Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 10/10/2019 (351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg North MP Kevin Lamoureux is defending a decision to use a photo of him posing with ruthless Philippines dictator Rodrigo Duterte in a recent federal election campaign ad.

"I wouldn’t want it to be taken out of context," he said Thursday, referring to the image used in the full-page ad published in the Oct. 1 edition of the Filipino Journal, a local publication that bills itself as "the pulse of Winnipeg’s Filipino community."

In the top left corner, MP Kevin Lamoureux poses for a photo with Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines widely seen as a dictator. The photo, which dates from Duterte’s time as mayor of Davao, is being used in a Lamoureux election ad.

Lamoureux has represented the riding — one of the most diverse constituencies in the city and home to many Filipino expats — for the Liberal Party of Canada since 2010.

The photo is one of eight used in the ad, but it's prominently displayed at the top, next to the words "People First."

"Right now, I don’t know exactly what’s in the ad; I would have to take another look at it," he said. "But my understanding is it highlights the fact that I’ve had discussions... with individuals who have been president of the Philippines.

"Politicians come and go. I’m committed to do what I can to further a positive relationship with the Philippines. That’s my primary objective."

The Philippines strongman has an atrocious record on human rights and civil liberties. Since being elected president in 2016, Duterte has received widespread condemnation for his support of extra-judicial executions of drug addicts, petty criminals and street kids, as well as repeated comments characterized by critics as homophobic and misogynistic.

More than 4,000 extra-judicial killings have been laid at the feet of Duterte and his administrations dating back to his time as mayor of Davao, a position he held for more than 22 years before becoming president.

The Free Press was told about the photo by a local resident who found it "disturbing" Lamoureux had chosen to "promote his campaign" with an image of a "violent tyrant."

When asked if he would remove the photo of himself with Duterte before printing the ad again in the future, Lamoureux wasn’t definitive.

“This is the first I’ve heard of someone being critical of the ad; I don’t know how extensive it is. The purpose of the ad is not meant to offend people. The purpose of the ad was to try to get people to believe there’s a very special relationship between Canada and the Philippines." ‐ Kevin Lamoureux

"This is the first I’ve heard of someone being critical of the ad; I don’t know how extensive it is," he said. "The purpose of the ad is not meant to offend people. The purpose of the ad was to try to get people to believe there’s a very special relationship between Canada and the Philippines.

"Maybe it wasn’t thought through thoroughly. But at the end of the day it was not meant to highlight any particular individual. I’m not too sure what more I can say in regards to it."

Lamoureux confirmed that he would have seen the ad prior to its publication. It’s unclear whether Lamoureux used the image apart from the Filipino Journal ad.

He said he would extend his apologies to anyone who might be offended by the ad.

Since entering political life, Duterte has prosecuted journalists critical to his administrations and engaged in repeated attacks on the press in the Philippines. He’s also been accused of jailing opposition senators on dubious charges.

While mayor of Davao — during which time Lamoureux posed for the photo — Duterte has said he personally killed at least three individuals in an extra-judicial fashion.

In September 2016, Duterte indicated he’d like to be a political figure in the Philippines akin to what Hitler was to Germany, before going on to say he’d like to slaughter millions of undesirable citizens.

"There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them," he said.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe