Duterte

‘It’s about time we rely on ourselves’: Philippines tears up key military treaty with US

Posted by Lou on February 11, 2020
Posted in: Duterte, Imperialism, ljf, Military, Philippines, Political science, USA. 1 Comment

Say what you will about Duterte but he is his own man. Compare him to the usual mellifluous yellow-livered scary-cat politicians from Europe or Canada. 

“US officials have been criticizing Duterte’s campaign against powerful drug cartels and accused him of human rights abuses.” Mr. Duterte does not need to explain himself to the USA.  The USA talks of human rights but I bet you that if we really had an international court of justice, the USA would be on the docket for a century. So spare us your fake tears USA. 

Of course, now Duterte will need to be eliminated. How dare he stand up against the Exceptional Imperial regime? 

RT.Com
11 Feb, 2020
‘It’s about time we rely on ourselves’: Philippines tears up key military treaty with US
FILE PHOTO US during a drill near a Philippine army camp in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, north of Manila. April 2012. © Reuters / Romeo Ranoco
Relations between two traditional allies have reached a new low after Manila warned the US that it is ending an agreement that allows American troops to set foot on the Philippines soil.

Manila sent formal notice to the US embassy on Tuesday that it is terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Teddy Locsin Jr.

✔@teddyboylocsin

@DFAPHL The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States has received the notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement. As a diplomatic courtesy there will be no further factual announcements following this self-explanatory development. https://twitter.com/dododulay/status/1227085202683396102 …

Dodo Dulay@dododulay

On the order of the President thru Executive Secretary Medialdea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Locsin signed today the notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement, which will delivered to the US Embassy in Manila forthwith. @DFAPHL

78

Twitter Ads info and privacy
165 people are talking about this

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesperson Salvador Panelo said it was done in order to be independent from Washington in military affairs.

It’s about time we rely on ourselves, we will strengthen our own defenses and not rely on any other country.

Panelo told reporters that the nation is open to signing VFAs with other countries as long as they are “mutually beneficial, not one-sided.”

Signed in 1998, the VFA regulates the entry of US warships, aircraft and soldiers into the Philippines. It also allows US troops to be immune from prosecution by local authorities for some crimes committed on the Philippines soil.

ALSO ON RT.COM‘End that son of a b*tch’: Duterte confirms US-Philippines military collaboration agreement is toast

The decision to end the VFA comes after the US canceled the visa of former Philippines police chief, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, last month, who the Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses of leading extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s drug war. Duterte himself has threatened to terminate the military cooperation agreement with the US if it does not reverse the visa cancellation.

The US and the Philippines have long remained strategic partners in the Asia-Pacific, as Washington often backed Manila in its diplomatic rows with Beijing over ship movements in the South China Sea.

However, relations between the states became rocky after Duterte assumed office in 2016. US officials have been criticizing Duterte’s campaign against powerful drug cartels and accused him of human rights abuses. The Philippines leader dismissed the attacks, saying that harsh measures are necessary to eradicate the drug-related organized crime that has been plaguing the country.

‘Hit them!’: Duterte tells Filipinos to shoot corrupt officials, promises no prison time

Posted by Lou on September 13, 2019
Posted in: Corruption, Duterte, Philippines. Leave a comment
Published time: 13 Sep, 2019
'Hit them!': Duterte tells Filipinos to shoot corrupt officials, promises no prison time
File photo © REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has invited citizens to shoot, but not kill, any public officials they witness taking bribes, promising immunity from prosecution, provided the corrupt bureaucrat survives.

The unorthodox presidential ‘order’ also called on Filipinos to beat up corrupt officials they encounter, the Manilla Bulletin reports, despite the likely disastrous consequences for law and order.

“If you pay a tax, a fee or get a certificate, and the officials ask for a bribe, hit them. If you have weapons, you can shoot them, but don’t kill, because during the proceedings you may not receive a pardon,” the outspoken leader said. He added that those who take him up on the offer “will not be sent to prison, but will only be seriously punished physically.”

