The 28-member European Union (EU) and Spain on Thursday lauded the orderly conduct of Philippine presidential elections as it vowed to work closely with the incoming government of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Advertisement
“The greatest promise the church can offer any government is vigilant collaboration, and that offer, we make now”.
The Australian and U.S. ambassadors criticised the comments, triggering a furious reaction from the contender, who told them not to interfere and raised the prospect of cutting diplomatic ties.
Unofficial tallies had given Duterte, mayor of Davao, a big lead in the May 9 election.
Duterte was also named in a separate report by Amnesty International for his use of such tactics. I wanted to call him: “Pope, son of a whore, go home”. They said it was the pope.
Voters in the Philippines have elected as president Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, longtime mayor of Davao City, and something of an outlaw in the usually smooth politics of those islands.
Mr Duterte has also gained worldwide notoriety for his crude jokes about rape and insults of Pope Francis – virtually unheard-of for an official in this predominantly Roman Catholic country.
Then Duterte, in one campaign rally, admitted burning a Singaporean flag after overseas worker Flor Contemplacion was executed in Singapore for murder in 1995.
Duterte criticized the United States and Australia for supposedly interfering in Philippine affairs after the ambassadors of the two nations criticized the mayor’s remarks about a rape victim during the election campaign.
An avid supporter of Duterte, Jakarta-based teacher Herman Placer, for instance, said that he was more than satisfied seeing his preferred candidate leading the results as he believed that Duterte represented a wind of change.
The election triggered a record turnout of more than 80% of the 54 million electorate in The Philippines.
“I saw her face and I thought, ‘Son of a [expletive]”.
The spokesman has said repeatedly in recent days that Mr Duterte plans to adopt a more moderate and presidential tone when he takes office at the end of next month, and that his gutter language and insults were part of a performance to attract voters’ attention. Al Jazeera’s Marga Ortigas, reporting from Manila, said many Filipinos had grown frustrated during six years under President Benigno Aquino.
Advertisement
“Mr Duterte will impose a curfew on unescorted minors and might also impose a liquor ban in public places, upon consultation and a review of laws”. “We look forward to congratulating and working with the winners of those elections on our active and close bilateral relationship”, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said.
