Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte and the West

Philippines: Communist guerrillas said Thursday a Philippine government court petition to have them designated as terrorists is a desperate attempt to alienate them from the people, but insisted they are still open to talks to peacefully settle one of Asia’s longest-raging insurgencies.

Philippine rebels reject terror tag but still open to talks Thursday 22 February 2018
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Regional rebel commander Jaime Padilla said by telephone that President Rodrigo Duterte would fail like past leaders to defeat the New People’s Army rebels so he’s resorting to “fake news” to undermine the Maoist guerrillas, who have managed to wage an insurgency for nearly half a century with what he said was the people’s support.

The Department of Justice asked a Manila court on Wednesday to formally designate the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing as terrorist groups. It cited deadly attacks and violence committed by the insurgents, including bloody internal purges of suspected military spies, in seeking the designation.

Padilla rejected the assertion that the New People’s Army was similar to extremist groups notorious for beheadings and other atrocities.

“The Abu Sayyaf is heaven and earth different from the NPA,” Padilla said, referring to the brutal Islamic militant group blacklisted by the US and Philippine governments. “Labeling the revolutionary movement as such is a big crazy act.”

He said rebels attack government forces who raid or infiltrate guerrilla zones but the guerrillas do not assault innocent civilians or ransack their properties like the Abu Sayyaf.

“If they withdraw the petition that will be good because it’s baseless,” said Padilla, who leads a rebel force that has a presence southeast of Manila.

Despite the government legal offensive, Padilla said the rebels remain open to a resumption of negotiations to end the hostilities.

Duterte resumed peace talks with the guerrillas after he rose to power in 2016. He granted concessions by appointing three left-wing activists to his Cabinet, but the cordial relations rapidly deteriorated when he protested continuing rebel assaults on troops and policemen, along with guerrilla extortion of mining firms and agricultural plantations.

Last year, he canceled Norwegian-brokered talks with the guerrillas and signed an order declaring the rebel groups as terrorist organizations in a prelude to his government’s formal move on Wednesday.

Duterte has upped his rhetoric against the rebels in recent days, saying troops should shoot female communist rebels in the genitals to render them “useless” and suggesting troops could decapitate the rebels. The comments have drawn condemnation from rights groups.
Senior assistant state prosecutor Peter Ong said the guerrillas were insincere in their talks with the government and only wanted to grab power.

If approved by the court, designating the communists as terrorists could serve as a legal weapon and basis for the government in securing court clearances to put rebel leaders and fighters under surveillance and freeze their bank accounts and assets, Ong said.

Companies paying the so-called “revolutionary taxes” to the rebels could be questioned, even though the military said such extortion demands have been done by coercion.

The communist rebel organizations are the second to be targeted by the Philippine government for proscription under a seldom-used 2007 anti-terrorism law. In 2015, a court approved a similar petition against the Abu Sayyaf, which has also been blacklisted as a terror group by the United States.

The communist rebellion has raged since 1969 and left about 40,000 combatants and civilians dead. It also has stunted economic development, especially in the countryside, where the military says about 3,700 Maoist insurgents are still waging a guerrilla war.


MANILA: Philippine attorney Jude Sabio says he has not been home for a year, steers clear of public events and is forever looking over his shoulder after accusing President Rodrigo Duterte of crimes against humanity.

Philippine lawyer wants ‘death squad president’ in court Sunday 18 February 2018
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Sabio, a stocky 51 year old, says he lives in constant fear of reprisals after filing a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the wildly popular Duterte, whose administration Filipinos rate as the best performing since opinion polls started in the 1980s. A little-known lawyer until he filed the complaint last April, Sabio argues that the deaths of thousands of Filipinos in a brutal war on drugs is Duterte’s method of controlling crime, and that he used the tactic effectively during his 22 years as the mayor of Davao City in the south of the country.

Duterte has repeatedly denied ordering extra-judicial killings while mayor or president and reiterated this month that he would “gladly” go before the ICC. Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had earlier said her office had started a preliminary examination into whether any crimes against humanity had been committed and if ICC had jurisdiction.

The step is the first in a process that could take years to complete, if at all. Since it was set up in 2002, the ICC has received more than 12,000 complaints or communications, just nine of which have gone to trial.

The Social Weather Station’s (SWS) latest quarterly poll shows Duterte’s trust rating bounced back to “excellent” in December from “very high” three months before. Another SWS poll gave his government the best rating so far for a Philippine administration

“When I went to The Hague I received so many threats,” Sabio told Reuters. “The (latest) announcement from the ICC, I’m also receiving threats. It’s many, I don’t want to read them.”

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque says “domestic enemies of the state” are behind Sabio’s complaint. Asked about Sabio’s safety, Roque said he should report threats to the police. “We have no ill will against him,” he added. “We know it (the complaint) will not proceed beyond preliminary examination.”

In an interview, Sabio described Duterte as a “death squad president” who bragged in public about killing criminals and promised voters he would kill thousands in an anti-drug crackdown if elected.

Duterte earned the nickname “the Punisher” because of allegations he operated a death squad that killed more than 1,000 criminals when he was Davao mayor. He suggested during a televised presidential election debate in 2016 that more would die if he became president.


The Philippine president said Thursday that a ban on the deployment of workers to Kuwait, where a Filipino was found dead in a freezer, will continue and could be expanded to other countries where Filipino workers suffer “human degradation.”

Philippine labor ban to Kuwait stays, may be expanded, says Duterte Friday 23 February 2018
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President Rodrigo Duterte made the remarks after attending the wake of Joanna Demafelis in the central Philippine town of Sara. He said he intends to file criminal charges against her employers, who are being hunted by Kuwaiti authorities.

Demafelis’s body was found stuffed in a food freezer on Feb. 6 in a Kuwait City apartment where it had reportedly been kept for more than a year. Duterte has said her body bore torture marks and there were indications she was strangled.

“The ban stays, no deployment of Filipinos whatsoever in Kuwait,” Duterte said outside the wake, where steamers and shirts worn by mourners bore messages demanding justice for the maid’s death. The ban applies only to new Kuwait-bound workers and the thousands already there, mostly maids, can continue working.

Duterte said the government is conducting an assessment to “find out the places where we deploy Filipinos and our countrymen suffer brutal treatment and human degradation.”

Her death is the latest overseas tragedy to befall workers from the Philippines, a major labor exporter with about a tenth of its more than 100 million people working abroad. The workers have been called the country’s heroes because the income they send home has propped up the Southeast Asian nation’s economy for decades, accounting for about 10 percent of its annual gross domestic product.

Duterte talked with the family of Demafelis and then briefly viewed her remains, gently touching her coffin with his hand.

Philippine officials are under increasing pressure to do more to monitor the safety of the country’s worldwide diaspora of mostly maids, construction workers and laborers.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told a Senate hearing Wednesday that he has recalled three Filipino labor officers from Kuwait to face an investigation. They failed to act on a request by Demafelis’s family for help after she went missing in January last year, he said.

Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration reported that at least 196 Filipinos had died in Kuwait in the last two years, mostly for unspecified medical reasons but also four who committed suicide. That prompted senators to ask why labor officials did not immediately order a ban on the deployment of workers to Kuwait with the spike in deaths.

