MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte whispered a swearword at a foreign reporter who asked about the killings in his administration’s war on drugs at his press briefing early Thursday.
Jonathan Miller, the Asia correspondent of the UK's Channel 4, challenged Duterte to answer for the thousands of drug-related deaths and summary killings that outnumbered those during the Martial Law period under dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Refusing to directly answer the question, Duterte instead cited alleged human rights violations initiated by the United States.
On Twitter, Miller recounted his experience at the news conference in jest.
"I've had another run-in with Philippines President Duterte. He bestowed me with the 'Order of Son of a Whore'," Miller wrote.
Duterte, who was elected in May, has cursed at President Barack Obama, Pope Francis, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and leaders of the European Union.
The US, UN and EU have expressed concern over the piling body count in the government's anti-narcotics campaign. —Text by Rosette Adel; Video edited by Efigenio Toledo IV