Philippine’s President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he will not apologise for saying that journalists in the country could be killed if they are corrupt and biased.
“No apologies, no nothing’’, he said in his hometown of Davao City in the southern Philippines, where he is the outgoing mayor.
Duterte, who would assume the presidency on June 30, said there were “vultures’’ who passed themselves off as journalists, extorting money from people.
The 71-year old mayor came under fire from foreign and local media groups over his statement earlier in the week that any “son of a bitch’’ journalist who is corrupt would not be exempt from assassination.
Duterte made the comment after being asked what he would do about media killings in the Philippines, following the murder of a crime reporter in Manila on Friday.
Duterte continued his tirades against the media and even dared journalists not to cover his press conferences and activities after Reporters without Borders called for a boycott if he does not apologise.
“You boycott me, make this your last trip to Davao, I do not care if no one is covering me’’, he said.
Duterte said he would ask his cabinet members to avoid journalists, adding that he will set up a website where his administration can post updates of its activities.
He said that journalism has its own inherent risk, just like being a soldier.
“In journalism, if you speak truth firmly, of course, you invite danger, of course, I want to protect you, but I cannot provide protection to every journalist’’, he said. (dpa/NAN)
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