A Philippine labor delegation left for Kuwait on Thursday to seek better protection for Filipino workers that may prompt the Duterte administration to lift its ban, officials said.

They will demand a stop to the practice of many Kuwaiti employers to hold on to the passports, travel papers and cellphones of Filipino maids, which has prevented them from reporting abuses and calling for help, the officials said.

Kuwait’s ruling emir has reportedly invited Duterte to his country next month to resolve the labor issues but Duterte has not said whether he will visit.

The sheer number of Filipino workers abroad makes monitoring their wellbeing an overwhelming task. That is often complicated by workers not having proper travel and work documents, such as in Kuwait, where nearly 11,000 of the more than 252,000 Filipino workers are in the country illegally or are not properly authorized.

Many desperate Filipinos have also chosen to stay in countries where the Philippines has banned Filipinos in the past, such as in war-torn Iraq and Syria.
 
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered police and soldiers not to cooperate in any investigation into his bloody war on drugs, amid international calls for an external probe.

Philippines’ Duterte tells police, soldiers not to cooperate in any drug war probe
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Western countries and rights groups have expressed alarm over the killing by police of more than 4,000 Filipinos since Duterte took office in June 2016, plus hundreds more killings of drug users by unknown gunmen.

“When it comes to human rights, or whoever rapporteur it is, my order to you: Do not answer. Do not bother,” Duterte said in a speech before elite armed police units in his home city of Davao late Thursday.

“And who are you to interfere in the way I would run my country? You know very well that we are being swallowed by drugs,” Duterte added.

The Philippines on Tuesday welcomed a United Nations investigation into Duterte’s signature anti-narcotics campaign, but not if it is conducted by the current UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, who Manila has accused of bias and of not being qualified.

An International Criminal Court prosecutor has opened a preliminary examination into a complaint accusing Duterte and top officials of crimes against humanity in the anti-drugs campaign. Duterte says he welcomes that and is willing to “rot in jail” to protect Filipinos.

Human rights advocates have said many of the police killings in the drugs war have been executions. Police deny the allegations, saying they had to use deadly force because the suspects were armed and had resisted arrest.

Despite criticism of the Philippine leader’s bloody anti-narcotics campaign, Duterte remains wildly popular and is the country’s most trusted public official, according to opinion polls.


More than 100 drug suspects have been killed since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to rejoin his “war on drugs,” an official said Saturday.

More than 100 killed since Philippine police returned to Duterte’s drug war
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Duterte was elected in 2016 on a promise to eradicate drugs, and launched an unprecedented campaign in which — rights activists allege — as many as 12,000 people have been killed.

Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao confirmed that 102 drug suspects were killed by police between December 5 — when Duterte ordered the force to rejoin the drug war — and March 1.

In October last year, the president had announced that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency would replace the police in counter-narcotics operations following mounting public opposition, including rare street protests.

But Duterte, 72, also repeatedly said the anti-drug agency, with only around 2,000 officers, would not be able to effectively conduct the crackdown.

He eventually ordered the police back into the anti-drug campaign without any major reform of the force.

Bulalacao could not give comparative figures for the death toll before December 5, but according to figures released separately by the government, 4,021 “drug personalities” were killed between June 2016 — when Duterte took office — and February 8 this year.

Activists allege that around 12,000 people have been killed in the drug war, many of them by shadowy vigilantes, and warn that the fiery president may be carrying out a crime against humanity.

In early February, the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court said she had opened a “preliminary examination” into the alleged abuses.

In recent weeks, the Philippine government has said it is willing to let a UN Special Rapporteur into the country to look into the accusations.

But the foreign secretary has called for fairness in the investigation, and Duterte has told police and the military to not cooperate with the rapporteur.

“If they ask you about wrongdoing, do not answer. And if they ask you why, tell them: we have a commander in chief,” Duterte told police and soldiers on Thursday.

Asked about this remark, Bulalacao said that if international investigators approach the police, “we shall refer this matter to the higher authorities.”
 
A UN special rapporteur, a former Philippine lawmaker and four former Catholic priests are among more than 600 alleged communist guerrillas the Philippines wants declared “terrorists,” according to a government petition filed in court.

Philippines seeks ‘terrorist’ tag for 600 alleged communist guerrillas Thursday 8 March 2018
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The justice ministry last month announced it wanted a Manila court to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), “terrorist” organizations, but made no mention of individuals it would also target.

The petition, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, suggests President Rodrigo Duterte is following through on his threats to destroy a movement that he now regards as duplicitous.

Within weeks of taking office in July 2016, he freed some communist leaders and put leftists in his cabinet, to show his commitment to finding a permanent solution to a five-decade conflict.

But he abandoned the process in November after what he said were repeated attacks by the NPA while talks were going on.

The petition said the rebels were “using acts of terror” to sow fear and panic to overthrow the government.

Duterte has been venting his fury at the Maoists almost on a daily basis and considers them as much of a security threat as a plethora of domestic Islamist militant groups that have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

By declaring the groups and individuals terrorists, the government would be able to monitor them closer, track finances and restrict their access to resources, among other things.

The petition included Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, appointed in 2014 as UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, who was listed as a senior member of the Maoist rebel group. Tauli-Corpuz declined to comment on the petition until she had seen it.

Four former Catholic priests were also named in the case, including Frank Fernandez, whom the government said was an NPA leader in the central Philippines. There was no immediate comment from Fernandez.

The petition included 18 top leaders of the communist party as central committee members, including founder Jose Maria Sison and peace negotiator Luis Jalandoni, both based in The Netherlands for three decades.

Sison was a mentor of Duterte when he was at university. They are now bitter rivals, with seemingly no limit on the ferocity of their rebukes of each other.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the Maoist rebellion. Negotiations have been on and off since being brokered by Norway in 1986.

Former congressman Satur Ocampo, who has a pending criminal case for his involvement in the murder of suspected military spies in the communist movements in the 1980s, was also on the list. Ocampo said he would challenge any “terrorist” label.


Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that he will declare a state of calamity in world-famous Boracay island amid continuing environmental concerns.

Philippines to declare state of calamity at Boracay island Thursday 8 March 2018
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Twice named as the best island in the world in Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, Boracay has been a popular destination with tourists who are drawn to its white, talcum-powder fine sands and warm, crystalline waters.

In recent years urban and environmental planners have been warning of environmental degradation at the resort which in 2017 posted a record 2,001,974 tourist arrivals.

In February, the president himself labelled Boracay a “cesspool,” describing its waters as “smelly.”

“You go into the water, it’s smelly. Smell of what? Shit,” Duterte said. He then ordered Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to clean up Boracay within six months.

Following the president’s directive, a “mission team” was deployed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to serve notices to establishments initially found to have violated environmental laws.

Members of the team likewise went to check if the establishments are properly connected to the main sewer lines or have their own wastewater treatment facilities, at the same time, identify those directly discharging untreated wastewater into Boracay waters.

Reports indicate that over 60 establishments, including five-star resorts, were found draining their untreated sewage water directly into the sea.

In his speech during the oath-taking of new government officials in Malacanang on Tuesday, the president announced that he was placing Boracay under a state of calamity.

He explained that this action would allow the government to extend assistance to those who are displaced financially.

Interior and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge Eduardo Ano has been put under orders by Duterte to “put an end” to Boracay’s problem in six months.