ALSO ON RT.COM‘Whites have no shame’: Duterte decries Iceland abortion policy amid UNHCR probe into drug war

The president is known for his off-the-cuff remarks and dark-humored jokes as much as he is for actually seeing plans through, with a violent drug war that has been repeatedly criticized by rights groups, the UN and the wider international community.

As of January 2019, some 5,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the drug war, though rights groups claim the number could be more than double that.

Though Duterte, a former mayor and prosecutor, was careful to distinguish tokens of gratitude from bribes, Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Panfilo Lacson warned that such “gift-giving practice might breed corruption in the police.”

ALSO ON RT.COM‘A fart away from disaster’: Duterte attacks senate critic over his excessive weight

In response, Duterte advised his critics to brush up on the law.

“You can accept gifts, token, nominal, I was using the words of the law. It is found in the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices,” Duterte said.

Duterte ‘Will Not Answer’ To White People Amid UN Human Rights Investigation

Posted by Lou on July 19, 2019
Posted in: Criminology, Duterte, Human rights, Philippines, Police, Political science, United Nations, War on drugs. Leave a comment

Source

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte says he won’t answer to white people over alleged human rights violations – insisting that he will “only face, be tried or face a trial in a Philippine court, presided by a Filipino judge, [and] prosecuted by a Filipino,” adding “maybe they can reimpose the death penalty, [so I can] die in Filipino land.”

“I will not answer a Caucasian… You must be stupid. Who are you? I am a Filipino,” said Duterte. “We have our courts here. You have to bring me somewhere else? I would not like that. I have my country. It’s working, I know it’s working, justice is working here.”

Duterte comments follow a vote by the United Nations Human Rights Council on a resolution brought by Iceland to investigate alleged abuses. He is accused of overseeing thousands of extrajudicial killings, according to Newsweek. His administration is also accused of arbitrary arrests, detentions, kidnappings, and other measures amid an anti-drug crackdown.

Duterte had already suggested he could cut diplomatic ties with Iceland over its resolution, which passed the U.N. Human Rights Council by 18 to 14 votes, with 15 countries abstaining.

Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office, told Newsweek: “The HRC resolution on the human rights situation in the Philippines and its request for a comprehensive written report is an opportunity for all stakeholders, including the government to assess the current state of human rights in the country and in particular to get clarity around the contested facts, figures and circumstances.” –Newsweek

The ‘formerly gay‘ Duterte, known for his inflammatory rhetoric, has claimed everything from throwing drug dealers out of helicopters to molesting his maid as a teenager.

The Human Rights Council expressed “concern at the allegations of human rights violations in the Philippines, particularly those involving killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, the intimidation and persecution of or violence against members of civil society, human rights defenders, indigenous peoples, journalists, lawyers and members of the political opposition, and restrictions on the freedoms of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association.”

Recently, Philippines Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the former police chief responsible for running Duterte’s war on drugs and an ally of the president, downplayed the death of a toddler during a police raid, saying “s*** happens.”

Myka Ulpina, 3, died in crossfire during a drugs raid by armed police in Rodriguez, Rizal. Ulpina’s father Renato also died in the shootout. Police reportedly accused him of using the girl as a shield, which her mother denied. An undercover officer was killed too. –Newsweek

“We are living in an imperfect world,” said former police chief Dela Rosa during a news conference, adding “Would a police officer want to shoot a child? Never, because they have children as well. But shit happens during operations.”

Duterte Warns US: ‘We Can Never Win a War With China’

Posted by Lou on July 9, 2019
Posted in: China, Duterte, Philippines, Political science, South China Sea, USA, War. Leave a comment
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses Filipino Overseas Workers who were repatriated from Kuwait, Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in suburban Pasay city southeast of Manila, Philippines© AP Photo / Bullit Marquez

Source

sputniknews.com

July 8, 2019

Beijing currently controls the vast majority of islands in the South China Sea, which are also claimed by a number of other nations in the region, including Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei. The US regularly conducts “freedom of navigation” missions in the area.

Speaking at the opening of Chen Yi Agventures Rice Processing Centre in Alangalang, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned Washington about possible consequences should a conflict with Beijing break out over the South China Sea.

