Duterte says United Nations make ”poor nations”look ”foolish””

June 14, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the United Nations only makes poor nations like the Philippines look foolish.

"Some nations are just fooling us. That is why I was angry during the ASEAN ( Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit. I told even the president of the UN. I was very direct. I said, your laws are only favorable for the rich nations. Poor nations like ours are made to look foolish," Duterte said during a ceremony distributing land in General Santos City.

Duterte said nations do not agree with each other in resolving climate change.

"They want to limit our carbon footprints to a certain percentage. Their nations are more advanced and they are rich, so a certain amount of carbon footprints are allotted to them," he said.

"This means we can’t emit more than the allotted amount for us because we have to wait for the ration and proportion. And we will never be able to catch up with their progress," he added.

Duterte said the problem is advanced countries have more machines and equipment.

"So remember, they emit more carbon than us. I said that my nation faces the Pacific Ocean. That is why it is the first to be hit with storms. It happens almost every month," he said.

"You fools, what have you been hit with? There are no storms there in your place. In the higher places there is snow," he said.

Duterte said people will be suffering with tuberculosis, lung cancer, and other cancers of the throat ones they inhale excess carbon emissions.

"So we have to work hard. We don’t have a factory. And we can’t keep up with their progress. We don’t have the technology to build ships --- we have the technology to build ships but not for airplanes and other machinery. We can’t build cars. All of our automobiles are imported. Toyota, Isuzu. No one here would buy a… Where are cars that are made in the Philippines?" he said.

Duterte said the country doesn't have many factories and rely on agriculture.

Last Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. rejected all official paticipation in climate change conferences which requres air travel.

"Following (President Rodrigo) Duterte's answer to UN's plea for yet another stronger stand against climate change- which he branded as more hot air- I am rejecting all official participation in climate change conferences requiring air travel," Locsin posted on Twitter.

Locsin said he will restrict its participation to the conferences through the internet. Ella Dionisio/DMS