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Duterte's bloody crackdown drives drug users to rehab

Discussion in 'News from The Philippines' started by Timmers, Mar 20, 2017.

  1. Timmers
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    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

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  2. Mattecube
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    Mattecube face the sunshine so shadows fall behind you Trusted Member

    hopefully the numbers seeking help will continue to grow and rid the streets of drugs as much as possible lets hope it brings a reduction in the killings also.
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  3. Bootsonground
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    Bootsonground Guest

    Some of these dealers are still unafraid and sneaky..Some have been spotted in our area but I`d say their time is numbered.
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  4. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    How can murdering poor, pathetic, drug-addled wretches be a good thing?

    And of course - as we all knew would happen - when extra-judicial killings are sanctioned old scores / perceived slights get settled.

    The ONLY way the Philippines can transfer from failed state to legitimate representative democracy is by adherence to and upholding of the law. I'm not naive and understand the systemic corruption but it really is the only way.

    Suspected drug pushers should be arrested, tried and imprisoned if found guilty.

    Just imagine how we would feel if one of our own kids succumed to peer pressure and stupidly took an illegal substance. And because of this ended up with a bullet in the head.
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  5. Gravesy
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    Gravesy Banned

    Duterte's bloody crackdown drives people to use drugs.

    Maybe we need a spot of Duterte's style over here in the UK? Extend that to a crackdown on overt drunkenness on the streets of Britain on a Friday night. That would soon sort a few lager louts out. :)
  6. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure of your logic in your first paragraph.

    I'm hoping the second was typed with tongue firmly in side of cheek!
  7. Dave_E
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    Dave_E Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Good that the current hard line approach is forcing people to seek rehabilitation and encouraging them turn their lives around. As the Gentleman in the BBC video says "I'm doing this for my family, my children and my loved ones".​
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  8. Gravesy
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    Gravesy Banned

    Both tongue in cheek!
  9. Bootsonground
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    Bootsonground Guest

    In the last ten years there have been some pretty evil drive in tandem murders here on our island.. They used to drive around on small motorbikes with full face helmets armed and ready to murder for quick cash.
    Their motivation was mainly the money to finance drug business..
    I went to the wake of a European guy that was murdered in such a way..They reckon that the local cartel knew that he had a construction project on going..They knew his routine and how he went to Alona ATM every Saturday to withdraw the pay roll.. They overtook him and shot him in the head on a quiet road in Tawala and took the 50K he had on him.. Lots of innocent people were killed in such ways because of the drug business.
    About the only good thing these scumbags did at the time was murder one another from time to time..
    Since Duterte came to office,this has all come to a screaming stop..
    It really feels 100% safer here now..
    Thank God for Duterte IMO.
    Last edited by a moderator: May 22, 2017
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  10. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Gerry, I lived in the Philippines for just over nine years: the first three in Cebu and then we moved to Davao where Duterte was the Mayor. Cebu was a hotbed of corruption when I arrived and it only got worse. Corruption was everywhere - the Police, security guards, immigration and customs officials all on the take. Foreigners were universally considered to be "rich" and therefore fair game. I myself was mugged and relieved of 50,000 Pesos outside HSBC bank on Cardinal Rosales Avenue by two hoodlums on a motor bike in full view of security guards at the bank and outside the Ayala Center opposite. The Police wanted "fuel" for their vehicles and "overtime" to investigate and one of the security guards offered to give a statement identifying the culprits for 10 thousand. That was in December 2006 when the city was in a supposed "lock down" in the run-up to an Asean Conference to be attended by George Bush.

    A few years later, we moved to Davao and the difference was striking. Officials there didn't expect foreigners to pay "tea money" to process visas etc., one could take money from an ATM or walk down the street without being robbed or mugged. We felt secure and had peace of mind and that is all down to the tough love regime imposed by Duterte. It's thanks to him that Davao is rated as being the safest city in the Philippines and in the top ten of safest cities in the world.

    By electing Duterte, Filipinos demonstrated that they'd had quite enough of the old liberal politics, of cronyism, of rule by the rich for the benefit of the rich. Aquino wasn't a bad president, as presidents go but he and his preferred successor, Roxas, have some very embarrasing questions to answer with regard to the millions of Pounds sent to that country post-Yolanda by donors in Britain (and elsewhere) which has seemingly disappeared. As an aside, Justine Greening, the then Development Secretary, was very keen to be photographed on the apron at Mactan airport as earthmoving equipment and other relief aid was unloaded from British Hercules aircraft but not so keen to ensure that equipment went where it was supposed to. It was all seized by Customs who would only release it if ad valorum duties - of up to 100% - and VAT were paid. None of the equipment, which included five of the larger model JCBs were ever seen again.

