Philippines: Rodrigo Duterte and the West

A former US sniper instructor, nicknamed "Rambo" and currently serving 20 years in prison, has been accused of being part of an even bigger conspiracy.

Ex-US Army Sniper Instructor Charged With Murder-for-Hire in the Philippines (video)
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201710181058344421-us-soldier-philippines-murder/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWL_MkjGrpg (1:24 min.)

Prosecutors say Joseph Hunter, a former US Army sergeant, who was jailed in 2016 for plotting to kill two people in Liberia in 2013, also planned a series of other contract killings for Paul Le Roux, a Zimbabwe-born organized criminal who was based in the Philippines.

Hunter now faces a life sentence over the murder-for-hire killing of a real estate agent Catherine Lee in the Philippines, as new information about the case has been revealed by the prosecution on Monday, October 16. Hunter allegedly paid hitmen Adam Samia, 43, and Carl Stillwell, 49, US$35,000 each to kill Ms. Lee, who was shot in the face in February 2012.

Both men were charged in 2015 in connection with Ms. Lee's murder and are due to go to trial in April. They are from North Carolina, where Samia was a professional bodyguard and Stillwell worked for a company who provided firearms training.

Prosecutors say Samia advertised himself as a "personal protection/security industry professional" who was trained in using all sorts of guns and had worked in the Philippines, China, Papua New Guinea and the Congo.

Acting US Attorney Joon Kim said Hunter would be brought from Leavenworth penitentiary in Kansas to New York on October 25 to face the new charges.​

Like a Tom Clancy Novel - When Hunter was arrested in Thailand in September 2013, federal prosecutor Preet Bharara said at the time the case felt like it had been "ripped from the pages of a Tom Clancy novel."

"Hunter and his cohorts turned from serving their countries as soldiers to becoming mercenaries for hire, plotting to kill a DEA agent and informant, and trafficking in massive quantities of cocaine," said Mr. Bharara.

Le Roux had been arrested in Liberia in 2012 and admitted organizing a global drugs and weapons trafficking empire and ordering various murders around the world.
 
The Philippine defense chief has declared an end to the five-month operation aimed at liberating the southern city of Marawi, which was under a siege by ISIS-affiliated militants, PressTV reported.

Marawi finally liberated from ISIS by Filipino Army
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/marawi-finally-liberated-from-isis-by.html

Speaking at an annual meeting of Southeast Asian defense ministers on Monday, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, “There are no more militants inside Marawi City.”

Lorenzana revealed that 42 bodies of the last group of ISIS that were holed up in two buildings and a mosque in the area were recovered.

“Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes [ISIS] and they were caught in one building so there was a firefight, so they were finished,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte on October 17 first declared the liberation of Marawi despite the military at the time saying it was still battling with militants.

ISIS first stormed and took over the city five months ago and since then Filipino forces have battle with the terrorist organization to take it back.


The Philippines has gained the upper hand over terrorism in the country.
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Philippine Army Completes Op to Retake Marawi From Daesh-Linked Terrorists
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201710231058460840-philippines-marawi-operation-maute-daesh/

The Philippine army has completed its military operation in Marawi, liberating the city from the 30 remaining militants of the Daesh-linked Maute group (outlawed in Russia) and rescuing all hostages, the country’s defense secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, said on Monday.

"After 154 days of the siege of Marawi by the Daesh-inspired Maute-ISIS group, or a week since the commander-in-chief declared the liberation of Marawi, we now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," Lorenzana said at the ASEAN meeting of defense ministers, as quoted by the CNN Philippines broadcaster.

The standoff between government forces and terrorists escalated in May, when the Islamists from the Maute group attacked Marawi, located on the island of Mindanao, forcing the government to start a military operation in the region. The conflict led to numerous victims, the evacuation of civilians from the city, and the declaration of martial law on Mindanao by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. He declared the liberation of Marawi on October 17.

During the conflict, the Maute group managed to gain control of a municipal jail and unshackle its prisoners, they had leveled to the ground a hospital and seized at least three bridges. The Islamists were reportedly hunting Christians to use them as human shields.
 
Russia has donated a batch of military equipment to the Philippines, including small arms, munition and military trucks, following an intergovernmental agreement signed between Moscow and Manila on defense industry cooperation.