The president appealed to the public to work with the government to clean the island.

Meanwhile, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III declared his support for a plan to close some parts of Boracay to tourists from June 1 to July 31.

“We must carefully assess the damage to the local environment and take the necessary steps for the clean-up. The process is more easily done and more effective if there are no tourists around,” Pimentel said.

He added that while he understood the difficulty involved in closing the island for two months, he added: “It will be good in the long run for all stakeholders, including the tourists who are there for the natural beauty of the island.”

He noted that closing tourist destinations to preserve them is nothing new, as Thailand closed Koh Tachai island in May 2016 when record numbers of tourists threatened the natural environment.
 
The UN Human Rights Office has been following Rodrigo Duterte's controversial war on drugs, which they believe has led to the death of thousands of people suspected of having ties to drug cartels.

Duterte 'Needs Psychiatric Evaluation' - UN Human Rights Head 09.03.2018
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201803091062369905-duterte-needs-psychiatric-evaluation/

It makes one believe that the president of the Philippines needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric evaluation," UN Human Rights Office High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said, commenting on the recent accusations against UN human rights officials coming from Manila.

The name of one of the UN human rights experts, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, recently appeared among 600 others in a government petition filed last month in a Manila court. Those named in the document are accused of terrorism and alleged membership of the New People’s Army and the Communist Party of the Philippines.

According to her colleagues, the accusations came after her public criticism of killings and attacks on the Lumad people by members of the Philippine armed forces in Mindanao.

Duterte has been waging a large-scale war against drug-traffickers in the Philippines since June 2016, in accordance with his election promises. According to various reports, some 4,000-8,000 have been killed in its wake, many of whom are believed to have been killed extra-judicially.


MANILA: Human rights groups on Friday denounced a petition by the Philippine government seeking to declare more than 600 alleged communist members as terrorists.

Human rights groups slam Philippine government’s list of 'terrorists' Friday 9 March 2018
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The petition was filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), through Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, at a regional court in Manila on Feb. 21.

Lawyer Farah Decano, former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) — Pangasinan chapter, said instantly tagging those on the list as terrorists was like convicting them without trial.

“To say they are terrorists means that they are criminals because terrorism is a criminal offense. We have an antiterrorism law. If you just brand them as criminals, then they are being denied due process,” Decano told Arab News.

“In fact before we call a person a criminal, they have to be first convicted after trial. So to tag them as terrorists wholesale without due process, there is a violation,” she said.

Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights), accused the Duterte administration of sowing fear among its critics with the filing of the petition.

There is no doubt (it) is an effort to sow fear and panic among Duterte’s supposed detractors, subjectively prepare the public for more intense political repression, and be the front act of a crackdown against the dictator wannabe’s critics,” Palabay said in an email to Arab News.

The names in the 55-page petition included long-time leaders of the communist movement such as Netherlands-based Jose Maria Sison and Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.

Sison, former professor of President Rodrigo Duterte, founded the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in 1969. Tauli-Corpuz is known for advocating for the rights of indigenous people in the Philippines. The latter has denied the allegation, calling it “baseless, malicious and irresponsible.”

According to Palabay, the inclusion of Corpuz’s name on the list is a “clear case of reprisal from Malacanang” (the official residence and workplace of the Philippines president), as the UN special rapporteurs expressed concern over possible cases of human rights violations due to the imposition of martial law in Mindanao.

Palabay added the list is a take-off from the Order of Battle (OB) lists of previous administrations. She recalled that persons listed on the OB “often ended up arrested based on false charges, incarcerated and even tortured, missing or killed.”

“Not only do such lists incite human rights violations, they also legitimize and make normal to the public the government’s abuse of power in suppressing dissent and decimating the supposed enemies of the state,” she said.

The KARAPATAN leader also said that the list was “severely defective as it contains scores of aliases (aka), John and Jane Does so any person can be added later” — and names of paramilitary group members have allegedly been presented and paid as surrenderees.

“On the whole, DOJ’s proscription petition is dubious and a maneuver meant to harass, target and criminalize persons in progressive organizations,” she said.

A dispatch from the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) called the petition a “virtual hit-list” and accused the Philippine government of “putting at grave risk” more than 600 people by labeling them as members of the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

Carlos Conde, HRW Asia division researcher, said that the suit appears to stem from a proclamation signed by Duterte last December that branded the CPP and NPA as terrorist groups. The signing of the proclamation followed the collapse of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the communist group.

In January, Duterte announced he that would “go after the legal fronts” — the left-wing groups that allegedly support the NPA.


MANILA: A Philippine police official says an alleged former commander of Daesh in Syria, who was arrested recently in Manila, will not be freed even after a prosecutor dropped criminal complaints of illegal possession of explosives against him.

Philippine police say Arab militant suspect won’t be freed Saturday 10 March 2018
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Metropolitan Manila police director Oscar Albayalde said Friday that Fehmi Lassoued, who had a fake Tunisian passport when arrested in his Manila apartment last month, was too dangerous to be let loose and would continue to be detained for violating immigration laws.

Police filed criminal complaints against Lassoued and his Filipino girlfriend after they reported finding a pistol and bomb-making materials in the couple’s apartment during a Feb. 16 raid. A prosecutor, however, dismissed the complaints this week, doubting the police allegation.
 
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has announced the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over investigations into alleged human rights abuses in his war on drugs.

Duterte pulls Philippines out of International Criminal Court over drugs war probe Wednesday 14 March 2018
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Duterte announced on Wednesday that the Philippines would withdraw ratification of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, “effective immediately.”

The ICC has begun preliminary investigations into Duterte in connection with human rights violations in the country’s crackdown on drugs. The campaign has caused thousands of deaths since 2016.

In a statement released to reporters, Duterte said: “There appears to be a concerted effort on the part of the United Nations special rapporteurs to paint him as a ruthless and heartless violator of human rights who allegedly caused thousands of extrajudicial killings.” Duterte said the ICC’s “premature announcement” of a preliminary investigation created the impression that he would be charged with serious crimes under its jurisdiction.

“All these acts are in violation of due process and constitutional presumption of innocence,” he said. “The attempt to place me under jurisdiction of ICC is a brazen display of ignorance of the law. The ICC has no jurisdiction nor will it acquire jurisdiction over my person,” Duterte said. He said that the Rome Statute to which the Philippines is a signatory “is not effective nor enforceable in the Philippines.”

The Philippines ratified the Rome Statute in 2011.

Duterte said that “an international law cannot supplant, prevail or diminish a domestic law.” “The acts allegedly committed by me are neither genocide nor war crimes. Neither is it a crime of aggression or a crime against humanity,” he said.

Article 127 of the Rome Statute provides that “a state may, by written notification addressed to the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN), withdraw from this statute.” The withdrawal “shall take effect one year after the date of receipt of the notification, unless the notification specifies a later date.”

Stephen Cutler, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation legal envoy, told Arab News that Duterte’s position will have to be argued before the ICC.


The Philippines said on Thursday its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) could be “the beginning of the end” for the institution, as more countries would follow suit and non-members would be discouraged from joining.

Philippines says its exit marks ‘beginning of the end’ for International Criminal Court Thursday 15 March 2018
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The announcement to withdraw comes five weeks after a court prosecutor said a preliminary examination had been opened into President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs, to look into whether crimes against humanity had been committed.