    Remember, it's not that long ago that the Philippines was the Asian Tiger, the top economy of the region. Duterte is working towards restoring the country to that position.
    Last edited by a moderator: May 22, 2017
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  11. Drunken Max
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    Drunken Max Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Whilst in the Cayman I hung out with a lot of Phil people naturally and an interesting theory was offered that the drug lords are killing dealers BEFORE they can divulge intelligence to the police. The other theory also is that drug lords are paying some police to make sure some dealers do not get captured and are killed during the raid for the same reasons.
  12. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Thank you Markham for taking the trouble to submit this lengthy, thoughtful, response.

    Had a bit of a day at work so I'll provide substantive response on the morrow.

    Gerry
  13. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    Don't you feel even a tad uncomfortable living in a country whose head of state is a self confessed murderer and who is indirectly responsible for the slaughter of thousands?

    Does it not perturb you that life can be taken so easily - with the encouragement / tacit support of the President - without the "formality" of due process?

    Life is complicated - moral relativism can be brought to bear - but in this case (at least from this far away observer) it's completely binary.

    Extra-judicial killing is simply wrong and no good will come of it in the long term.
  14. Gravesy
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    Gravesy Banned

    Gerry, once someone commits themselves to such a move as an expat, they tend to want to justify it, regardless. Not all the time or everyone of course. But, it does have an impact on such an individuals stance on where they have moved to, at times.
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  15. Scotschap16
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    Scotschap16 Well-Known Member

    I would agree with you - once you begin to look at things from the perspective I posit it could compel a rethink of living in a country run by a gangster.
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  16. Bootsonground
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    Bootsonground Guest

    I don`t really think of my self as an expat..More of an unofficial dual national.
    It was family connections that brought me here aged 18 and I lived here during part of the Marcos years and when Ninoy was shot dead on the MIA tarmac after disembarking from that airplane ..
    I had a front row seat to Marcos`s final election win and then witnessed the Edsa peoples power revolution with my own young eyes .. I saw real tanks roll onto the streets,and the Marcos henchmen riding in tandem with AK47`s on their backs..
    Now they were proper gangsters!!
    After being brought up in a leafy English southern suburb where everything was neat,tidy,boring and safe,viewed in black and white, I guess in theory,I should have felt absolutely terrified and horrified being caught up in such turmoil so far away from my Mum..
    On the contrary...This was living life in Technicolor!! I had never felt so alive.
    It was also IMO a vital part of my education about living in the real world.
    If you think that I live my wonderful and full life here with rose coloured glasses on,you could not be further from the truth..
    I also lived here during part of the Aquino years, the Erap years and through some of the Ramos admin so believe it or not in regards this new landslide elected leader of the Philippines,I say what I see with the benefit of hindsight..
    But I digress..
    If you wish to be educated and form views about world events from Todays "news"papers with your black and white blinkers on,written by corrupt journalists with an agenda ..Knock yourself out! He he..
    Last edited by a moderator: May 23, 2017
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  17. Bootsonground
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    Bootsonground Guest

    The problem in the UK is that ordinary residents have been scared FOR YEARS!
    Scared to speak out about what is happening in their own communities because they are imminently shouted down and labelled racist,right wing Nazi`s..
    After the latest terrorist atrocities in the UK this morning from the EVIL islamic enemy within,I feel much safer and happier just where I am..Had we been living in the UK there would be a very good chance that my daughter would have been in that arena as Ariana Grande is her idol..Doesn't bare thinking about.
    Thank you ..Take care.
    Last edited by a moderator: May 23, 2017
  18. Gravesy
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    Gravesy Banned

    After a while a process of normalisation creeps in. The human mind has a wonderful capacity to adapt to surrounding conditions. This happens to some expats in the Philippines.
    Last edited: May 23, 2017
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  19. DavidAlma
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    DavidAlma Well-Known Member

    Gravesy, before responding to your posts, may I ask you, are you, or have you ever been an expat? Where have you lived that entitles you to make such broad sweeping statement re expats? By the way I hate that term "expat", as if we are no longer entitled to call ourselves, British, American or whatever. It is not a case of "normalization" or "adapting" to surrounding conditions, rather seeing things in a broader perspective, in contrast to a lot of people who have never lived outside the country that they were born in.
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  20. Bootsonground
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    Bootsonground Guest


    Don`t waste your time considering gravley`s comments so much..He`s only Troll level 3...At most..lol
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