Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced a sharp personal rebuke from Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte after raising concerns about human rights and extrajudicial killings in Duterte's anti-drug campaign. The exchange occurred at the end of a summit of Asian and western nations in Manila.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Duterte said he told Trudeau, "I will not explain. It is a personal and official insult." He added, "I only answer to the Filipino. I will not answer to any other bullshit, especially foreigners. Lay off." The Philippine leader did not refer to Trudeau by name during his rambling response.
Earlier, Trudeau had told reporters that Duterte was "receptive" to his comments and described their meeting as "a very cordial and positive exchange." Trudeau also raised the Rohingya crisis with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, calling it "a tremendous concern to Canada and to many, many countries around the world."
Human rights activists had hoped other leaders, including US President Donald Trump, would address the thousands of deaths linked to Duterte's war on drugs. However, Trump avoided the topic and later said he had a "great relationship" with Duterte. A joint statement only noted that both sides "underscored that human rights and the dignity of human life are essential."
Duterte previously swore at Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, for similar criticism. The Philippines government defends its drug war as self-defence, but critics allege widespread extrajudicial killings with no accountability.
