Exclusive - 'It's Just An Expression,' Sotto Says On Duterte's 'Go To Hell' Remark To Obama

Last Wednesday, Majority Leader of the Senate, Vicente Sotto III clarified the ‘Go to Hell’ remark by President Duterte directly towards US President Obama.

Sotto told the reports, “Expression lang ‘yun eh. Bakit naman seseryosohin nila? Alanganaman pumunta siya sa impyerno? He could have said go to heaven, expression lang ‘yun. Dapat huwag masyado sineseryoso.”

Duterte last Tuesday lashed out at the European Union (EU) and US for their comment on his war against drugs.

“Instead of helping us, ang unang tumira, itong [US] State Department. So, you can go to hell. Mr. Obama, you can go to hell," Duterte aforementioned.

He also added, “EU, better choose purgatory. Puno na ang impyerno. Bakit ako matakot sa inyo?”

The close ally of President Duterte, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III mentioned that the President’s remark against President Obama, “may be his way or style of cutting the umbilical cord” with the United States.

Pimentel said, “That’s the style of the President. Naalala niyo during the campaign sinasabihan niyo rin ako nang ganyan na pipigilan ba natin ang Presidente? Sabi ko let him be himself, he will be more effective.”

“Tingnan mo nangyari, eh di nanalo sa eleksyon,” he added.

He also said, “Let him be because he will be more effective. He is not pretending to be someone else and then in due time, we all learn from our experiences, we all learn from our mistakes.”

However, as for Senator Panfilo Lacson, Duterte’s remark was “unnecessary.”