Russia Provides Philippines With Batch of Military Equipment
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201710251058515894-russia-philippines-military-cooperation-equipment/

The military equipment delivery ceremony was held aboard the Russian Pacific Fleet's Admiral Panteleyev destroyer and was attended by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.

The military batch reportedly contained nearly 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, about 1 million cartridges and 20 military trucks.

The Philippines faces certain problems in purchasing new weapons from the United States as Washington imposes specific trade conditions on Manila.


In May, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed Manila's interest in advanced Russian weapons, including helicopters, planes, as well as precision-guided weapons to help combat the terror threat. According to the Philippine ambassador, Manila could sign a series of arms delivery contracts with Moscow by the end of the year.

Manila has also shown interest in Russia's anti-terror equipment amid the ongoing operation against a Daesh-linked terrorist group.


After Philippines President expressed interest in purchasing Russian arms during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, the deliveries of Kalashnikov rifles has already begun. The move came as the Philippines has refused to buy new weapons from Washington.
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Russia Starts Kalashnikov Assault Rifle Deliveries to Philippines
https://sputniknews.com/military/201710161058267247-russia-deliveries-philippines-kalashnikov/

Russia is beginning to implement the agreement on the supply of Kalashnikov assault rifles to the Philippines, a defense industry source told Sputnik on Monday.

Earlier Monday, the Philippines' Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta told Sputnik that Russia was handing over to the Philippines free of charge 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 1 million cartridges and 20 military trucks, adding that the batch would arrive in the Philippines on October 22.

Moscow and Manila have so far not signed a single contract on defense industry cooperation. At the same time, the Philippine side has had certain difficulties in purchasing new weapons from the United States as Washington is imposing certain conditions on Manila.
 
The ISIL terrorist group spent at least $1.5 million to finance the recently ended siege of the Southern Philippine city of Marawi, the country's military chief revealed.

Philippines' Army Chief: ISIL Spent $1.5mln to Finance Siege of Marawi City
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960803001051

Gen. Eduardo Ano has said the ISIL terrorists assaulted the Southern city using their seizure of the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014 as a blueprint, Al Waght reported.

The Philippine military chief said the battle defeats of the brutal group in Syria and Iraq, and now the ISIL-aligned gunmen in Marawi, however, show a major vulnerability of the militants.

The counterterrorism victories have given governments confidence that ISIL, which shocked the world with its rise a few years ago, could be stopped and defeated, said Ano, who oversaw the military campaign that ended the five-month siege in Marawi this week.

“With what happened in Mosul, the Philippines and Raqqa, the different countries are now confident that if ever an ISIL siege would erupt . . . they now have the recipe or the formula to fight it,” Ano said, adding that the Philippine military is ready to share its battle experiences in Marawi.

The siege, which was launched on May 23, left more than 1,100 combatants and civilians dead, including more than 900 militants, and displaced some 400,000 residents.

The leaders of the bloody insurrection, who came from different ethnic backgrounds, were linked by their desire to be recognized by ISIL as its Southeast Asian branch and obtain funding from the Middle East-based group.

Russia has provided Philippine with weapons to combat ISIL following an agreement between the country's president Duterte and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in May this year.

Prior to his Monday’s arrival in Russia, Duterte said Manila signaled his interest in buying small arms, helicopters and jets from Moscow to fight its drug war and terrorist insurgency.

While Washington used to supply weapons to Manila, Duterte previously said that procuring arms from the United States might be challenging because the US was heavily criticizing the alleged human rights abuses in his country.
 
Philippine authorities were on the lookout for a Malaysian who could be the new leader of pro-ISIL groups in Southeast Asia, security chiefs said, following the deaths of several high-profile regional terrorists.

Philippines Hunts for Possible New ISIL ‘Emir’ in Southeast Asia
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960817000781

The army terminated combat operations in Southern Marawi two weeks ago after killing what it believed were the last remnants of a militant alliance that held parts of the lakeside city for five months, Marianas Variety reported.

Following the country’s biggest security crisis in decades, troops have made significant gains in the week since they killed Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf group and anointed “emir” of ISIL in Southeast Asia.

His assumed deputy, Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, was also believe killed, as was Omarkhayan Maute, a top operative in the alliance.

“We are still looking for Amin Baco,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, describing the Malaysian as the likely new “successor as the emir of those terrorists.”

More than 1,100 people, mostly militants, were killed and 350,000 displaced by the Marawi unrest, a crisis that shocked predominantly Catholic Philippines and led to unease about ISIL gaining traction in Muslim parts of the island of Mindanao.

