‘Shoot them dead’: Philippine president Duterte in his own words
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who steps down on Thursday, was infamous for his foul-mouthed tirades, off-colour jokes, and threats to kill people.
His unfiltered remarks lashed everyone from drug users and critics to world leaders and even God—but he remained popular among Filipinos fed up with out-of-touch politicians and corruption.
Here are some of his quotes since taking power in 2016:
Drug users
“Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them.”
On 30 September, 2016, Duterte likens his deadly crackdown on drug users to Hitler’s efforts to exterminate Jews, although vastly underestimating the number of people killed in the Holocaust by the Nazi leader’s regime.
‘Kill them yourself’
“If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful.”
Hours after being sworn into office on 30 June, 2016, Duterte visits a dockside slum and urges Filipinos to kill drug users.
‘Stupid God’
“Who is this stupid God? This son of a whore is really stupid in that sense. You created something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work.”
Taking aim at the biblical creation story, Duterte questions why God would create Adam and Eve and then expose them to temptation on 22 June, 2018.
‘Shoot them dead’
“My orders are to the police and military, also village officials, that if there is trouble or the situation arises that people fight and your lives are on the line, shoot them dead.”
On 1 April, 2020, Duterte issues a shoot-to-kill order against coronavirus lockdown troublemakers after a protest over food aid.
Corrupt officials
“If you commit corruption, whoever you are, I will have you flown by helicopter to Manila and I will toss you out. I have done it before, why would not I do it again?”
Duterte alludes to a past crime in explaining to typhoon survivors how he will take drastic measures against drugs and graft on 27 December, 2016.
Media threats
“Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch.”
On 31 May, 2016, President-elect Duterte endorses the killing of corrupt journalists.
Sexual assault
“I lifted the blanket... I tried to touch what was inside the panty.”
On 29 December, 2018, Duterte recalls how he molested a maid when he was a teenager.
‘Shoot your vagina’
“Tell the soldiers, there’s a new order coming from the mayor. ‘We won’t kill you. We will just shoot your vagina so that, if there are no vaginas (the woman) would be useless’.”
On 7 February, 2018, Duterte says soldiers should shoot female communist insurgents in the vagina.
‘Over my dead body’
“You know if you really want me—it’s over my dead body. You will only be able to take me to the Netherlands dead. You will have a carcass. I will not go there alive, you fools. But if I see you here, I will have made the first move.”
On 2 August, 2021, Duterte blasts the International Criminal Court whose prosecutors want to launch a full-blown investigation into the drug war that rights groups say has killed tens of thousands of people.
‘Son of a whore’
“You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. You son of a whore I will curse you at that forum.”
Duterte reacts on 5 September, 2016, to warnings that he would face questioning by then US president Barack Obama over a war on drugs in the Philippines.