Duterte's Philippines Is Getting More Corrupt

You're rather overlooking the fact that a well-educated and highly articulate young lady from Davao has also posted several times about the highly beneficial effect his mayoralty had on her city and her belief that the country as a whole will benefit from his presidency. I know other expat Filipinas are of the same opinion because they live here and are good friends of my wife - and Duterte is even well thought of by the few we know here who didn't vote for him!

I am not asking you to change your views but simply to appreciate that the Philippines had become the sick man of Asia and needs tough love to restore it to its rightful position, the Asian Tiger.

Some of the bullyboys on here seem to be positively DEMANDING that other members change their views.

I feel sorry for their poor partners... living with such obvious control freaks.

I see that Martial Law has been declared in Mindanao - or rather, it probably has been, but the President left the signed proclamation in his hotel room in Moscow.

You missed today's news. then:

Upon his arrival from Russia, Duterte told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport that he sacked Reyes for saying that there are only 1.8 million drug addicts in the Philippines.

The number is way lower than the four million used by Duterte in justifying his war on drugs, which is criticized both locally and internationally for its high death toll.

"You're fired today. Get out of the service. You do not contradict your own government," Duterte said he told Reyes.

Duterte said it irked him that Reyes mentioned the 1.8 million figure in a recent forum in Manila that was attended by United Nations Special Rapporteur for Extrajudicial Executions Agnes Callamard, a vocal critic of Duterte's drug war.

"And dala-dala ng babae was 1.8 [million] when I have been telling everybody, everything that there’s about four million drug addicts. And here comes a chairman..." Duterte said.

He noted that five years ago there were already three million drug addicts in the Philippines based on the figure given to them by former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Dionision Santiago.

Reyes, in the forum, said the 1.8-million number was based on the 2015 Nationwide Survey on the Nature and Extent of Drug Abuse in the Philippines released in September 2016. But he also said that it could also reach as high as three million.

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That's Liberals for you, they always think they know better than anyone else, I wonder why they are in a minority?

Hi Maley -- I have read your posts with great interest and respect your views.

The sadness for me is that someone such as yourself - an intelligent woman - is prepared to turn a blind eye to the illegal killings taking place on the orders of your head of state. Your apparent indifference to the premature and violent deaths of thousands of your fellow citizens - mostly poor and whose only "crime" was to have fallen prey to the drug pushers who - for a few pesos - provide them with the means of temporarily dulling the wretchedness of their lives - is difficult for me to understand and accept.

I am well aware of the corruption endemic in Filipino society. I'm also aware that the Philippines has been very badly served by successive Presidents - a failed-state kleptocracy stealing from the People on a mind boggling, industrial, scale. I also know of the high levels of real, abject, poverty and unemployment - and the social ills that occur - including high levels of domestic violence, alcohol and substance abuse.

I know all of these things - and know that it is going to take a monumental effort on the part of your leaders to start putting things right - and tackling the vested interests you mention.

But - and it's a huge but - two wrongs can never make a right. Mass killings with the police and vigilante groups running amok with impunity and with Duterte's blessing will not - I guarantee - lead to the better, brighter, future the people of the Philippines so crave and deserve.

What would you have said upon arriving in the UK to be told that the Prime Minister - Theresa May - had personally shot suspects when the mayor of a large English city? And what would your reaction have been when told that she had said that she would personally be happy to kill 3 million of her people - not making any distinction between those who supplied illegal drugs and those feckless unfortunates who took them? In essence State-sponsored murder - with no regard for the rule of law and due process.

I may be wrong but I think you might just be a bit alarmed - horrified even - at the state of the country and its institutions. I know I would be.

If so why set the bar higher for us here in the UK? Aren't the people of the Philippines entitled to exactly the same standards as we expect and receive - including respect for the law - and for those who break it a properly constituted system of justice?

Innocent until proven guilty is a universal human right - so why should Filipinos be denied?