Police chief Ronaldo dela Rosa said he received similar information that Baco, an expert bomb-maker, had assumed the role of ISIL’s point man.

Experts say Baco was trained under Malaysian militant Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, who was killed in 2015 in a clash in marshlands in Maguindanao province that left 44 police commandoes dead.

The information that Baco could be in charge came from an Indonesian arrested in Marawi last week, dela Rosa said.

Despite declaring the end of operations, troops are still fighting some hold-outs hiding amid the ruins of a city battered by months of air strikes. Troops have since killed nine gunmen in Marawi, Col. Romeo Brawner said on Monday, emphasizing why residents were being kept out of the pulverized battle zone.

Baco was reported to have been killed in Marawi but intelligence sources said he had fled.

“He could be somewhere on Jolo island or in nearby Maguindanao,” an army colonel familiar with militant groups in Mindanao, told Reuters.

He said Baco had been in the Philippines for a long time and had links with regional extremist group Jemaah Islamiah. He was married to a daughter of a local militant sub-leader.

As early as 2011, he was facilitating movements into the Philippines of funds, arms and fighters from Indonesia and Malaysia, but his links to the ISIL network were not known to be strong, another military intelligence official said.

He said Baco was in a position to take over because of his familiarity with militants from various groups in Mindanao.
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Da Nang and discussed military cooperation between the two countries.

Moscow Ready to Develop Military Ties With Manila - Putin at Talks With Duterte
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711101058980391-putin-duterte-talks-arms-deliveries/

Russia is ready to further develop defense industry cooperation with the Philippines, Russian President Vladimir Putin underlined during his meeting with Rodrigo Duterte.

"We are ready, as agreed, to develop our relations, including in the military sphere, the defense industry cooperation, and, of course, we need to pay special attention to economic ties," the Russian president said.

Putin has named the fight against terrorism as one of the common tasks of Russia and the Philippines.

"I remember how you had to interrupt your visit to Russia in connection with the terrorist attacks of in your country, and I remember what you told me when leaving, that you need to restore order, strike these terrorists. I want to congratulate you on that, your success with that."

In his turn, Duterte has thanked Moscow for the assistance with weapons amid the fight with Daesh-linked militants in Marawi.

"I would like to express my gratitude for the timely assistance that Russia provided us with by giving trucks and weapons. This was particularly necessary for us to replenish our reserves," Duterte said.

In late October, the Philippine army completed its military operation in Marawi, liberating the city from the 30 remaining militants of the Daesh-linked Maute group (outlawed in Russia) and rescuing all hostages after 154 days of the siege.

The standoff between government forces and terrorists escalated in May, when the Islamists from the Maute group attacked Marawi, located on the island of Mindanao, forcing the government to start a military operation in the region. The conflict led to numerous victims, the evacuation of civilians from the city, and the declaration of martial law on Mindanao by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. He declared the liberation of Marawi on October 17.

Arms Deliveries - The talks were held in the wake of a batch of arms deliveries to the Philippines carried out by Moscow in late October, with the package reportedly containing nearly 5,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, about 1 million cartridges and 20 military trucks.

The Philippine president underlined the intention to continue purchasing Russia's arms. "Those timely deliveries of weapons that we received from Russia were transferred to the special units of our police, and this was of great importance. Now I intend to continue buying such weapons," Duterte has stated.

The president of the Philippines also commended the quality of Russian arms.

"These are precision weapons. We had to engage in a new type of war, we had to fight against snipers, because they posed the main threat to our forces and these people, just like in Syria, hid behind walls, in shelters, and we waged war, retaking everything building by building," Duterte indicated.

Duterte told Putin that he was seeking to create a strong army and police in the country before his presidential mandate expires. He added that the Russian assistance had helped to accelerate the fight against terrorism in the Philippines.

"The weapons are extremely important, but your determination and the readiness of the security forces to fight against terrorism is the most important," Putin said in response.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has already expressed Manila's interest in advanced Russian weapons during his previous meeting with the Russian counterpart in May. He had stated that Philippine want, in particular, to buy Russian helicopters, planes, as well as precision-guided weapons to help combat the terror threat.
 
Moscow and Manila seek to strengthen bilateral cooperation and are expected to sign a number of agreements on projects in the fields of energy, transport and military industry during the 31st ASEAN Summit.

