(Note from MindaNews: This is the official transcript of President Rodrigo Duterte’s speech, released by the Presidential News Desk of the Presidential Communications Office)
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Presidential News Desk
REMARKS OF PRESIDENT RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE DURING HIS VISIT TO YAD VASHEM HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER
Well I would like to thank Israel, the government and the people for inviting us here to see for ourselves in visuals what we have read time and again in our history books.
We know the brutal and cruel journey of the Israelites. From one scattered generation finally finding their place under the sun.
We are happy that — witnesses to this event.
And I said my daughter is… I wouldn’t say that now. But she is a descendant of a Jew in the Philippines, probably came there to seek the sanctuary. There was a time when we welcomed Jews in the Philippines to provide them a country of refuge. I cannot speak for my daughter how she feels now but she is one of those generations that came after.
Me, I realized that war is insanity.
And what happened here, in Europe especially under the Nazi.
I could not imagine of a country obey an insane leader. And I could not ever fathom the spectacle of a human being going into a killing spree, murdering old men, women, men, child
ren, mother.
I hope that this will not happen again. But we are a world whose — now… We have learned so much along the years during the two wars.
