Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says he will invite U.N. and European Union officials to investigate his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs, which has sparked concern from the U.S. and other countries.
Duterte made the offer in a speech in Manila Thursday during which he lashed out at critics of his crackdown. He said if U.N. and EU officials accept his invitation, he would also question them in public on the issue of human rights.
Nearly 3,000 suspected drug pushers and users have been killed since Duterte launched a war on drugs after taking office on June 30.
Last month, The White House canceled a meeting between Duterte and President Barack Obama in Laos, after Duterte called Obama a "son of a whore" in a warning not to lecture him about his government's crackdown. Duterte later expressed regrets.