Tag: rodrigo duterte

Trump, Duterte share stance on key US-Asia issues

Published by Ellen on November 14, 2016

Duterte to Trump: Pareho tayo nagmumura. Mabuhay ka!

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
VERA Files

IF newly elected US President Donald Trump makes good his campaign threat to pull the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he might also pull the plug on the its Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the Philippines.

Trump has called the international security alliance “obsolete,” saying it “is costing US a fortune.” He said as much about America’s other alliances in Asia.

These observations were contained in a pre-election research by the East West Center in Washington, D.C. that examined Trump’s pronouncements before the Nov. 8 election, focusing on key Asian issues as part of the “Asia Matters for America and America Matters for Asia” project.

Lack of public outrage emboldens Duterte to float writ suspension

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2016

"Ayaw ko..ayaw ko...but.." Duterte floats suspension of writ of habeas corpus. — “Ayaw ko..ayaw ko…but..” Duterte floats suspension of writ of habeas corpus.

Two things came to our mind when we read about President Duterte’s threat of suspending the writ of habeas corpus if lawlessness in Mindanao worsens.

Number one, his “Kill, Kill” strategy in eradicating the illegal drug problem is not solving the problem despite 4,000 killed.

Number two, the public has been desensitized by all these killings. Duterte knows the public won’t might if he takes his violation of human rights a notch higher.

In a speech at the launching of the Pilipinong May Puso Foundation in Davao City on Friday, he made his usual narration of the gravity of the illegal drug problem in the country. This time, he added the “rebellion” in Mindanao (“Grabe ang bakbakan…”).

“At kung magkalat itong still lawlessness, I might be forced to..” he paused saying it is not something he likes; “Ayaw ko, ayaw ko. Warning ko lang sa kanila ‘yan, ayaw ko kasi hindi maganda.”

Mourning the lack of collective outrage

Published by Ellen on October 30, 2016

Every Undas or All Souls Day (Nov. 2) when Filipinos troop to cemeteries to remember departed loved ones, I always think of the families of desaparecidos.

Where do they go to offer flowers and light the candles for their dead whom they didn’t bury? I think of Edith Burgos, whose son Jonas was last seen on April 28, 2007 at the Ever Gotesco Mall. I think of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno who were last seen on June 26, 2006 in Hagonoy, Bulacan.

There are many more: Father Rudy Romano, a Redemptorist priest who served landless peasants and displaced settlers and the six workers of Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines namely Joseph Belar, Jovencio Lagare, Romualdo Orcullo, Diosdado Oliver, Artemio Ayala Jr. and Arnold Dangkiasan.

The list is long according to Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD) and Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND).

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Is President Duterte a Foreign Service graduate?

Published by Ellen on October 29, 2016

VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Is President Duterte a Foreign Service graduate? October 29, 2016 IN his state visit to China, President Rodrigo Duterte said he…

Duterte a Foreign Service graduate?

Published by Ellen on October 27, 2016

Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, welcomed by honor guards upon his arrival at the Prime Minister’s Office in Japan Oct.26. Malacanang photo by Albert Alcain.

Do you know that President Rodrigo Duterte is a Foreign Service graduate?

That what he said in his press conference with the foreign correspondents in China last Oct. 19.

He boasted: “Now that I am the President, by the grace of God, I read a lot; I’m a lawyer and I studied geopolitics and all, and also I am a graduate of the Foreign Service so I get to know how to balance this contending (forces).”

Being a “foreign service graduate” is quite a big leap from just having taken up foreign service which was what he said last Aug. 21, in a press conference in Davao City.

Comelec probes Duterte’s campaign finance

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2016

By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL, VERA Files The Commission on Elections Campaign Finance Office (CFO) has started looking into campaign finance records of President Rodrigo Duterte…

South China Sea in Japan visit agenda

Published by Ellen on October 26, 2016

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is greeted by Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa upon his arrival at the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan on October 25. Malacanang photo by Albert Alcain.

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS
VERA Files

IF the South China Sea took a backseat in President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to China, it will be high in the agenda in his bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday.

A diplomatic source said, Duterte will look to Japan for its maritime security needs in the South China Sea.

“On the South China Sea issue, it will be a conscious effort for us to use or message it that we are strengthened strategic partner, it’s not just any partnership, it’s a strengthened strategic partnership. Center to this is maritime security and when he talks of maritime security, it’s not just the civilian maritime law enforcement side, that will necessarily involve defense,” a source at the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

So it boils down to visa issue

Published by Ellen on October 23, 2016

Pres. Duterte lambasts the United States in a meeting with Filipino community in China. Malacanang photo by Toto Lozano.

President Duterte’s sharing of his experience with “American idiotic arrogance” has lifted part of the veil of mystery about the reason for his intense hostility towards the United States that many are concerned is adversely affecting long-standing Philippine-US relations.

In his speech before Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum in Beijing during his three day visit to China (it was there where he announced the Philippines will “separate” with the United States militarily and economically) he related his encounter with immigration officials in Los Angeles Airport.

His story: “I was going to Brazil with some of the Congressmen and when we came back – because our entry, port of entry was L.A going there was Miami. You know when I was cleared by Customs, I was going out at the LA LAX airport. Here comes this black guy in uniform also black, with the pistol also black and his shoes was black and I thought that he was somebody – no slur intended that is his original color. And he accosted me and said “May I see your passport.” So I gave him, it was a diplomatic passport because we were travelling most of the Congressman in my entourage were travelling with passport diplomatic. And he said, “Where is your letter of authority to travel?” And so that was the first time that I say it was missing. And I said with probably because that letter was addressed to the port of entry in South American, which is Brazil and it was not clipped and so probably it was not re-inserted in the passport and it was lost this way. “

Duterte allows Xi to take lead on South China Sea issue

Published by Ellen on October 20, 2016

Pres. Duterte being interviewed by Beijing-based media upon arrival in China. Malacanang photo by King Rodriguez.

By CHARMAINE DEOGRACIAS, VERA Files

President Rodrigo Duterte will not initiate and will instead let Chinese President Xi Jinping to take the lead on whether the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration will be discussed in their meeting today.

In a press conference in Wednesday night with Beijing-based media, on the eve of his meeting with Xi, Duterte said, “As a friend, and I would say this now, if he (Xi) mentions it in passing I will just say, Mr. President I don’t want to make hardline position. I don’t want to ask you to do it now because there will be a time that we shall be doing it. But I have to wait for your President to mention it in passing for me to respond.”

Duterte said the talking points will be broad enough to accommodate all issues but out of courtesy, the “oriental way” he would wait for the right time. He said the general outline of the agenda was reached in the preliminary talks between Philippines Foreign Secretary and his Chinese counterpart.

My question to God: why did you give us President Duterte?

Published by Ellen on September 27, 2016

President Duterte asks if there is God at the oathtaking of Malacanang media.

President Duterte finally hit the highest target: God.

After taking on the holiest of the living figures – Pope Francis; the president of the world’s superpower – U.S. President Barack Obama; and the Secretary General of the United Nations – Ban Ki Moon, he had ran out of adversaries.

The leader voted by “the National Aeronautic and Space Administration as the best president in the solar system”- a title Duterte fanatics applauded and shared in social media, went beyond earthly realm and questioned the existence of God.