Philippines Enthusiastic About Working With Russia on Development Projects
https://sputniknews.com/world/201711121059025000-russia-philippines-nuclear-energy-development/

Harry Roque, the spokesman of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, said Russia and Philippines may sign a deal to cooperate on electric power generation, adding there is a company that is promoting nuclear energy which likes to have business dealings with the Philippines.

The president's spokesman also said that Moscow expressed an interest in investments in various transport projects in the country in the wake of the meeting between Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Vietnam.

There are Russian companies wanting to invest in transportation [projects], including a subway, and he [Putin] even made particular mention of the interest in building a light metro rail for Baguio and La Trinidad," Roque said.

Roque also said Manila look forward to signing military and technical agreements with Russia, adding that Moscow was interested in selling aircraft, and helicopters, high-speed boats and other types of boats.


These days seem to be quite busy for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently hosting the 31st Summit of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He has kicked off the conference, which started with pageantry and a traditional cross-body handshake photo, and even performed for President Trump at the Summit's gala.
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Philippines President Kicks off ASEAN Summit, Serenades Donald Trump (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201711131059042284-philippines-asean-duterte-opening-gala/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFR5MOrrZ18 (7:54 min.)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is holding its 31st Summit in Manila, Philippines. The county's President Duterte, who is chairing the meeting, opened it on Monday.
 
After the 31st ASEAN Summit and related meetings, United States President Donald Trump announced Washington’s multi-billion donation for the programs of the Duterte administration.

USA pledges multi-billion peso fund in support of the Duterte Administration
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/usa-pledges-multi-billion-peso-161233790.html

In a statement released by the White House, the US government will donate an additional amount of USD14.3-million or almost P750-million in aid for the fast recovery and rehabilitation of the war-torn Marawi City and its 360,000 displaced residents.

Washington will also donate USD85-million for the counter terrorism-related equipment of the Philippines, training and support for its armed forces.

It will also give USD 2-million for the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.

It can be noted the anti-drug campaign of the Duterte Administration has drawn criticism from various sectors and international leaders because of the human rights abuses the Philippine authorities allegedly committed in the name of the drug war. – UNTV News & Rescue

(The post USA pledges multi-billion peso fund in support of the Duterte Administration appeared first on UNTV News.)
 
Philippines’ Duterte terminates peace process with Maoist rebels Friday 24 November 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1198516/world

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday he has terminated intermittent peace talks with Maoist-led rebels and would consider them “terrorists” because hostilities had continued during negotiations.

Ending the nearly half-century long conflict with the communists, in which more than 40,000 people have been killed, was among Duterte’s priorities when he took office in June last year.

Duterte said he would consider the political arm of the Maoists a “terrorist group” and was demanding that dozens of rebel leaders he freed last year in order to restart talks turn themselves in.

“I am ordering those I have released temporarily to surrender or face again punitive action,” Duterte in a speech to soldiers.

“Let it not be said that I did not try to reach out to them,” he said.

Duterte on Thursday signed a proclamation ending the peace talks, which started in August last year and were brokered by Norway. Talks have been intermittent since 1986.

“We find it unfortunate that their members have failed to show their sincerity and commitment in pursuing genuine and meaningful peaceful negotiations,” Duterte’s spokesman, Harry Roque, said in a statement late on Thursday.

In May, government negotiators canceled a round of formal talks with the Maoist-led rebels in the Netherlands as the guerrillas stepped up attacks in the countryside.

The rebels had no choice but to intensify guerrilla warfare in rural areas, Jose Maria Sison, chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF), said in a statement.

The NDF, the political arm of the Maoist guerrillas, said it regretted the unilateral cancelation of talks on such vital social and economic reforms.

Government troops were advised to stay alert on the movements of the estimated 3,800 leftist guerrillas, said military spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla.

Government forces are also battling Islamist fighters in the south of the largely Christian country, some of whom recently occupied a town for several months in the biggest battle in the Philippines since World War Two.


As Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte continues his war on drugs in the face of heavy criticism from the international community, Arab News spoke with political analyst Ramon Casiple to get some insight into Duterte’s motives, and find out how successful his campaign has been.
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Philippine president's war of drugs has popular support, analyst tells Arab News
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1198616/world

Duterte promised on the campaign trail that he would eradicate the Philippines’ drug problems if he was elected — “I’ll kill you,” he told drug dealers and users in May 2016 — just as he managed to clean up Davao City when he was mayor there.

