Duterte should watch what he says

The Philippines leader in his previous avatar was the mayor of Davao city.

Published: Sun 2 Oct 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Sun 2 Oct 2016, 2:00 AM

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is in no mood to slow down. He will not give up his tough posturing in the 'vigilante war on drug peddlers and addicts. The latest from Duterte's verbal arsenal will take your breath away. This time he wants to be a Hitler-like leader and slaughter three million drug criminals. Sounds like genocide. For some, this is the most outrageous of all his indiscretions. But the mayor-turned-president is not bothered. His no-holds-barred rhetoric and no-nonsense attitude to crime have earned him a legion of fans at home. But abroad, he has become an outcaste. He ran foul of a key strategic ally - the United States - after his foul-mouthed rant against President Barack Obama.
The Philippines leader in his previous avatar was the mayor of Davao city. This was where he put some of his ideas into practice with some success. He is replicating the same strong-arm tactics on a national scale. But it is one thing to be a mayor of a provincial city and quite another being a president. He should understand that as chief executive of a sovereign country, he is under constant international media glare. Every one of his actions and words are closely scrutinised. He is duty-bound to honour all rules of international engagement. But the maverick leader writes his own rules. He flies off the handle at the slightest provocation and mouths expletives against all and sundry, including world leaders. This ought to stop if he has to make any headway on the international stage. Arbitrary and lawless killings, however noble the cause may be, are not just acceptable. According to Philippine police, more than 3,000 were killed in the vigilante war. Two-thirds of them are said to have been carried out by unknown persons. These extra-judicial murders are bound to sully the image of the popular leader.