But according to Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, that examination “violates the very fundamental basis by which we gave our consent to be bound by the ICC.” ICC prosecutors have yet to comment on the announcement.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Duterte said UN special rapporteurs were trying to “paint me as a ruthless and heartless violator of human right,” and the ICC had acted prematurely and created the impression he would be charged with serious crimes.

Roque said Duterte believes there is a “conspiracy” among lobby groups and the United Nations, to which he said the ICC is perceived to be allied, and wants to indict him “in the court of public opinion.”
“The ICC has lost a strong ally in Asia,” Roque told a media briefing.

“No new countries will join because we are recognized as probably the number one defender of human rights and democracy in the world,” added Roque, a lawyer and prominent advocate for the Philippines joining the ICC in 2011.

Duterte’s opponents wasted no time in accusing him of flip-flopping, pointing out that he had repeatedly dared the ICC to indict him and said he would “rot in jail” to defend a war on drugs during which police have killed thousands of people.

They said Duterte’s decision was an admission of guilt and a sign that he was panicking.

Human rights and jurist groups condemned him for what they saw as an attempt to evade justice and accountability, and said a withdrawal was pointless, because jurisdiction applied retroactively, for the period of membership.

In an interview with ANC news channel early on Thursday, Roque warned of an “avalanche of other states leaving.”

“This is the beginning of the end of the court,” he said, adding that the ICC would have no jurisdiction over the Philippines, and it was unlikely Duterte would ever be handed over to the court.

Presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said Duterte felt the ICC had become “a tool of oppression, a tool of harassment.”

Jude Sabio, the lawyer who filed the ICC complaint last year, told ANC that the issue of an arrest warrant for the president would be a “big triumph of justice.”


A Filipino official says the Philippines and Kuwait have failed to conclude a migrant labor protection pact after two days of talks sparked by last month’s discovery of a dead Filipino housemaid in an apartment freezer there.

Ban on Filipinos going to work in Kuwait stays as talks fail Friday 16 March 2018
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Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III told reporters Friday that a ban on Filipino workers going to Kuwait will continue indefinitely after negotiators failed to conclude a labor pact after the talks in Manila.
They agreed to hold more talks later.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said the ban won’t be lifted until Filipino workers are given better protection in Kuwait and justice is served for the death of the woman, Joana Demafelis.


A bilateral agreement to provide protection to Filipino workers will be signed soon by the Philippine and Kuwaiti governments.

Philippines, Kuwait agree on migrant labor protection pact Friday 16 March 2018
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Philippines Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that after a brief impasse in the two-day negotiations held in Manila, officials from both countries finally concurred on a draft migrant labor protection pact Friday evening.

In a telephone interview, Bello said the brief impasse was due to two remaining ticklish issues - one addressing the issue on OFW (overseas Filipino worker) passports being withheld by employers, and the second about employment contracts.

Bello said that while the Kuwaiti officials agreed to the Philippine government’s proposal that passports of Filipino workers should be deposited at the Philippine embassy and not withheld by employers, they (Kuwaiti officials) did not want this to be put in writing.

“But we insisted on putting that in the agreement. Finally they agreed,” Bello told Arab News.

“The other issue is that they wanted the employment contract to follow the Kuwaiti standard contract form. We did not agree. Eventually we had a neutral formulation that the contract will be drafted upon the joint agreement of Philippines and Kuwaiti,” said Bello.

That way, the employment contract will be in accordance with Philippine laws, he explained.

Other provisions of the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is the $400 net-per-month salary of OFWs, with the employer opening a bank account where the salary of the worker will be deposited. This will be proof that the worker is being paid.

It was also agreed that an OFW must give a written consent in case of transfer from one employer to another, and the transfer must also be approved in writing by the Philippine labor attaché.

Bello said the Kuwaiti ambassador to the Philippines will see him on Monday morning to discuss and decide on the date and venue of the signing of the agreement and who will be the signatories.

Usually the signatories are the head of the Kuwait Ministry of Labor and the Philippines’ secretary of labor, Bello said. He said the signing of the MoU would be easier and swifter if it were between the labor ministers of both countries. “Then probably we can schedule the signing next week,” he said.

At the same time, Bello said the signing of the pact will not guarantee the lifting of the ban on deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait.

“If you recall, the president imposed two conditions (for the lifting of the ban). First is that we have an agreement with Kuwait and second, Joanna (Demafelis) will be given justice. So we’ll have to wait for that,” said Bello.

It was the discovery of Demafelis’ body stuffed in a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait that triggered the ban on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait. Bello, however, said that this ban will not affect the Philippines-Kuwait relationship.


MANILA, Philippines: A small passenger plane carrying five people crashed into a house shortly after takeoff north of Manila on Saturday and killed all those onboard and four people on the ground, officials said.

9 dead as small plane slams into house in Philippines Saturday 17 March 2018
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The Piper-23 Apache plane took off from the airport in Plaridel town in Bulacan province then crash-landed Saturday for a still-unknown reason and smashed into a house, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesman Eric Apolonio and police said.

All five Filipinos on board the six-seat plane were killed, and the crash killed four people on the ground, Plaridel police chief Supt. Julio Lizardo said by phone. The crash ignited a fire in a house that was hit by the aircraft, he said. Two other people on the ground were injured by burning debris, Lizardo said.

TV footage showed parts of the plane wreckage and the shattered walls of the house at the still-smoldering crash site.

Rescuers were looking for at least 1 missing person in the rubble of the house.

Apolonio said the aircraft, which was operated by Lite Air Express, was bound for northern Laoag city. All the aircraft operated by the transport and courier company were grounded while investigators tried to determine the cause of the crash, he said.
 
6 Apr, 2018 - Here's why the Philippines may become ISIS' next caliphate
Here's why the Philippines may become ISIS' next caliphate

There are many indications that ISIS, or ISIS-inspired entities, are looking to renew their armed insurgency in the Philippines. As is typically the case, wherever ISIS goes, the US military is not too far behind.

Not many people will be aware that aside from the fact that peace-prize-laureate Barack Obama was bombing at least seven predominantly Muslim countries in the Middle East at any given time during his presidency, he was also secretly drone-bombing the Philippines, as well. Obama's drone campaign, of course, was widely regarded as one of the most effective recruitment tool for groups like ISIS (incidentally, a group now growing from strength to strength in the Philippines).

In fact, Operation Enduring Freedom Philippines, launched not long after the September 11 attacks rocked the United States in 2001 (and ending in 2014), is considered the largest US counterterrorism effort in the Pacific theater.

When an ISIS-inspired insurgency in the Philippines made headlines last year, the US military assisted the country's authorities in its crackdown not long after. Shockingly enough, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte did not actually expressly authorize America's renewed involvement in its country, having long signaled a greater desire to turn away from the United States and focus more on rebuilding relationships with rising giants Russia and China.

This paradigm which sees Duterte saying one thing while the Philippines' military continues to do another can be seen even to the present day. Not too long ago, the US gifted six Boeing Insitu ScanEagle drones to the Philippines (for free), approved via a US grant of over $13 million. At around the same time, Duterte was making announcements of his own, independent of these transactions, stating that he would not allow Filipino troops to be dragged into any more US-led wars unless there is a direct threat against the Philippines. He even stated that his country had received nothing from "all these years of sacrifice" on behalf of the United States other than "brutality and agony."

