MANILA- President Rodrigo Duterte criticized Iceland Friday after the country endorsed a resolution seeking a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines.
Duterte said the Nordic island nation does not understand problems faced by Manila.
“Anong problema ng Iceland? Ice lang. That's your problem, you have too much ice, and there is no clear day or night there... You can understand no crime, there is no policeman either and they just go about eating ice,” he said in a speech during the 28th anniversary of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
(What is the problem of Iceland? It’s just ice.)
“Itong mga g*go, you don’t understand the social, economic, political problems of the Philippines,” he said.
Iceland has described itself as "a progressive, modern society that continuously ranks at the top of measurement's for quality of life, such as the United Nations Human Development Index."
The United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday adopted the Iceland-backed resolution that called for a report on Manila’s human rights situation, including extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s drug war.
The Philippines has rejected the resolution which was approved by 18 countries.
Fourteen meanwhile voted against it while 15 abstained during the poll held in Geneva Thursday.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo has described the resolution as “designed to embarrass” the Philippines.
Rights groups have claimed that tens of thousands have died in the Philippine government's drug war. Police have, meanwhile said, the figure is just at over 6,000 from the start of the Duterte administration in July 2016 until the end of May.
The government has repeatedly denied involvement in summary killings, saying drug suspects slain in police operations had resisted arrest.