Duterte jokes about marijuana use despite thousands of deaths in drugs war

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte joked that he smokes marijuana  Credit: Lean

Daval Jr/Reuters 

 

By

Nicola Smith, 

 

Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine president whose controversial war on drugs has killed thousands over the past two years, said on Monday that he used marijuana to stay alert in meetings, but then claimed he was joking.

His attempted humour was lost on human rights activists who denounced the quip as disrespectful to the families of drug users, dealers, and innocent bystanders who have been gunned down in the name of tackling illegal drugs since Mr Duterte rose to power in June 2016.

The victims have mainly been linked to shabu - a slang term for methamphetamine – but the use and sale of marijuana is also illegal under Philippine law.

“I use marijuana to stay awake,” said the president, 73, while speaking at a ceremony to honour Philippine diplomats. He made the comment while complaining about the gruelling schedule of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Singapore last month.

Mr Duterte’s office had admitted he missed events at the Asean meeting to take “power naps”. He later explained that his hectic schedule was a “killing activity” at his age.

Profile | Rodrigo Duterte

16th President of the Philippines

Born:

Maasin, 28 March 1945 (age NaN)

Education:Political science at the Lyceum of the Philippines, Manila; Law degree at San Beda College of Law
Party affiliation:
Before politics:City prosecutor, Davao City

Politics

Mr Duterte’s electoral popularity is linked to his strong support for the extrajudicial killing of criminals. His presidential platform promised that he would kill tens of thousands of criminals and eliminate crime in six months.
In local government, his administration was linked to the Davao Death Squad vigilante group. Human rights groups and the United Nations have criticised the vigilante death toll, which between June 2016 and January 2017 had exceeded 7,000 people – mainly drug users, petty criminals and street children. Mr Duterte responded by threatening to withdraw the Philippines from the UN.

Career timeline

• 1986–1987 – Vice Mayor of Davao City
• 1988–1998 – Mayor of Davao City
• 1998–2001 – Member of Philippine House of Representatives, Davao City 1st district
• 2001–2010 – Mayor of Davao City
• 2010–2013 – Vice Mayor of Davao City
• 2013–2016 – Mayor of Davao City
• 2016–present – President of the Philippine

“The more the crescendo becomes faster, the more you cannot sleep because you are catching up on readings,” he said.

Following Monday’s speech, the president told reporters that he had made the marijuana comments in jest to “shake the tree.”

“Of course it was a joke but nobody can stop me from just doing my style,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “Sometimes you say I’m a misogynist when I joke but that’s my style. It’s too late to change. If I want to joke I will joke and if you believe me, then you’re a fool.”

However, not everybody saw the funny side in a country where the use of drugs often has deadly consequences.

Based on official police records, at least 4,000 people have been killed during Mr Duterte’s drugs war, but human rights groups allege the death toll is three times higher, with many of the victims targetted by gun-wielding assassins on motorbikes.

A supporter of teenager Carlos delos Santos protests against the police officers who killed him Credit: Noel Celis/AFP

His attempted banter came four days after a court sentenced three police officers to up to 40 years in prison for the murder of Kian delos Santos, 17, who was fatally shot during an anti-drugs operation.

Carlos Conde, the Philippines researcher with Human Rights Watch, told Reuters that Mr Duterte’s marijuana joke would “definitely anger” victims’ families.

“There is a disconnect between what the president admitted to do and what the president said he will do to those who use drugs,” he said.

Mr Duterte, known for his expletive-filled tirades, has taken flak for his crass humour before.

In August, his spokesman was forced to deny he was a misogynist after the president suggested that rape was inevitable as long as there were beautiful women.  “I don’t think we should give too much weight on what the president says by way of a joke,” he said.