But, just as in Davao, reports of unlawful extrajudicial killings have attracted significant criticism of Duterte’s methods.

Casiple said the president is convinced that the cause of most crimes is illegal drugs. “In fact, there are statistics that show that 68 percent of crimes in the country are drug-related,” he said.

Another report suggests that, because of the Duterte administration's relentless campaign against drugs, there has been a significant decrease in crime across the board, especially crimes against property.

“Ironically, there was an increase in murders, but, of course, he is denying that these are extrajudicial killings,” Casiple added.

The president “feels encouraged,” too, by the interest shown by several countries, including Indonesia and the US, in his program’s progress, Casiple suggested.

“They are now seeing that the Philippine government's war on drugs is bearing positive results,” he said. “Even (US President Donald) Trump admitted during their recent talks that he is taking some cues from the Philippines (on dealing with the drug problem).”

Casiple also claimed that Duterte’s campaign “remains popular in general” with the citizens of the Philippines.

And although Duterte has realized his campaign promise to eradicate the Philippines’ drug problem may be impossible, now that he has full access to intelligence reports on the matter, Casiple said, the president remains focused on trying to deliver that promise.

“There is political will on the part of the president. He wants to do his best to address the issue on drugs but he has also realized that he can't completely lick the problem,” said Casiple. “Further, he is bent on fulfilling his campaign promise to bring change to the country. But we first have to achieve peace and order before economic development can set in. That way we can attract investments which will produce jobs, which, in turn,will address the poverty question on a long term basis.”

Casiple said that extrajudicial killings are a violation of human rights and those directly involved can be charged in court, but suggested the president could not be held responsible for the conduct of law enforcement personnel.

“The question is: Does the president have a direct hand on these killings? Or did he create the situation? So far I am not aware of any direct order from the president for our law enforcers to loosen the terms of engagement in the conduct of police operations,” said Casiple.

On the president's recent decision to hand control of the drug war back to the Philippine National Police (PNP), having initially transferred responsibility from the PNP to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Casiple said it poses questions about whether there have been qualitative changes to the policy.

“Remember, it was (originally) removed from the PNP and transferred to the PDEA because of some issues. The first was the killing of a Korean businessman in which the suspects were anti-drug operatives and the second was the killings of three teens in Caloocan City,” he said.

“I dont think there has been a qualitative improvement on the behavior of the police," he continued. “Nothing was changed as far as the anti-drug policy is concerned.”

Casiple did have some advice for the president if he really wants to show the public that he does not condone extrajudicial killings.

“He has to stop giving borderline instructions such as that it's OK for the police to kill and that he will provide them with a lawyer,” Casiple said — although he added that “obviously” what the president meant by such statements is that he will fully support the police’s actions in the line of duty.
 
"The president “feels encouraged,” too, by the interest shown by several countries, including Indonesia and the US, in his program’s progress, Casiple suggested.

“They are now seeing that the Philippine government's war on drugs is bearing positive results,” he said. “Even (US President Donald) Trump admitted during their recent talks that he is taking some cues from the Philippines (on dealing with the drug problem).”

Even if this kind of positive resonance between leaders does not make mainstream headlines it is encouraging to hear that it is at least happening in the background.
 
The ever-controversial populist president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, has publicly threatened to install an emergency authoritarian government if his oligarch and drug lord enemies don’t fall in line with his policies.

Duterte Calls for ‘Revolutionary Government’ That Would Give Him Absolute Power
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201712021059624822-duterte-revolutionary-government-philippines-authoritarianism/

Once your destabilization is already creating chaos, I will not hesitate to declare a revolutionary government until the end of my term," Duterte recently said, adding that he may suspend the country's constitution so he and his supporters can reform the government without fetters.

This revolutionary government would reform the federal system, ratify a new constitution, slash corruption, improve and modernize security and put an end to the grip of the cartels. All this can be yours, Filipinos, if you just give the president absolute power.

Duterte ran on a platform that claimed that wealthy elites and drug syndicates were working in lockstep for their mutual profit at the expense of the common people of the Philippines. Shortly after taking office, he declared war against drug use, encouraging police to use lethal force against drug users and peddlers.

The Philippine Catholic Church claims that more than 13,000 people have been killed in Duterte's drug war since June 2016. Brutal as Duterte's measures have been, Philippine National Police say they are effective: crime has decreased 32 percent and Filipinos report feeling safer as a result of the violent policy.