It appears that Duterte would prefer any means of battling extremism in his country other than relying on the US military. He even suggested arming civilians with "high-powered guns" – a strategy far too wild for even someone like Donald Trump.

US-Philippines Relationship Endures
From America's point of view, however, the US-Philippines relationship continues unabated, and is growing stronger as time goes on.

"The Philippines and United States governments remain steadfast in their alliance and are committed to countering radicalization and violent extremism in the Philippines and Southeast Asia," Marine Lt. Pentagon spokesman Col. Christopher Logan stated at the end of last year, according to the Military Times. "To support these efforts, and at the request of the government of the Philippines, we have enhanced our comprehensive counterterrorism cooperation that supports the Philippine Security Forces."

Over the past eight years, the US has allegedly spent over $1 billion in foreign assistance to the Philippines, including over $85 million in counterterrorism related equipment, training and support to local forces.

Conveniently for the US, always itching to intervene in countries that maintain undeniable geopolitical significance, ISIS and other ISIS-inspired groups are beginning to regather their momentum in the country, which in turn will require a response of its own.

Not only are there now reportedly 23 armed groups inside the country operating under the banner of "ISIS Philippines," but the US State Department also added ISIS Philippines and six other Islamist extremist groups to the US list of designated terrorists in February this year.

Not to mention that in mid-March, fighting broke out between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), reportedly killing at least 44 militants in the process. This group has also pledged its allegiance to ISIS, and if the media and the military are to be believed, this group did not actually engage the military in this particular scenario but were in fact pounced upon by the AFP on the southern island of Mindanao.

As ISIS is driven out of its caliphate in Iraq and Syria, reports have already emerged that these foreign fighters are arriving in the Philippines with the intent of recruiting and attacking Filipino towns. At the end of February this year, Philippines military officials warned that ISIS had gathered a small force of approximately 200 fighters in Mindanao with the aim of establishing its new caliphate, which would then be used as a launch pad for further attacks inside the country.

How on earth did ISIS establish itself in the Philippines?
There are two answers to this important question. The first one involves a much-needed historical review of the Philippines and its long endured battle against different colonial powers.

Last year, the main entity battling Philippines' forces was not actually ISIS, but was a group known as the Maute. The Maute is composed of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas as well as foreign fighters. The MILF movement actually evolved out of a separatist movement with the intention of establishing an independent Islamic state for the Filipino Muslim minority, who has endured centuries of clashes with the Spanish, American, and Philippines governments that have done nothing but oppress and marginalize them. According to one Muslim separatist, if the Philippines does not allow Muslim areas greater autonomy, the fighting is likely to continue to rock the Philippines for some time.

The second answer involves the wider geopolitical struggle taking place inside the Middle East. There are at least 1,200 Southeast Asians that have joined ISIS' ranks in the wider Middle East region, including at least 200 Filipinos.

One WikiLeaks cable described how, already known to the authorities, the Philippines has what is regarded as "lax" border control, particularly in Mindanao's southern backdoor, enabling "criminals and terrorist financiers to come and go with impunity."

Another WikiLeaks cable details how Philippines officials were concerned about Saudi-origin terrorist financing coming into the Philippines. One other WikiLeaks cable affirmed Saudi businessmen were involved in concealing the transfer of Al-Qaeda funding to the infamous Abu Sayyaf Group, which is responsible for the largest terrorist attack on Philippines soil in recent history.

Of course, we already know that Saudi Arabia has for years spent billions of dollars"investing heavily in building mosques, madrasas, schools, and Sunni cultural centers across the Muslim world," according to The Week. One separatist explained how in the Philippines, these madrasas are then used to teach young Muslims an extremist interpretation of the Koran.

We also know from Hillary Clinton’s leaked emails that Saudi Arabia is one of ISIS' prime sponsors. Not to mention that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman just publicly admitted that Saudi Arabia did indeed knowingly spread Wahhabism – the same strain of Islam that ISIS uses to hold the entire Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia to ransom with – but what we did not know was that this was done at the request of Saudi Arabia's Western allies in order to counter the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

A Hidden Agenda?
ISIS has a long history of travelling to places the US is vying to bomb. In Syria, the Obama administration used the pretext of ISIS' rise to power as a means of gaining backdoor access to bomb Syrian territory, having previously been denied this opportunity in 2013. Within Iraq and Syria, the US allowed ISIS to move from place to place freely, up until it decided the jihadists had landed at a location the US was happy to reclaim for themselves. For those of you who don't believe this, consider that the US granted safe passageway to thousands of ISIS fighters fleeing Raqqa so that they could travel on to Deir ez-Zor, Syria's most oil rich region. The US military is now refusing to leave Deir ez-Zor, even bombing pro-government forces that get too close to comfort (the territory after all belongs to Syria, not the US and its allies on the ground).

If the US has ulterior motives, or has any hand in allowing ISIS to regain and regroup inside the Philippines as has been the case in Iraq and Syria, we can be sure that the real issue lies with the Philippines' growing fondness for Russia and China; as well as Duterte's defiant attitude towards Washington, who even invited the CIA to assassinate him at one point. For example, in October last year, three Russian warships, including two anti-submarine vessels arrived in Manila to unload weaponry and military vehicles also donated to the Philippines from Russia.

These types of developments are a deal-breaker for the United States, who wants a unipolar world in which it can rely on its allies to contain and counter both Russia and China (in turn, these allies are to rely on the US for military support only). As the world moves on and becomes more and more sick and tired of American foreign policy, even the United States' more traditional allies are finding a soft spot of their own for the growing prowess of the Eastern bloc, as America's influence continues to diminish.
 
May, 30, 2018 - Philippine Congress Passes Autonomy Bill for Muslim Region
Philippine Congress Passes Autonomy Bill for Muslim Region - Tasnim News Agency

The Philippines moved a step closer on Wednesday to ending decades of conflict on its resource-rich island of Mindanao, after lawmakers approved a bill that will eventually allow self-rule for the country’s Muslim minority.

Lower house lawmakers voted 227 to 11, with 2 abstentions, to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), seen as key to forging lasting peace with separatist rebels and thwarting the rise of extremism in the nation’s poorest region.

The bill is the result of a 2014 peace deal between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government to end nearly 50 years of conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced 2 million.

It outlines the process to set up a self-administered territory in an area sometimes referred to as Bangsamoro (nation of Moros), encompassing mountains, islands and jungles that is home to at least 4 million people, mostly Muslim.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who was the mayor of a city on the southern island for 22 years, has stressed the importance of getting the legislation passed and certified it as an urgent bill on Tuesday to get it approved before a house recess on June 2.

The 22-member Senate has committed to Duterte to pass its counterpart version soon, before a panel of both houses combines both drafts in a version for the president’s final approval, Reuters reported.

The previous administration met numerous hurdles and failed to pass the bill, fueling resentment and mistrust among many minority Muslims.

Duterte has warned that another failure could be disastrous and play into the hands of extremist groups like Daesh (ISIL or ISIS), which inspired a militant alliance to seize Marawi City last year for five months.

The battle for Marawi was the biggest the Philippines has seen since World War Two and stoked wider concerns that Daesh had ambitions to turn Mindanao into a base for its operations in Southeast Asia.

