In fiery attack, Philippines' Duterte accuses EU of plotting

President Duterte threatened to expel EU ambassadors within 24 hours

In a fiery speech full of expletives, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has accused the EU of interfering in the country's domestic affairs.

He threatened to expel EU envoys within 24 hours, saying Europe was plotting to get the Philippines ejected from the UN. He provided no evidence for this.

The comments come after a Western delegation criticised Mr Duterte's violent war on drugs.

An EU spokesperson later said the delegation did not represent the bloc.

'We are past colonisation stage'

In his speech, President Duterte said: "We will be excluded in the UN? You son of a bitch. Go ahead.

"You are interfering in our affairs because we are poor. You give money and then you start to orchestrate what things should be done."

Addressing the envoys, he said: "You leave my country in 24 hours, all, all of you."

The remainder of his tirade included a number of swear words. He provided no evidence to back up his claim that EU governments were seeking to get the Philippines expelled from the UN.

Responding to Mr Duterte's comments, an EU spokesperson said in a statement: "The recent visit of the delegation of the 'International Delegates of the Progressive Alliance' to the Philippines on 8-9 October was not a 'European Union mission', as falsely reported by some media outlets," the EU said in a statement.

It said the seven-member delegation consisted of representatives from Sweden, Germany, Italy, Australia and the US.

"The EU and the Philippines work constructively and productively together in a close partnership in many contexts and areas, including, of course, in the UN context," the statement added.

The Progressive Alliance was founded in 2013, bringing together parties and organisations from around the world.

Mr Duterte faces growing opposition over his policies

It is not the first time President Duterte has attacked the EU over its criticism of his brutal crackdown on drugs.

Last year, he launched an expletive-laden attack on the bloc, saying "hypocritical" former colonial powers like France and Britain were trying to atone for their own sins.

Mr Duterte's policy of endorsing extrajudicial killings in the war against drugs has drawn widespread international condemnation.

Philippine police say that officers have killed over 3,850 people in anti-drugs operations since Mr Duterte took office last year.

Earlier on Thursday, the president demoted the police from leading his drugs war, saying the country's Drugs Enforcement Agency would take charge of operations instead.