SINGAPORE (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – As he began his state visit to Singapore, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out at the foreign media, saying that they are such fools to believe everything he says.

CNN, for one, spent a significant segment of its prime time news reporting on Duterte’s ‘admission’ that as mayor of Davao City, he personally killed drug addicts. Other foreign news outlets also devoted time and space reporting on this latest statement from the popular, albeit controversial president.

“It must be a slow news day,” Duterte said, “that the news media chose to make such a big deal about my recent statement. Have they not learned their lesson yet?   I could probably say the end of the world is coming tomorrow and it would immediately make it to their headlines.”

Duterte’s rhetoric has consistently put him and the Philippines on the international stage and has earned for the rogue leader a spot in Forbes’ 2016 list of the most powerful persons in the world.