Hundreds of people were killed in Marawi, more than 350,000 were displaced and half the city was left in ruins. Martial law is still in force across Mindanao.

Though some militants who fought in Marawi were former MILF members, the group has denounced radicalism and has a good relationship with Duterte.

Mindanao, an island the size of South Korea, is the Philippines’ most underdeveloped region, but is home to most of its nickel mines and biggest fruit farms, besides vast tracts of land the government wants to convert into palm oil plantations.

But its notorious clan wars, lawlessness and conflicts with Muslim and communist rebel groups have kept investors at bay.

Once signed into law, Bangsamoro will have its own executive, legislature and fiscal powers, but the central government will continue to oversee defense, security, foreign affairs, and monetary policy.
 
This called my attention today:

Duterte will ‘go to war’ if China crosses ‘red lines,’ Philippine FM claims
Duterte will ‘go to war’ if China crosses ‘red lines,’ Philippine FM claims

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is ready to go to war with Beijing if it crosses ‘red lines’ and unilaterally claims natural resources in the disputed South China Sea, the country’s foreign minister has warned.

The Philippines will go to war to protect its rights in the South China Sea, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano noted, somewhat contradicting President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy of avoiding any confrontation with their neighbor.

“If anyone gets the natural resources in the West Philippine Sea, he [Duterte] will go to war,” Cayetano said on Monday.

“He said, ‘Bahala na.’ (meaning come what may) [But] he will go to war,” Cayetano repeated, outlining 'red lines' amid a simmering territorial dispute with Beijing, which continues to ignore the 2016 international arbitration ruling that said “there was no legal basis” for China to claim historic rights in the South China Sea.

Manila's red lines include any Chinese construction at the Scarborough Shoal or any effort to remove a dilapidated Philippine warship, the BRP Sierra Madre, from Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands. “Another red line is that nobody will get natural resources there on their own,” Cayetano added.

“Our soldiers should not be harassed when they deliver supplies or when they repair the runways” on Spratly’s Thitu Island, the largest of the Philippine-administered territories in the disputed region, he added. Last year, the island became the scene of a stand-off between Chinese and Philippine vessels when a Chinese fleet blocked a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship from approaching the area.

At the same time, the chief diplomat challenged all critics of the government’s allegedly weak policy to provide a single example of when the Philippines lost sovereignty over even a single inch of its territory to China. “If we lost a single island during Duterte’s time, I will pack my bags, go home,” Cayetano stated.

After becoming president nearly two years ago, President Rodrigo Duterte has made every effort to seek rapprochement and cooperation with China, and he has refused to firmly enforce the 2016 Hague tribunal ruling, despite strong domestic criticism over the country’s South China Sea policy. On a number of occasions, Duterte has openly explained that a military conflict with China would be suicidal for his country.

If we go to a full-blown war, where would the Philippines end up? Why would I give away the lives of my soldiers and policemen in a battle which I cannot win?” Duterte said earlier this month.

Instead of a confrontation, Duterte advocates a joint exploration of the natural resources with the Chinese. “China and the Philippines should continue to properly address the South China Sea issue and explore cooperation in joint exploitation and development at an appropriate time, making the South China Sea a sea of cooperation and friendship,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated last month after Duterte met with Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Maybe they are just some harsh words as Duterte himself speaks from time to time. But I thought it'd be good to keep Cayetano's posture in mind for future statements/developments.
 
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte may have just marked his second year of a six-year term, rattling the world and his country with controversial statements and policies. Though still popular, he’s facing more discontent.

1 Jul, 2018 - Duterte marks two years in power, but will he make six?
Duterte marks two years in power, but will he make six?

Duterte’s staunch critics, association of leftist and progressive groups, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) said the president has “become isolated domestically and internationally” in the two years since he took office and is unlikely finish his term forced out “by way of a surge in anti-fascist protest actions or some other means.”

Part of that alliance Communist Party, which Duterte calls “terrorists,” people are growing tired of Duterte’s strict government policies, “deepening crisis and oppression,” and controversial comments made towards other nations and their leaders, that push the country’s “national dignity to the lowest levels.”

It’s true Duterte has made many controversial moves and statements since he was elected president in 2016, carving out a reputation for himself as one of Asia’s most outspoken and outrageous leaders.

Just this week, Duterte turned down requests from Christian groups to apologize for making fun of the biblical story of creation. “Who is this stupid God? You created something perfect and then you think of an event that would destroy the quality of your work,” the 73-year-old told an audience in Davao City on June 22.

In March, Canadians joined the growing list of people Duterte has publicly (and colorfully) criticized, including Barack Obama and Kim Jong-un, whom he called a “chubby fool.

His campaign promise to eradicate the country’s illegal drug trade sparked a nationwide ‘war on drugs’ which claimed the lives of over 4,000 people – but human rights groups claim the figure could be at least three times higher.

Also working against Duterte is the Philippines economy, which transformed itself from the “sick man of Asia to one of the region’s strongest players over the past decade, only to recede once again. The currency is the weakest its been in 12 years, foreign investment is down 51 percent, and the country’s trade deficit is the highest it has been in 18 years at $2.5 billion, according to Forbes.

Last month, the president himself called himself “useless” after a Social Weather Stations survey noted a 12-point decline from a similar poll taken at the end of 2017. While Duterte still held a public satisfaction rating of 69 percent, the survey also noted that 1.5 million families reported being victims of common crime.

Duterte used the shocking statistic as proof that the Philippines is “crime-ridden”:

If this is the case, I’m useless. I’ll ask you to join me. Let’s just resign,” he said before a group of newly-elected village officials.

Later, Duterte again pledged to resign in a typical controversial manner.“If there are enough women to... Well I think if all women here would sign a petition for me to resign, I will resign,” he said.
 
Videos appeared on social media showing Philippine mayor of Tanauan city in Batangas province south of Manila was shot and killed by a sharp shooter during a flag-raising ceremony in front of hundreds of people on Monday.

July, 02, 2018 - Philippine City Mayor Shot Dead as Singing National Anthem
Philippine City Mayor Shot Dead as Singing National Anthem (+Video) - Tasnim News Agency

The Philippine mayor Antonio Halili who paraded drug suspects in public but was alleged to have ties with drug dealers was killed by a sniper Monday in an attack during a flag-raising ceremony in front of hundreds of horrified employees and village leaders.

According to a report by AP, the apparent lone gunshot felled Mayor of Tanauan city as he and about 300 employees and newly elected village leaders sang the national anthem in a parking lot outside the city hall. The gunman escaped, police officials and witnesses said.

Cellphone video shot by Alcazar shows a few men standing around the fallen Halili as gunfire rings out continuously and people cry, scream, run and take cover during the melee. A man yells, 'The mayor is dead, the mayor was shot,' and another desperately calls for a car to take Halili to the hospital. A third man starts blaming his companions for the security breach.

Two years ago, Halili ordered drug suspects to be paraded in public in Tanauan, a small city about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Manila, in a campaign that was dubbed "walks of shame." The suspects were forced to wear cardboard signs that read "I'm a pusher, don't emulate me" in a campaign that alarmed human rights officials.