I think I've taken this as far as I can - I'll begin repeating myself if I go on further.

I sincerely hope that the Philippines can sort itself out and that the unequal wealth distribution can be rebalanced in favour of the many.

Sadly, having a murderer in charge - who exhorts others to kill - will not usher in the change both you and I would wish to see. In fact it will make things worse - much worse.

I don't propose contributing further to this thread - or the other one on Duterte.

All the best.

Gerry

Sounds awful - I'm sure we'd all like to see the evidence of these posters DEMANDING that others change their views.

Grateful for the proof Graham old bean.

Tick-tock

Best.

Gerry

Tick tock ?

Who do you think you are ?

On ignore you can go... read enough of your drivel. Bye.

Yes. That DOES mean I'll be spared from reading any more cleverdick responses or threats from you.

I hope you don't mind me suggesting that you should consider taking a leave of absence and live in the Philippines for six months to a year to watch, listen and learn. You would then have a much greater understanding which might prompt you to take a more balanced and pragmatic view. You can not expect the Philippines to conform to your first world self-indulgent liberalism - it's an Asian country with a different mindset and culture, besides which the electorate resoundingly rejected liberal politics by electing Duterte with a landslide.

You assert that Duterte is a murderer and had personally shot suspects. Where is your evidence for this and would you be prepared to give a sworn statement to a State Prosecutor in the Philippines (or the Hague) so that Duterte can be arrested and tried for his alleged crimes? Various chancers have tried to assert his guilt in the past including Human Rights Watch (several times) but guess what - none of them have the balls to mount a prosecution because there is not a shred of evidence that he committed any crime. The previous Liberal administration (Aquino) couldn't even mount prosecutions against the Ampatuans who murdered 57 people, mainly journalists, in 2009, cases for which they have hard evidence.

You say "Innocent until proven guilty is a universal human right ..." does that not also apply to Duterte whom you state is a murderer? In point of fact the presumption of innocence is not universally-practiced in the Philippines. That right is set forth in the Bill of Rights that is incorporated in the 1987 Constitution but the Bill of Rights only applies to Philippine citizens; foreigners can be and often are required to prove their innocence.

Spoiler: An example

You might want to look-up the case of Bella Santos and Ian Griffiths who were accused of the abduction and murder of a young girl in Cebu. Ian Griffiths returned to the UK and was never tried but his fiancee, Bella Santos, was tried and found not guilty. But during her almost two year trial she had to prove her innocence. There was no extradition treaty between the UK and the Philippines so Griffiths didn't face trial but he was listed as "on the run" by Interpol. Despite the fact that the entire prosecution case was based on Griffiths and Santos being together from when the child was abducted until after her death and Santos was found to be innocent, the State refuses to drop the charges against Griffiths. The matter is now before the Supreme Court.

That drug pushers and dealers are ending up dead on the streets with cardboard "confessional" signs hung around their necks is pretty much their own stupid fault. Many thousands, mainly users, have handed themselves in and are in receipt of rehab. Those who are found with bullet holes are the greedy ones for whom money is more precious than life.

"Aren't the people of the Philippines entitled to exactly the same standards as we expect and receive - including respect for the law - and for those who break it a properly constituted system of justice?" Why should Filipinos have any respect for the law when throughout the Spanish and American colonial periods right up to the present day, the laws and the entire justice system protect and serve only the rich. The country's ruling class had and have no interest in changing that - their rich patrons won't allow them to in any event; well not until Duterte got elected.

Just looking at that one sentence shows what a sad lack of understanding you have for the real world.

The man who "knows it all", knows nothing.

The Philippines is a different country, different standards, different culture, different laws, the bar is not higher in the UK than in the Philippines, it is different, and so it should be.

Why should the people of the Philippines be entitled forced to use exactly the same standards as us, they are free to use their own standards which may well be better or worse than ours, and so they should, it is their country. In particular, liberal attitudes towards crime and drugs seem somewhat out of place when they cause so many problems.

