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Tag: rodrigo duterte

Duterte forgoes EU aid, sticks to his ‘kill, kill’ policy

EU ambassador Franz Jessen lead celebration of Europe Day in the Philippines last May 9.
EU ambassador Franz Jessen lead celebration of Europe Day in the Philippines last May 9.

President Duterte’s solution to the country’s problems is “kill, kill.”

The 28-member state European Union has made it clear that they will not allow their money to be used to kill people.

Anticipating a removal of the Philippine’s favored status under EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences wherein tariff on Philippine goods for export to the EU is lowered or removed based on the Philippine government’s compliance with at least 27 agreements and treaties on human rights, labor, environment and governance, the Duterte government announced that it will no longer receive aid from EU.

ICC will be the next battleground

Rep. Gary Alejano during the House Justice Committee hearing on the impeachment complaint against Pres. Duterte. Photo from Philippine Star.
Rep. Gary Alejano during the House Justice Committee hearing on the impeachment complaint against Pres. Duterte. Photo from Philippine Star.

It was not surprising that the Malacañang-friendly congressmen killed without much fuss the impeachment complaint against President Duterte filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano Monday.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, also a member of the Magdalo group (which started as a group of young military officers advocating for reforms in the military), lamented the quick dismissal of the impeachment rap saying that the members of the House Justice committee didn’t even study the content of the complaint when they decided that although it was sufficient in form, it was not sufficient in substance.

But Trillanes, one of the few who dare oppose Duterte, said it’s not the end of the quest for a better government for the Filipino people.

In fact, the dismissal of impeachment complaint would even bolster the communication filed by lawyer Jude Sabio against Duterte before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Why it’s finally Cayetano at DFA?

Incoming foreign secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has been a regular part of Pres. Duterte's delegation in all the latter's foreign trips. This Malacañang photo was taken  on board the presidential plane to Malaysia.
Incoming foreign secretary Alan Peter Cayetano has been a regular part of Pres. Duterte’s delegation in all the latter’s foreign trips. This Malacañang photo was taken on board the presidential plane to Malaysia.

The appointment of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as foreign secretary is an indication that the Duterte administration is feeling the heat of a negative international image and needs somebody who can passionately defend the President’s human rights record as what the senator did last week before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

No one among the foreign service officers would be brash enough to counter the antipathy that Duterte has elicited with his “Fuck u U.N.” and “Fuck u E.U.”

Malacañang needs someone who can say with conviction that white is black and black is white just like what the incoming secretary said when he declared that under Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, “drug personalities have been arrested. Arrested your Excellencies not killed.”

Mocha Uson and Duterte deserve each other

Why are the non-fans of President Duterte protesting the appointment of dancer – singer Mocha Uson as assistant communications secretary?

They deserve each other perfectly.

Photo from politics.com.ph
Photo from politics.com.ph

Why are they questioning the appointment citing lack of qualification of Uson for the job that pays between P87, 000 and P106, 000 a month?

Uson’s qualification is unassailable: she and her group of sexy dancers campaigned for Duterte.

“Utang na loob ko iyan sa kanila, because they offered their services free at a time na wala akong pera, because they believe in me. Now it’s my time to believe in them,” Duterte said.

ICC investigation would affect Duterte’s foreign travels

Pres. Duterte boards presidential plance after APEC meeting in Peru.Malacañang photo.
Pres. Duterte boards presidential plance after APEC meeting in Peru.Malacañang photo.

In dismissing the case filed against him at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Netherlands last week, President Duterte cited the principle of territoriality.

“The fundamental thing in our Revised Penal Code is territoriality. You can only be prosecuted in the country where you committed the crime, “he said.

Lascañas says Duterte paid him using Davao City’s ‘ghost” employees

Lascañas on ghost employees from VERA Files on Vimeo.

By Ellen T. Tordesillas
VERA Files

In the business of death, self-confessed hitman Arturo Lascañas had reaped a ghastly reward: He became a “ghost” employee of the Davao City Hall, whose paycheck got a boost from the salaries of other “ghost” employees.

Lascañas, who retired in December with the rank of senior police officer 3, said in an interview with VERA Files that he received P68,000 every month from the Davao City government as a member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS). The amount, he said, was pooled from 10 to 12 ghost employees whose salaries ranged from P5,000 to P7,000 a month.

Impeachment vs Duterte ‘in the larger scheme of things’

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano files the first impeachment complaint against  Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano files the first impeachment complaint against Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.

There are things that you do knowing that its chance of success is not high but you do it because you know it’s the right thing.

Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano filed Thursday an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte. It’s the first against the President who was elected with 16 million votes and enjoys high trust and satisfaction rating nine months into his presidency.

The complaint alleged committed culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

Malacañang shaken by Lascañas exposé

However Malacanang tries to discredit SPO3 Arturo Lascañas explosive exposé about President Duterte’s direct role in the Davao Death Squad, it’s obvious that the President and his men are shaken.

Davao Death Squad:the thing that binds President Duterte and SP03 Arturo Lascañas.
Davao Death Squad:the thing that binds President Duterte and SP03 Arturo Lascañas.

Take a look how they have acted silly trying to counter it.

The grand bungle was committed by Press Secretary Martin Andanar when he floated the rumor that reporters were paid $1,000 each to cover the press conference of Lascañas held at the Senate last Feb. 20.

The allegation was so incredible, it was hilarious.

Lascañas: ‘Superman’ ordered death of political enemies, innocents

(Read the whole affidavit in VERA Files website. Click here.)

SPO3 Arthur Lascanas at his press conference in the Senate.  Photo by Senate media.
SPO3 Arthur Lascanas at his press conference in the Senate. Photo by Senate media.

By Charmaine Deogracias
VERA Files

They called him Superman.

That was the code the Davao Death Squad allegedly gave former Davao City mayor now President Rodrigo Duterte while they were killing criminals on his orders, according to police officer and the DDS’ self-confessed team leader Arthur Lascañas.

In his 12-page affidavit signed and notarized on Feb. 19, 2017, Lascañas said the squad initially targeted “drug addicts, drug pushers, snatchers, hold-uppers and other criminals.”

“Later on, however, we were ordered by Mayor Duterte to go after and kill his personal and political enemies,” he continued. “We became like hired killers who killed not only criminals but innocent people.”

No such thing as ‘limpio’in a dirty job

Five days after the explosive revelations of SPO3 Arthur Lascanas of the murders he committed upon orders of then Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, President Duterte has not responded.
Five days after the explosive revelations of SPO3 Arthur Lascanas of the murders he committed upon orders of then Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, President Duterte has not responded.

In the narration of SP03 Arthur Lascañas of the “jobs” he had done as member of the Davao Death Squad, he recalled the instruction of then Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in a murder operation against the financier of a kidnapping: “Sige, limpio lang.”

Lascañas explained.” Bisaya parlance po ito. Ang ibig pong sabihin “Sige malinis lang.”

Another term that Lascañas said Duterte used complementary to the “limpio lang” instruction was “erase lahat.”