Police officials, however, also linked Halili to illegal drugs, an allegation he strongly denied. He said at the time that he would resign and would be willing to be publicly paraded as a drug suspect if police could come up with evidence to support the allegation.

Investigators are trying to determine if the killing was linked to Halili's anti-drug campaign.
 
18.08.2018 - 'Who Are You to Warn Us?' Duterte Rebukes US Advice Not to Buy Russian Subs
'Who Are You to Warn Us?' Duterte Rebukes US Advice Not to Buy Russian Subs

During a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in early August, Philippine Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano pledged that Manila would not turn down the opportunity to purchase Russian military equipment even in the face of possible US sanctions.

During a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in early August, Philippine Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano pledged that Manila would not turn down the opportunity to purchase Russian military equipment even in the face of possible US sanctions.

"Is that the way you treat an ally and you want us to stay with you for all time? Who are you to warn us?" he pointed out.

Duterte added that if the Philippines buys a submarine from the US, it will "implode, just like the helicopters" that it earlier purchased.

The criticism came after US Assistant Defense Secretary for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver cautioned Manila against purchasing Russian military hardware.

"If they were to proceed with purchasing major Russian equipment, I don't think that's a helpful thing to do [in our] alliance and I think ultimately we can be a better partner than the Russians can be," Schriver said.

He made the remarks amid media reports that Moscow had offered the Philippine government its help in purchasing Russian submarines and that Manila is currently considering the proposal.

The deal, in particular, stipulates the allocation of a subsidized loan to Manila, which would be repaid over several years.

At a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on August 2, Philippine Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano said that Manila would not give up the idea of buying Russian weapons even in the face of possible US sanctions against Manila.

During his visit to Russia in 2017, President Duterte expressed Manila's interest in advanced Russian weapons, including helicopters, planes, as well as precision-guided weapons to help combat the threat of terrorism.
 
August 17, 2018 - Philippine president’s bodyguards trained by Russia’s federal protection service — envoy
Philippine president’s bodyguards trained by Russia’s federal protection service — envoy

Russia’s Federal Protection Service (FSO) has trained bodyguards for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and plans to provide training to Philippine navy officers, Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said in an interview with TASS.

According to the Philippine diplomat, training of military personnel is conducted under the military technical cooperation between Moscow and Manila. "It’s part of our defense cooperation agreement, the creation of working groups who will discuss the details and part of their agenda is training," he said.

He said that the agreement provides for various short-term courses. "For example the FSO, the federal protection service, they trained the soldiers who protect our president," he said, adding that long-term programs provide for training of navy officers. These plans were announced after a meeting between Russian Navy Commander Admiral Vladimir Korolev and his Philippine counterpart, Robert Empedrad, during the celebrations of Russia’s Navy Day in St. Petersburg.

"When this will start? I hope, soon, because they have to start learning Russian first," Sorreta said, adding that Moscow and Manila may set up working groups that will be tasked to draft a memorandum of understanding in concrete sectors, such as aviation, navy, land troops, etc.

The two countries’ Defense Ministers, Sergei Shoigu of Russia and Delfin Lorenzana of the Philippines, signed a military technical cooperation on October 24, 2017. Under the agreement, Russia has supplied the Philippines with a batch of grenade launchers.

At his meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on the sidelines of an APEC summit in Da Nang in November 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that Russian was ready to develop relations with the Philippines, "including defense and military technical cooperation."

In an interview with TASS in early 2018, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovayev said that the contract for grenade launchers could be followed by others.
 
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is thinking of dumping his smartphone over fears that the CIA is constantly eavesdropping on his conversations and might use his private information to eventually assassinate him.

13950904000404_PhotoI.jpg


Wed Aug 22, 2018 - ‘CIA Is Listening, May Kill Me’: Philippines President Mulls Ditching His Smartphone
Farsnews

“I know, the US is listening. I’m sure it’s the CIA, it’s also the one who will kill me,” Duterte said in Cebu City on Tuesday, rejuvenating fears that Washington may seek his demise over his independent foreign policy and willingness to obtain weapons from other global suppliers, RT reported.

To avert possible smartphone intrusion by outside powers, which Duterte said could include "Russia, China, Israel, and maybe Indonesia”, the 73-year-old leader is considering going back to using a basic cellphone, with which eavesdropping and interception is harder.

Noting that he is not a tech-savvy leader, he anecdotally recalled how he once sent a confidential message to all of his Viber contacts after accidentally clicking the “send all” feature.

Duterte has long feared that the CIA might be out for vengeance amid deteriorating bilateral ties with Washington. Just last Friday,
Duterte once again noted that the CIA “wanted me dead”.

Washington’s refusal to sell assault rifles to Manila, over concerns about the country’s human rights record amid its ongoing war on drugs, has forced Duterte to seek new suppliers. Manila, which has long depended on the US for weapons, turned to China and Russia to fill the gap.

Moscow and Manila signed a military cooperation agreement last year, with Russia already supplying over 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles to the Philippines for free, to help it fight Islamist insurgency. Despite pressure from the US, Duterte’s government is also considering the purchase of patrol boats, helicopters, armored vehicles and even submarines from Russia.

On Tuesday, Duterte once again defended his choice to seek new arms suppliers, after US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver asked Manila to think “very carefully” about the consequences of acquiring Russian weapons.

“You’re not just buying capability, you’re investing in a relationship,” Schriver noted earlier this month.

US-Philippines relations, however, have never been based on mutual respect, Duterte stressed, noting Washington's failure to treat Manila as an equal partner.

“Relations? When was it really a relation of mutuality and respect?” Duterte asked, stressing that while the US used to provide refurbished military equipment China and Russia offer brand-new supplies, without preconditions.
 
On Tuesday, Duterte once again defended his choice to seek new arms suppliers, after US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver asked Manila to think “very carefully” about the consequences of acquiring Russian weapons.

“You’re not just buying capability, you’re investing in a relationship,” Schriver noted earlier this month.

US-Philippines relations, however, have never been based on mutual respect, Duterte stressed, noting Washington's failure to treat Manila as an equal partner.

“Relations? When was it really a relation of mutuality and respect?” Duterte asked, stressing that while the US used to provide refurbished military equipment China and Russia offer brand-new supplies, without preconditions.


Another front where the US is losing to China and Russia. I found more info about it here: Duterte rejects ‘imposed friendship’ & questions US reputation as 'peerless' arms supplier

Despite getting no guarantees that Philippines' colonial-times 'friend' the US would ever supply him with weapons, President Duterte says he’ll meet top US officials, who want to stop him from buying arms from Russia and China.

"It's hard to say we are friends. We are friends but remember we are friends because you made us a colony years ago...It was not a friendship agreed-upon, mutually satisfying... It was a friendship imposed on us," Duterte said in Davao City after reading out a letter he received from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary James Mattis, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

In the letter, the US top officials praised the "enduring partnership built on shared history and values" and urged a meeting with the Philippines leader to convince him to buy American defense equipment. In particular, they brought up the potential sale of F-16s and helicopters, which the US officials believe the Philippines army desperately needs.

Duterte, however, slammed US bureaucrats for "dangling" their "advanced" military technology which has no use for his country. "What I need are just propeller-driven planes for anti-insurgency. We don't have any other enemies – NPA, ISIS, Abu Sayyaf. We don't need F16 and yet they dangle [it] before us after they insulted us,"he said.