“There is always America pushing us, egging us […] making me the bait. What do you think Filipinos are, earthworms? Now I say, you bring your planes, your boats to South China Sea. Fire the first shot and we are just here behind you. Go ahead, let’s fight. We have an RP-US pact, so let us honour it. Do you want trouble? OK, let’s do it”, Duterte said, in a nod to the US-Philippines Mutual Defence Treaty.

He warned that “we can never win a war with China”, expressing hope that Beijing “would not overdo things”.

Duterte also lashed out at his critics, including Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales for slamming his policy on China.

“If war breaks out, I will drag them out”, Duterte added.

The past seven months have seen a number of controversial statements by Duterte with regard to Beijing’s South China Sea-related claims.

He is often criticised in the Philippines over his alleged backtracking after pressure from China following a major victory at the international maritime tribunal, which ruled Beijing’s claims to islands that the Philippines dispute as ungrounded. China rejected the court’s ruling and argued that the tribunal had no jurisdiction in the case.

In late May, Duterte urged China to actively participate in the development of a code of conduct for operations in the disputed waters of the South China Sea warning that “the longer it takes” the greater the chances that the region will become a “flashpoint of troubles”.

The Philippine president also reiterated his earlier statements that he and his country are not in power to affect China’s behaviour at sea, but at the same time added that he is “sad and bewildered” by Beijing’s actions. He also questioned the legitimacy of the Asian country’s claims to the territory, disputed by five other states.

“I love China […] but it behooves upon us to ask, ‘is it right for a country to claim the whole ocean?’” Duterte said.

In April, he warned China against hostile actions involving the Philippine island of Pag-asa, vowing to send the military on “suicide missions” to defend it.

November saw Duterte warn Washington against bickering with Beijing over the South China Sea, which he conceded is already possessed by China.

“China is already in possession [of the South China Sea]. It’s now in their hands. So why do you have to create frictions […] that will prompt a response from China? That’s a reality, and America and everybody should realise that China is there”, Duterte told journalists on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Singapore.

Apart from Beijing, the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands, which are among the more frequently disputed territories in the South China Sea, are also claimed by Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. China has exerted de facto control over the Paracels since 1974.

Washington, for its part, regularly sends military vessels to the region to conduct so-called “freedom of navigation” missions. Beijing considers such moves “provocations” and has called on Washington to stop the practice.

‘Son of W**** Obama’ and ‘Stupid Jesus’: B-Day Boy Duterte’s Most SHOCKING Quotes

Posted by Lou on March 28, 2019
Posted in: Chistianity, Duterte, Obomber, Philippines, Political correctness, Political science, Politics, Religion, Roman Catholic church, USA, Vatican. Leave a comment

Prosperity for his home country and a future free of woes are what Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wished for as he blew out a candle on his national flag-themed 74th birthday cake – a surprise treat from his staff on Wednesday night.

“In a no less covered case, Duterte referred to God as “stupid” and a “son of a b**ch”, suggesting that if there’s “one single witness” who can prove God’s existence by showing him a selfie together, he’d immediately step down from his top position.”

Source: ‘Son of W**** Obama’ & ‘Stupid Jesus’: B-Day Boy Duterte’s Most SHOCKING Quotes – Sputnik International

sputniknews.com

FILE - In this Aug. 8, 2018, file photo, Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte gestures while addressing police force to mark the 117th Philippine National Police Service anniversary at Camp Crame in Quezon city northeast of Manila

© AP Photo / Bullit Marquez

Prosperity for his home country and a future free of woes are what Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wished for as he blew out a candle on his national flag-themed 74th birthday cake – a surprise treat from his staff on Wednesday night.

