><strong>© 1994-2016 Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte frequently makes controversial comments that he or his aides later seek to clarify or quash completely.</p>

MANILA - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte frequently makes controversial comments that he or his aides later seek to clarify or quash completely.