Noting that the US often supplies refurbished, used and written-off arms to their "partners," Duterte recalled how they once sold Manila a batch of six helicopters, three of which crashed and killed soldiers. "We bought six helicopters. They said they're refurbished, they were used by NATO. Apparently, they were overused," the Philippine president said. "Three of the helicopters crashed, killing all my soldiers...now you are talking about procurement."

"Prove to me first that you are in utter good faith," Duterte added, noting, however, that hardly any guarantees would be good enough when US lawmakers can block arms supplies whenever they please. "I would like to remind America all of them...how sure (are they) that I will be able to get what I bought?"

The president agreed to meet the trio, but refused to travel to the US, stressing there "will never be a time I would go to America." But any talks, Duterte said, would only be possible when Washington returns three Balangiga bells, taken by the US Army as war trophies following the Balangiga massacre in 1901, during the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). After Spain ceded its longstanding colony in the Philippines to the United States, Washington only granted independence to Manila in 1946, following World War II. This month US lawmakers reportedly assured the Asian country that the bells will be returned.

"If the Balangiga bells are not returned, we don't have anything to talk about," Duterte said, stressing that the memory of the bells "still haunts everybody here because it was taken with blood and lives."

Washington's refusal to sell assault rifles to Manila, under the pretext of concerns about the country's human rights record amid its ongoing war on drugs, has forced Duterte to seek new suppliers. Manila, which has long depended on the US for weapons, turned to China and Russia to fill the gap. While both countries already supplied Manila small arms, Duterte's government is also shopping on the market for patrol boats, helicopters, armored vehicles and even submarines.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was reportedly in Russia this week, where he discussed the possible purchase of subs and other defense equipment. Noting that Manila is still "shopping and has yet to decide where to buy [submarines]," Lorenzana told reporters on Thursday that South Korea "is a candidate too."

"But the Russian-made is better and more expensive," Lorenzana said. "We are not a very rich country, we may opt for a more affordable platform. We'll see, the jury is still out."

The Mattis-Pompeo-Ross reconciliatory letter was sent after Assistant Secretary of Defense, Randall Schriver, carelessly warned Manila to think "very carefully" about the consequences of acquiring Russian weapons. "You're not just buying capability, you're investing in a relationship," Schriver said earlier this month, triggering uproar from Duterte.


To comment on the last sentence: funny he said that, probably to remind Duterte that the relationship between the Philippines and the US has historically always been flawless. :rolleyes: Next thing we know Duterte is colluding with Russia against the US. :-P

It looks like the reputation for ripping entire countries apart doesn't exactly help the US do business and such pretty words as "enduring partnership built on shared history and values" read like a cheap joke. So much eloquence and class to embellish Bull$h!t. I think Obama's speech writer may still around. ;-)
 
2018-08-27 - When it Comes to the Marcos/Aquino Rivalry, Duterte is The Philippines’ Healer
When it Comes to the Marcos/Aquino Rivalry, Duterte is The Philippines' Healer - Eurasia Future

Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte represents a clear break from the multiple pasts of Philippine leadership on many levels. Perhaps the most obvious break from the past is that unlike all of his predecessors, Duterte is from Mindanao and has never attempted to adopt the customs of the Imperial Manila elite.

Duterte’s straightforward manner of speech is that of a people’s president rather than a patrician president. In terms of his foreign policies, Duterte has uniquely broken with the colonial past and neo-colonial recent past in order to pursue modern nonalignment in order to pursue the best economic and security arrangements for his nation. But perhaps most importantly, Duterte is unique in that he has begun a process of healing among the Filipino people that ought to be discussed much more widely. At present this healing process is either denied or ignored by the mainstream media in The Philippines.

In spite of his opposition to Liberalism, Duterte paid tribute to the Ninoy Aquino on the 35th anniversary of his death. Duterte however is also remembered as the President who allowed the remains of long serving President Ferdinand Marcos to be respectfully interred at the Heroes Cemetery in 2016. It is a true pity and beyond that it is a disgrace that the mainstream media in The Philippines has ignored the duality of Duterte’s actions which indicates that as a national leader he seeks to heal the wounds between supporters of Marcos and supporters of Aquino even at a time where the heirs to both political dynasties are very much active political figures.

Duterte clearly wants his country to move into the future and one of the key things that any leader must achieve in order to peacefully accomplish this is by healing manifold wounds of the past whether they be objectively real or real enough in so far as they are perceived by those with a partisan interest.

Russia’s current and long serving President Vladimir Putin has helped heal the wounds of his country’s tumultuous 20th century by preserving both the imagery, art, nomenclature and holistic culture of the Tsarist period along with that of the Communist era. While some Russians, particularly older ones still quarrel over the pros and cons of Tsarism vis-a-vis Communism, for most Russians, Putin has made it so that the young generation is both proud of the accomplishments of all of Russia’s pasts while Russians are free to engage in debates, dialogue and discussions about the comparative virtues and vices of competing past system. This has helped Russia to focus on the future rather than have contemporary political debates shaped by tiresome questions about the past.

In South Africa, Nelson Mandela had an even more difficult task of how to reconcile the victims of Apartheid with the operators and beneficiaries of Apartheid without causing further national discord. Mandela set up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission where past victims and past aggressors could address one another without the fear of punishment and safe in the knowledge that their future freedoms would be protected by the rule of law. While South Africa has clearly developed new social challenges since Mandela left office, without Mandela’s unifying agenda, one could only image the levels of violence that the nation might have otherwise seen.

Duterte’s words and actions are similar to those of Putin and Mandela but the hysterically confrontational nature of the Philippine media which was astutely derided by Singapore’s founder Lee Kuan Yew has prevented this obvious truth from being clearly articulated before the nation. Rather than allow both Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquino to rest in peace and become figures who arouse discussion rather than emotion, the pro-Liberal mainstream media and academic elite are besotted with painting the rivalry as a kind of perpetual psychological war rather than noticing that Duterte has uniquely paid tribute to both the deceased Marcos and the deceased Aquino in spite of having very different relations with their politically active children.

A nation needn’t judge its children by the legacy of their parents even though to some extent such things are inevitable. But to the Liberal media, the very idea that someone called Marcos could likely be a future Philippine President is somehow wicked, although it is no more wicked than the idea that two Aquinos have been President over the last thirty years and that such things are equally distasteful to pro-Marcos Filipinos.

The fact of the matter is that the nation should follow Duterte in allowing both larger than life figures to rest in order for them to be discussed by rather than worshipped by their supporters and likewise, factually rather than emotionally condemned by their detractors. This would help the nation to judge the record of former President Noynoy Aquino and aspiring Vice President and possible future President Bongbong Marcos on their merits rather than on those of their fathers. While the Liberals fear a would be President Bongbong Marcos, the truth is that such a thing would be a tribute to the fact that the heirs to both families have the right to peacefully compete in democratic elections, ideally under a reformed parliamentary system where both sides could peacefully debate each other on a daily basis.

Rodrigo Duterte is a President who has set in place all of the necessary steps to foment a national leap forward into a more politically mature future that is aware of but not obsessed with its past.

Meanwhile, the Liberal media and agitating academics fail to realise that moralising constantly about the past does nothing but rape the next generation of its future.
 
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