“My wish, well, that this government will prosper and that we don’t get involved in the – it’s a very topsy[-turvy] world so even the Chinese are kind of [inaudible]…. My wish is that we will just continue to progress, we won’t be part of that mess with other countries”, the Philippine president said, as quoted by Indonesia’s Rappler, as he approached the round cake while his Davao City staff sang “Happy birthday to you, may the Lord God bless you!” on 27 March.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses congressmen and government officials
© AP Photo/ Bullit Marquez
Duterte To Army: Back Young Blood in Case of Coup, Kill Them If They F**k Up

To mark the occasion, Sputnik has compiled a list of the most notorious verbal escapades of the sharp-tongued head of state, who has earned a reputation for using vulgar language against critics ever since his election in mid-2016. Although his aides have tried on multiple occasions to play down the president’s eccentricity and explain it away, it seems to be of little help, as Duterte continues to rail at critics of his overwhelming campaign to rid the Philippines of narcotics, which police say has killed at least 4,410 alleged drug dealers and users.

So, who or what has Duterte, so far, targeted in his strong-worded expletives?

‘Obama Son of W****’

• Over two years ago, Duterte cursed then President Barack Obama ahead of a regional summit in Laos by calling him a “son of a whore”, thereby prompting the US to cancel a meeting between the two leaders there. He later branded in the same way Pope Francis and the-then US ambassador to Manila, as well as fired expletives at the United Nations.  During one of his speeches back home, he was captured on camera raising his middle finger in defiance to the European Parliament, with the snap making rounds on the Internet and making headlines in international media.

President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at a ceremony marking the return of the three Balangiga bells
© REUTERS/ Erik De Castro
‘F*ck You’: Duterte Slams Rights Activists for Turning Blind Eye to Drug War Victims

‘Ooooh Pretty Woman’

• Duterte fuelled a new barrage of criticism among rights groups and the general public ahead of his visit to Israel in 2018, as he blamed the high number of rapes in his home town of Davao on the large number of attractive women there.

“They say there are many rape cases in Davao”, Duterte said in a speech. “For as long as there are many beautiful women, there will be many rape cases, too”.

‘Silly Christ’

• Jesus, Christian saints, and Christianity at large have also been a subject of Duterte’s many rants, with the president calling the central Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity “silly” and Christ’s crucifixion “unimpressive”:

“Your God was nailed on the cross. F***, how unimpressive. I’m God and you will crucify me? Motherf***er. I’d tell them, ‘Lightning, finish all of them. Burn all the non-believers’”, the politician thundered during the 2018 Christmas week.

Anti-Vatican Rants

• Referring to the church as a social institution, he lambasted his country’s Catholic bishops as “useless fools”, allegedly calling on his people to “kill them”. The eccentric leader of the Catholic-majority nation also called out the Catholic Church as “the most hypocritical institution”.

President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at a ceremony marking the return of the three Balangiga bells
© REUTERS/ Erik De Castro
‘F***, How Unimpressive’: Philippine President Duterte Mocks Jesus’ Crucifixion

In a no less covered case, Duterte referred to God as “stupid” and a “son of a b**ch”, suggesting that if there’s “one single witness” who can prove God’s existence by showing him a selfie together, he’d immediately step down from his top position.

Duterte Confesses

• Duterte, who is on record not only joking about rape and targeting the Vatican and Christian believers in his numerous escapades, also reportedly boasted about his adulteries and an abuse case dating back to his high school years. Several media outlets, including SCMP, reported in late 2018 about his confession to a priest that he had illegally fondled a family maid as she lay sleeping under a blanket, and by doing so woke her up. The reported admission instantly sent the nation into shock, with multiple voices calling for him to resign.

Double Standards?

• The Manila strongman,  widely-known for his unambiguously negative attitude towards drugs, once baffled the international audience with yet another shocking statement, as he claimed  to have smoked marijuana during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Singapore in November 2018. Duterte said he resorted to it so as to not fall asleep during the tight-scheduled daylong event.

READ MORE: Duterte Meets Miss Universe, Compares Her to Legendary Philippine Boxer

How About ‘Death Squads’?

• Duterte has also more than once demonstrated a rather casual attitude to the words “kill” and “death”. For instance, when slamming the ongoing guerrilla war being waged by the Maoist New People’s Army (NPA), an armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), he suggested setting up his own “death squads” to eradicate the group’s hitmen.

In a no less notorious incident, Duterte addressed a Philippine senator’s accusations against Duterte’s son Paolo of being involved in drug smuggling, and suggested that they “shoot each other as they meet in Congress”.