Rodrigo Duterte claims issue of thousands of drug war deaths was mentioned ‘only in passing’ in meetings with Rex Tillerson and Julie Bishop

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The US and Australia have “considerably toned down” criticism of a drug war in the Philippines in which thousands have been killed, according to the country’s president, Rodrigo Duterte.



During meetings at the presidential palace in Manila, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson and Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop raised the issue of human rights “only in passing”, Duterte said.

Thousands dead: the Philippine president, the death squad allegations and a brutal drugs war Read more

“Mostly they have considerably toned down in human rights,” he was quoted as saying by the state news agency.

A bloody drug war in which Duterte has said he is “happy to slaughter” millions of addicts and dismissed the deaths of children as “collateral damage” has become the most high-profile rights issue in southeast Asia since his inauguration a year ago.

The Philippine state news agency said both diplomats were welcomed back-to-back at the presidential palace on Monday on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting.

Duterte, nicknamed “the Punisher” by his supporters for his lethal approach to policing, said his discussion with the officials “focused mainly on terrorism”, without providing details.

The former prosecutor – known for his profanity-laced diatribes in response to criticism – has labelled the United Nations “stupid” and called former US president Barack Obama a “son of a whore”.

Donald Trump, however, has forged a friendlier relationship, praising Duterte for an “unbelievable job” in his anti-narcotics campaign.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Australian foreign minister Julie Bishop met Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte at Malacanang Palace in Manila. Photograph: Bullit Marquez/AP

The US department of state referred the Guardian to Tillerson’s remarks before the meeting in which he told journalists that the US had “human rights concerns … with respect to how they carry out their counternarcotics activities”.



At Duterte’s meeting with Tillerson, the highest-level audience to date with a member of Trump’s administration, the two ignored shouted questions from reporters on human rights.

The Philippine president later said North Korea’s nuclear programme was high on the agenda but reacted angrily when a journalist asked if rights concerns had come up.

“Human rights, son of a bitch,” Duterte said, switching the topic to the southern city of Marawi, where militants who claim allegiance to Isis have taken over neighbourhoods. “Policemen and soldiers have died on me. The war now in Marawi, what caused it but drugs? So human rights, don’t go there.”

The US has provided Philippine forces with surveillance, training, planes and drones to help it fight the militants, gangs who have long fought the state and raised funds through kidnap for ransom. The government also accuses them of selling drugs.

A spokesperson for the Australian foreign ministry said human rights were one of many issues discussed. “The main focus of the meeting was on the current situation in Marawi City and Australia’s efforts to support the Philippines counter-terrorism efforts,” the spokesperson added.

Elaine Pearson, Australia director at Human Rights Watch, said Bishop “should have raised her concerns about the drug killings publicly, so that Australia’s position is crystal clear to the people of the Philippines.”

She added: “It’s obvious that Australia’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ strategy on human rights is failing if Duterte simply brushes aside limply raised concerns.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.