Push Admin

Article (news)

LIST: Duterte’s quotable quotes

Raffy Cabristante, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Rodrigo Duterte holds a meeting with key government officials at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on April 26, 2022. Ace Morandante, Presidential Photo/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/04/27/20220426-duterte-talk-to-the-people-mnib3-2.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte holds a meeting with key government officials at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on April 26, 2022.<em> Ace Morandante, Presidential Photo/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte has been known for his trademark tough talk, with some of his pronouncements raising eyebrows from various sectors.</p><p>As Duterte steps down from office, here are 10 quotes that reflected some of his major policies.</p><div><strong>1. &quot;Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. There are 3 million drug addicts. I&#x27;ll be happy to slaughter them.&quot;</strong></div><p>In September 2016, just 3 months into his term, Duterte said he would be happy to slaughter 3 million drug addicts, in reference to the war on drugs, even comparing his actions to German dictator Adolf Hitler.</p><p>American senators, including Ben Cardin, expressed concern over Duterte&#x27;s pronouncements, but the President told them not to interfere with Philippine affairs and to stop being hypocrites.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/30/16/duterte-cites-hitler-id-be-happy-to-slaughter-3-million">Duterte cites Hitler: I&#x27;d be happy to slaughter 3 million</a></li></ul><div><strong>2. &quot;I am a president of a sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony. I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody... P***** i** mo, mumurahin kita sa forum na iyan.&quot;</strong></div><p>Duterte also raised eyebrows when he cursed former US President Barack Obama in September 2016, calling him a &quot;son of a w****&quot; and telling the latter not to question him about extra-judicial killings when they meet at a regional summit in Laos.</p><p>This was after Washington also expressed concern about a reported surge in drug-related killings since Duterte was sworn into office.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/05/16/duterte-calls-obama-a-son-of-a-w">Duterte calls Obama a &#x27;son of a w****&#x27;</a></li></ul><div><strong>3. &quot;Just because you are a journalist you are exempted from assassination… Freedom of expression cannot help you if you have done something wrong.”</strong></div><p>A month before he stepped into office, Duterte was asked how his then-incoming administration would solve media killings.</p><p>The then-President-elect replied that the freedom of the press, which is enshrined in the Constitution, cannot protect a journalist from being killed, especially if he was a &quot;son of a b****.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/05/31/16/duterte-journalists-are-killed-for-being-corrupt">Duterte: Journalists are killed for being corrupt</a></li></ul><div><strong>4. “If you are expecting na ma-renew ‘yan [prangkisa ng ABS-CBN], I am sorry. I will see to it that you are out.&quot;</strong></div><p>In December 2019, Duterte told ABS-CBN Corp. that he will not renew the network&#x27;s broadcast franchise.</p><p>On May 5, 2020, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ordered the network to stop broadcasting after its franchise had expired. Congress would later deny its renewal application 2 months later.</p><p>Despite Duterte&#x27;s public threats against the network, Malacañang had maintained that it would remain neutral amid the franchise renewal controversy.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/10/20/palace-claims-neutrality-as-congress-fulfills-duterte-threat-against-abs-cbn-franchise">Palace claims neutrality as Congress fulfills Duterte threat against ABS-CBN franchise</a></li></ul><div><strong>5. &quot;I love China, it has helped us a bit. But it behooves upon us to ask, is it right for a country to claim the whole ocean?&quot;</strong></div><p>Duterte was known for his friendly pivot towards China, amid enduring tensions over the West Philippine Sea. </p><p>Even while he was being convinced to raise Manila&#x27;s victory in a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, he said he could not do so because the country could not afford to go to war.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/31/19/duterte-says-loves-china-but-asks-is-it-right-for-a-country-to-claim-whole-ocean">Duterte says loves China but asks: &#x27;Is it right for a country to claim whole ocean?&#x27;</a></li></ul><div><strong>6. &quot;Actually sa usapang bugoy, sabihin ko sa ‘yo, bigay mo sa akin, sabihin ko, ‘P***** *** papel lang ‘yan, itatapon ko ‘yan sa wastebasket.&#x27;&quot;</strong></div><p>In May 2021, Duterte said that he did not honor the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling in the Philippines&#x27; favor over the South China Sea. </p><p>He said the ruling was just a piece of &quot;paper&quot; that meant nothing, and that he would rather throw it in a wastebasket.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/06/21/duterte-china-arbitral-ruling-west-philippine-sea">Duterte calls Philippine arbitral victory vs China a piece of &#x27;paper&#x27; that led to nothing</a></li></ul><div><strong>7. &quot;Don&#x27;t get me wrong. There is a crisis being faced in this country. There is a national emergency. Kung ayaw mong magpabakuna, ipaaresto kita.&quot;</strong></div><p>Duterte&#x27;s &quot;tough talk&quot; persisted even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>He called on the public to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, and even telling authorities to vaccinate people in their sleep.</p><p>He also said those who didn&#x27;t want to get vaccinated should just leave the country and go somewhere else.</p><p>Malacañang later downplayed his statements &quot;as a joke.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/22/21/duterte-get-vaccinated-or-ill-send-you-to-jail">Duterte: Get vaccinated or I’ll send you to jail</a></li></ul><div><strong>8. &quot;Who is this stupid God? Estupido talaga itong p***** i** kung ganun. You created some ... something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work.&quot;</strong></div><p>In 2018, Duterte took on God Himself after his then-recent tirades on the Catholic Church.</p><p>The President, a Catholic, had begun by saying that he found it foolish for God to create something &quot;perfect&quot; and then allow the first humans, Adam and Eve, to ruin it by bringing sin into existence because of the forbidden fruit.</p><p>In November 2015, while still running for president, Duterte cursed Pope Francis, but later clarified that his expletive-laden speech was not directed towards the Holy See but rather the government&#x27;s security preparations that led to the closure of roads during the Pope&#x27;s visit to the country in January of that year.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/23/18/duterte-asks-who-is-this-stupid-god">Duterte asks: &#x27;Who is this stupid God?&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/11/30/15/duterte-under-fire-for-cursing-pope-francis">Duterte under fire for cursing Pope Francis</a></li></ul><div><strong>9. “Sinasabi ko I can clean it in six months. Then after that, I realized na nagkamali talaga ako … Maybe it’s hubris. It was campaign time. Payabangan naman ’yang kampanya.&quot;</strong></div><p>During the 2016 campaign season, then-Mayor Duterte said that he would solve the country&#x27;s drug problem within 3 to 6 months.</p><p>But last April, 6 years later, he realized that making such promise was a mistake motivated by &quot;hubris&quot; brought the hype of the campaign.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/28/22/duterte-admits-wrong-to-promise-quick-end-to-drug-problem">Duterte on 2016 vow to end drug problem in 6 months: Maybe it’s my hubris</a></li></ul><div><strong>10. &quot;The war against illegal drugs will not be sidelined. Instead, it will be as relentless as chilling, if you will, as the day it began.&quot;</strong></div><p>During Duterte&#x27;s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2018, the Drug War had been going on for 2 years already.</p><p>But even then, he assured that the his anti-drug policy will continue to be &quot;relentless,&quot; despite countless criticisms from rights groups.</p><p>Duterte had said that human rights advocates could not sway him to discontinue the drug war with protests. </p><p>&quot;Human rights, to me, means giving Filipinos especially those at the society&#x27;s fringes, a decent and dignified future through social and physical infrastructure necessary to better their lives and freedoms,&quot; he added. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/23/18/duterte-drug-war-to-be-relentless-chilling-as-day-1">Duterte: Drug war to be relentless, chilling as Day 1</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2096276" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

LIST: Duterte’s quotable quotes

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Spotlight

LIST: Duterte’s quotable quotes

Raffy Cabristante,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 30, 2022 10:57 AM PHT

Read More:

Rodrigo Duterte

Drug War

ABS-CBN

Adolf Hitler

quotable quotes

Barack Obama

ABS-CBN franchise

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

COVID-19

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.