Duterte appears to be improving the Philippine justice system and fighting against the endemic corruption previously tolerated by previous administrations. In many areas this seems to be working. If anybody has a problem with that, simple answer, don't break the law and stay clear of drugs.

I'm also aware that...
I also know of...
I know all of these things - and know that...
I may be wrong...But..
It s difficult for me to understand..
I think I've taken this as far as I can!

.

As someone who was born, raised and is still living here in the Philippines, I don't agree that the Philippines is better under Duterte. Yes, Duterte has done a few good things to this country. I acknowledge that. There's no bullet-planting in the airports anymore. Criminals think twice about committing crimes. And I appreciate the smoking ban.

But that doesn't mean I have to turn a blind eye to his wrongs: (1) Thousands have been killed and there's no due process for any of them. (2) Duterte has used the Department of Justice for his personal vendetta against his enemies. (3) He's led and participated in historical revisionism. (4) He's been putting his unqualified cronies in office - this includes celebrity supporters and female dancers. (5) He denies getting financial backing from big players to make it sound like he's not indebted to anyone, yet his own Statement of Contributions and Expenditures shows that his campaign was funded by big businesses - some of his donors now hold government positions. These are just a few; I can list more if you like. Point is, Duterte's brand of corruption just happens to be different from those who came before him, but he's corrupt all the same.

Also, to say that the media is out to get Duterte is ridiculous. Not saying the media doesn't have biases or can't spin stories. But why not analyse Duterte's own videos and soundbites? It's not the media who made rape jokes. Not the media who keeps flip-flopping on various issues and statements. Not the media who throws tantrums and makes hateful comments every time he's criticised. You only have to watch Duterte's words and actions to see that he contradicts himself quite often.

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The assumption that Filipinas are generally pro-Duterte but just reprimanded by their white partners doesn't sit well with me. Some of us Filipinas are against Duterte on our own, not influenced by our partners at all.

Interesting point.

May I ask are you from Davao city or Mindanao? Im just trying to understand the context of the statements.

I want to understand where you are coming from for being fellow pinay.

You see im originally from cotabato, a place where its name alone can strike fear to outsiders. My family have moved to Davao city early 2000 so my parents (specially my dad) can have peace of mind for the safety of their children.

You see in my old place, before duterte came into power, you can hire an addict to kill someone for £10!!! (Actually less than that since its php500). If you dont like your teacher, if you hate another girl for taking away your crush, if you dont like the radio commentator etc, they wont ask any questions, just provide a phot and before lunch its done. They need that money to buy their 'fix' of shabu. Petty crimes abound - celfone snatching, hit and run and we all know how it is.

Once it hits, 6pm and you are not home, your parents would panic and they would think the worse. 'Search party' would be formed along with 'text brigade'.

Now, when i went to visit a couple of weeks ago, i can see people roaming around the streets even at 8 pm, we had to decorate the venue of our family gathering way past midnight and most importantly, i managed to bring my British husband there (prior to duterte, my option would be to bring him to davao).

When you come from that background and see for yourself the startling difference in the peace and order situation of a place (i cant attribute it to the local mayor since its the same one prior to duterte) in a short span of time, its one major reason i wouldnt change my mind about him - regardless of what journalists or foreign institutions say.

And I challenge anyone to give me an option of ph leader to replace duterte. Out of the five candidates in the previous presidential election:
- binay - doubt it (corruption allegation on makati city hall is still there). His family's attitude over the guards in a subdivision is so atrocious and so embarrassing 'do you know that my father is the vice president?'
- roxas - he still has to account for the billions of fund on haiyan/yolanda funds
- santiago - RIP
- poe - doesnt have executive experience (elected in senate by name recall). Her family hasnt renounced their US citizenship so how nationalistic is that?

Any one else? If anyone can give me one good option, please let me know, and i 'might' change my mind.

Are we boiling it down to a "Duterte is the best of a bad bunch"?