Duterte also declared martial law on Mindanao island, which was the site of bloody fighting between the Philippine military and the Maute and Abu Sayyaf jihadist groups, who had pledged allegiance to Daesh, across the city of Marawi. Over 1,000 people were killed and a million displaced in the five months of fighting and the entire island remains under military control even after Daesh's defeat.

Even before that crisis, the archipelago had been stuck in an intermittent and seemingly endless war with communist guerrillas for almost half a century, a frequent cause of tension and strife on the archipelago. Peace talks were underway with the guerrillas, but negotiations broke down in November and hostilities have resumed.

Left-wing critics of Duterte have criticized both the drug war and the martial law as excessive, and there have been past concerns that he could declare a national state of emergency and martial law across the entire archipelago.

Suspending the constitution has been bandied about, too. On November 30, Duterte supporters demonstrated in the streets of Manila, calling on the president to declare a revolutionary government to install "extraordinary measures" to fix a "failed system." This included a proposal to expand government powers to crack down on enemies of the state.

The move had significant symbolism, as it fell during the celebration of the birthday of Filipino national hero Andres Bonifacio. Bonifacio was one of the leaders of the successful Philippine Revolution against Imperial Spain — and then he helped form the revolutionary government of the short-lived Philippine Republic, which was in turn crushed by American forces as the archipelago was turned into an American colony at the dawn of the 20th century.

The ever-controversial president has also invoked the much-beloved former President Corazon Aquino, who ended the regime of infamously corrupt president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Aquino oversaw the ratification of a new constitution in 1987 and the reinstitution of democracy in the archipelago, but in interim she, too, briefly held dictatorial powers as the leader of a revolutionary government. She used this power to provide a "guarantee of civil, political, human, social, economic and cultural rights and freedoms of the Filipino people."

The rally inspired a left-wing counter-rally where Duterte's opponents protested what they saw as a shift towards authoritarianism. "The use of revolutionary government branding in order to support his own coup is a mockery of the revolution itself," declared Kabataan Partylist, a left-wing coalition that opposes Duterte, in a statement.

Duterte faces a much larger challenge than simply his left-wing political opponents if he wants to increase the power of the presidency: the military. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Rey Leonardo Guerrero have both publicly opposed the notion of a new revolutionary government.

"Both [Lorenzana and Guerrero] assured us in no uncertain terms that they would not support a revolutionary government and any other threat to the constitution," said Vice President Leni Robredo in November. "[W]e were assured — and the assurance was strong — that they would not support such a plan."
 
Efforts by a Philippine agency to combat drug trafficking will be supported by the country's law enforcement officers, in a sign that the government is seeking to reinforce its anti-drug campaign.

Philippine President Orders Police to Rejoin Fight Against Narcotics
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201712061059754499-philippines-duterte-anti-drug-campaign-police/

Philippine police have been ordered by their president to rejoin the country's ongoing war on drugs.

Rodrigo Duterte's instructions "to resume providing active support" to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency indicate an about-face on his previous decisions related to the fight against narcotics.

On October 10, Duterte removed police from this fight amid criticism from rights activists and UN officials, who referred to thousands of drug suspects killed during a national anti-drug campaign.

The subsequent weeks have seen "a notable resurgence in illegal drugs activities and crimes," media reports cited presidential spokesperson Harry Roque as saying.

The 160,000-strong police force in the Philippines apparently dwarfs the country's ant-drug agency, which currently numbers about 2,000 officers.

The country's anti-drug campaign kicked off on May 9, 2016 when Duterte won the presidential elections.

The campaign was first suspended in January after several police officers allegedly used the campaign as a cover to kidnap a South Korean businessman and extort money from his family.

Methamphetamines and marijuana remain the most widely-used illegal drugs in the Philippines, where the authorities are also seriously concerned about the illegal use of ephedrine and methylenedioxy methamphetamine.


MANILA: The Philippine military can now address the communist threat in the country without hesitation after President Rodrigo R. Duterte designated the Maoist New People's Army (NPA) a terror organization.
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Philippine president declares Maoist rebel NPA a terrorist group Wednesday 6 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1204326/world

"This will certainly ensure that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can now fully execute and perform its mandate without reservation and restrictions," Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, the AFP spokesman, said.

On Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced that Duterte had signed a proclamation "declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) as a designated identified terrorist organization under Republic Act 10168 (RA 10168), otherwise known as “The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012."

Duterte's official residence Malacañang, however, notes that declaring the CPP-NPA a designated/identified terrorist organization is nothing new. On Aug. 2, 2002, the US designated the CPP-NPA as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and to date continues to include the local communist movement in its list of FTOs.

In his proclamation, the president directed the Department of Foreign Affairs to publish the designation of the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.

The Department of Justice was likewise ordered to immediately file the necessary application for the proscription or declaration of the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization with the appropriate regional trial court.

After the Palace announcement, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana welcomed Duterte's proclamation.

"We have long since maintained that the CPP-NPA is a blight to the Filipino people, with its members engaging in constant criminal activities and wanton acts of terror," he said, adding that the government has walked the extra mile to accommodate them by resuming the talks. The communists, however, have imposed unreasonable conditions and continued their criminal acts.

"Clearly their aim is not the welfare of the Filipino but the pursuit of their selfish agenda. Henceforth, they will be called Communist Terrorists," Lorenzana said.

Meanwhile, Padilla said the tagging of the CPP-NPA as a terror group is a consequence of the end of formal peace talks. The proclamation, according to the official, clearly classifies and labels the group for what they really are.

"This will simplify military and law enforcement operations as efforts against lawless elements and enemies of the state. This will certainly ensure that the AFP can now fully execute and perform its mandate without reservation and restrictions," said Padilla.

And with that, Padilla said the military operations will now become even more precise, simple and effective.

"We can now address without any hesitation and with all the means and resources available to us the increasing criminal and economic sabotage activities of these terrorists," said the AFP spokesman.

Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong, meanwhile, said the National Democratic Front was not included in the proclamation because "we are focusing on the armed component of the communist movement."

Duterte ended peace negotiations between the government and the communists last November. He cited lack of sincerity on the part of the Maoist group and their continued atrocities as reason for the cancellation of talks.


MANILA: The Philippines has suspended the sale and distribution of Sanofi’s dengue vaccine, authorities said Tuesday, after the French pharmaceutical giant last week warned it could worsen symptoms for people who had not previously been infected.
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Philippines halts sale of Sanofi’s dengue vaccine Tuesday 5 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1204026/world

Regulators on Friday froze the country’s world-first public dengue immunization program, that has seen more than 733,000 children receive the Dengvaxia vaccine.

Authorities have now ordered a blanket suspension for private use as well. “Whether (the vaccine) is used in the public health program or used by a private practitioner, it is the same product that was licensed. Everyone is covered by the FDA advisory,” health undersecretary Gerardo Bayugo told AFP.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a regulatory agency under the health department, said in a public advisory on Monday it had pulled the vaccine from the market to “protect the general public.”

The (FDA) immediately directed Sanofi to suspend the sale/distribution/marketing of Dengvaxia and cause the withdrawal of Dengvaxia in the market pending compliance with the directives of the FDA,” the advisory said.

Sanofi’s announcement has caused major fears in the Philippines — where the mosquito-born disease is extremely prevalent — particularly for parents of the children immunized in the public program.

More than 1,000 people in the Philippines died from dengue last year, out of more than 211,000 suspected cases, according to the government.

Sanofi on Monday sought to allay fears about the new study that led it to release the warning, saying Dengvaxia would not cause anyone who was immunized to die.

Philippine authorities have given conflicting messages on the safety or otherwise of the vaccine.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Sunday that the government would “leave no stone unturned” in making those responsible for putting “hundreds of thousands of young lives at risk” accountable for their actions.

The justice department then on Monday formally launched an inquiry over “the alleged danger to public health.”

But Roque also said on Monday there was “no danger” for people who had been immunized with Dengvaxia. “The worst that can happen is for those who have not had dengue before... they may get infected with dengue but falling under our previous classification of ‘mild’, having fever and bruises,” Roque said.

When asked to comment on the Philippine government’s decision to suspend all sales of Dengvaxia, Sanofi said on Tuesday it would continue to work with authorities and highlighted its proposal to re-label the vaccine.

The proposed label update would “include the new data findings and instructions to ensure that physicians can make appropriate vaccination decisions with their patients,” said a Sanofi statement emailed to AFP.
 
The Philippines intends to sue Sanofi after authorities suspended the pharmaceutical giant’s anti-dengue vaccine in response to the company warning the drug could lead to severe infections in some cases, the health secretary said Thursday.

