In his latest outburst, the outspoken Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte mocked the weight of his critic Senator Dick Gordon, who had questioned the "dangerous" appointment of several former military and police officers to senior positions in the government.
"My brain stays in my head. Your brain, Dick, is melting and goes to your stomach. You are a fart away from disaster," Duterte said during his speech to the country's Bureau of Fire Protection on Thursday, the Manila Standard reported.
"You are just a fart away. Your body cannot fit in an ambulance. Place him in your firetrucks."
According to Coconuts Manila, Duterte also called Gordon a "smart ass," and said he "walks like a penguin."
Gordon had said that Duterte's appointments of ex-military officers to key government roles is "dangerous" because "civilian authority must remain supreme over the military."
ABS-CBN reported that Gordon also remarked that Duterte "comes from the province" and does not know enough people in Manila who could fill the governmental roles.
Duterte responded by saying it is his prerogative to make those appointments, and mocked Gordon's own heritage. Gordon's father is half-Jewish American.
"He depends on talk. Well, you're a fool because you're not really a Filipino. You're just tisoy. Us here, we're country boys," Coconuts Manila reported, noting that "tisoy" is slang for "mestizo," which is used to describe Filipinos who are part-white.
"You know, I think when he said I'm from the province, well that's true. But at least I'm a country boy, my brain stays in my head," Duterte said his speech, before making the "fart away from disaster" comment.
Senator Gordon posted a statement to his Facebook page to say that he is not offended by Duterte's mockery and still considers the controversial leader, known for his brutal war on drugs that has led to thousands of extrajudicial killings, to be a friend.
"The statements I made yesterday were made in good faith and out of concern for our country and the president, whom I consider a friend. We have known each other since we were both mayors and believe that we have mutual respect," Gordon said.
"I also have great respect for the military and the armed forces because they are the protector of the people and the State. However, at the same time, we want to assure the public that we are not militarizing the government.
"I take no offense at the President's comments. As I have said, everyone is entitled to an opinion, and we cannot be onion-skinned about such things.
"I am happy that the President is concerned about my waistline, but he need not worry about that. My wife has seen to it that I have reduced it significantly of late. But I appreciate that he is concerned about my health as I am about his."
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