Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to remove his country from the United Nations following its criticism of the extrajudicial fight against drug trafficking led by his administration.
The threat comes after UN human rights experts demanded the government stop its controversial methods of ending drug trafficking, which have claimed the lives of 1000 people since Duterte was elected president in May.
After deeming their criticisms "stupid", Duterte called the UN "useless".
"You now, United Nations, if you can say one bad thing about me, I can give you 10 (about you)," he said, before mentioning the organisation's "failure" to curb hunger and terrorism.
"Maybe we'll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations," Duterte said, adding that he would call on China and the African countries to create another global organisation.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Duterte gained popularity in 1988 when he became the mayor of Davao on the southern island of Mindanao, where he reigned for 22 years over different periods characterised by his strong defence of extrajudicial killings.
Duterte, who announced the restoration of the death penalty, has vowed to end drug trafficking in six months in accordance with a pledge he made during the electoral campaign, which helped him win the vote by a large majority.