Philippines plans to sue Sanofi over dengue vaccine Thursday 7 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1205381/world

Regulators froze the Philippines’ world-first public dengue immunization program last week and suspended all sales of the vaccine on Monday after Sanofi said Dengvaxia could worsen symptoms for vaccinated people who contracted the disease for the first time.

“Eventually it’s the court of law that is going to decide in so far as the liability of Sanofi is concerned,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said on ABS-CBN television.

The previous administration of president Benigno Aquino launched the vaccination program last year, making the Philippines the first nation to use Dengvaxia on a mass scale.

About 830,000 schoolchildren had received at least one dose of the vaccine, Duque said on Thursday. Previously the government said more than 733,000 people had been vaccinated.

Sanofi’s announcement last week caused great concern in the Philippines — where the mosquito-born disease is extremely prevalent.
The French company on Monday sought to allay concerns, saying Dengvaxia would not cause anyone who was immunized to die and would not cause a dengue infection.

However, Duque said Thursday Sanofi’s recent statements on Dengvaxia were “confusing.”

Duque said he may ask Sanofi to refund 1.4 billion pesos ($27.6 million) worth of unused Dengvaxia supplies.

He added the government might also demand Sanofi set up an “indemnity fund” to cover the hospitalization cost for children vaccinated under the public program who would fall ill.

Asked if the government would sue Sanofi if allegations of a lack of transparency were proved, Duque said: “I’m sure it’s going to get there.”
He added: “If it’s found out that (Sanofi) withheld material information that would have changed the outcome of all of these problems and the decision makers of the Department of Health in the previous administration, then they are liable.”

Duque said congressional hearings into the issue would start next week.

Sanofi said Thursday it was surprised by Duque’s remarks, adding it would continue to comply with Philippine authorities’ legal directives.

“Sanofi is a responsible company that has acted according to Philippine laws and regulations for the supply and sale of the vaccine according to the approved label in the country,” the company said in a statement emailed to AFP.
 
angelburst29 said:
The Philippines intends to sue Sanofi after authorities suspended the pharmaceutical giant’s anti-dengue vaccine in response to the company warning the drug could lead to severe infections in some cases, the health secretary said Thursday.

Philippines plans to sue Sanofi over dengue vaccine Thursday 7 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1205381/world

Regulators froze the Philippines’ world-first public dengue immunization program last week and suspended all sales of the vaccine on Monday after Sanofi said Dengvaxia could worsen symptoms for vaccinated people who contracted the disease for the first time.

“Eventually it’s the court of law that is going to decide in so far as the liability of Sanofi is concerned,” Health Secretary Francisco Duque said on ABS-CBN television.

The previous administration of president Benigno Aquino launched the vaccination program last year, making the Philippines the first nation to use Dengvaxia on a mass scale.

About 830,000 schoolchildren had received at least one dose of the vaccine, Duque said on Thursday. Previously the government said more than 733,000 people had been vaccinated.

Sanofi’s announcement last week caused great concern in the Philippines — where the mosquito-born disease is extremely prevalent.
The French company on Monday sought to allay concerns, saying Dengvaxia would not cause anyone who was immunized to die and would not cause a dengue infection.

However, Duque said Thursday Sanofi’s recent statements on Dengvaxia were “confusing.”

Duque said he may ask Sanofi to refund 1.4 billion pesos ($27.6 million) worth of unused Dengvaxia supplies.

He added the government might also demand Sanofi set up an “indemnity fund” to cover the hospitalization cost for children vaccinated under the public program who would fall ill.

Asked if the government would sue Sanofi if allegations of a lack of transparency were proved, Duque said: “I’m sure it’s going to get there.”
He added: “If it’s found out that (Sanofi) withheld material information that would have changed the outcome of all of these problems and the decision makers of the Department of Health in the previous administration, then they are liable.”

Duque said congressional hearings into the issue would start next week.

Sanofi said Thursday it was surprised by Duque’s remarks, adding it would continue to comply with Philippine authorities’ legal directives.

“Sanofi is a responsible company that has acted according to Philippine laws and regulations for the supply and sale of the vaccine according to the approved label in the country,” the company said in a statement emailed to AFP.
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I think it's great that so much courage and speaking truth is coming from the countries that have been trodden on, demeaned and berated for so long.
 
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