“I do not kill children and the elderly”: Philippine Duterte sharply criticizes Putin for the war against Ukraine
Rodrigo Duterte ,
KYIV. UkraineGate , 24 , May , 2022 | political News.
Retired Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sharply criticized Russian leader Vladimir Putin for killing innocent civilians in Ukraine, saying that although they were both identified as murderers, “I kill criminals, I do not kill children and the elderly.” reports AP .
Details
“Duterte, who openly calls Putin an idol and friend, for the first time condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a speech Tuesday, accusing a three-month war of soaring world oil prices that has hit many countries, including the Philippines,” the statement said.
Stressing that he did not condemn the Russian president, Duterte disagreed with Putin’s call of the invasion a “special military operation” and said it was in fact a full-scale war against a “sovereign state”.
Addressing Putin “as a friend” and the Russian embassy in Manila, Duterte called on them to stop bombing and artillery shelling of residential areas and allow innocent civilians to evacuate safely before the bombing begins.
“I’m leaving and I don’t know how to solve the problem,” Duterte said.
“You have to resolve the war between Ukraine and Russia before we can even talk about returning to normal life,” he added.
Addition
Duterte, who resigned on June 30, at the end of his tumultuous six-year term, led a brutal fight against drugs that killed more than 6,000 mostly petty suspects, according to the AP.
Last October, Philippine President Duterte said he was withdrawing from politics and refusing to run in the election.
Source: Ukrgate