Duterte's Philippines Is Getting More Corrupt

I agree Boots, I always keep quiet about politics when visiting another country, I was working at a brewery in Zimbabwe last year and some of the chaps there were trying to draw me into their heated discussion about Magabe, I remember saying it was not my place to comment. Having said that I didn't say he was a smashing President or anything

I grew up in Muslim countries, so I think I am aware of local sensibilities. Even were I not, I think that five years working for a Chinese State Owned Enterprise in Beijing probably taught me when to keep my mouth shut*. And I do, except when I am in the company of Filipino friends whose views I share, which is quite often.

Having said that I have been in the same room with foreigners who really ought to know better and heard them say the sort of thing that makes me want to sink through the floor in embarrassment. Silly comments not confined to visitors but on the lips of long term expatriates - British as well as American and of course Koreans (who are in a class of their own!)

There is a sort of hectoring, bullying, tone of voice used by these people when they choose to tell the people whose country it is how they really ought to be running it, accompanied by a few remarks to show how well they actually understand local conditions. I have heard ADB staffers and IRRI people doing this as well as the sort of people whom I would expect - local managers for shipowning companies in my case as that's my business. Conversely people who do show respect for local manners are often genuinely popular.

* I was actually proposed for membership of the Communist Party of China, because in the words of the danwei's Party Secretary, "Andrew has the essential qualifications - he is a good bloke and he can hold his drink!" I declined, producing my LibDem membership card and saying alas I was already committed.

After his last impeachment failed, I read that no-one can now file for impeachment for 12 months. Is that correct?

I have been told that that is correct, but I have also been told that the impeachment was not expected to suceed; the reason for bringing it was to allow the International Criminal Court to take jurisdiction, when it failed, since the ICC can only do so when a remedy is not available at the national level.

"There are some rather bright people in Magdalo", was how my informant, herself a Filipina lawyer, put it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samahang_Magdalo (not a good Wiki entry)

Here are some interesting remarks from someone who has "been there and done that thing", as the Aussies put it:

http://www.interaksyon.com/dont-talk-about-expanding-martial-law-ramos-urges-duterte/

And here are some more!

FVR doesn't seem very impressed, although he supported Duterte's bid for the Presidency...

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news...f-organization-in-entire-duterte-gov-t/story/

Thanks for posting perhaps the most poignant (in my view) paragraph from the speech,


"Stand up and give One Big Fight. As I stated in my speech to the lawyers in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines National Convention last March 23, we are not fighting a person or an establishment but a culture, a pattern that pervades our society today. It is a pattern of apathy, rage, and despair: one that began when people learned to tolerate wrong, stopped hoping, and ceased caring."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asi...hilippines&link_location=live-reporting-story

A very difficult situation! (probably understated)

The situation is not helped when the Government News Agency resorts to peddling lies which can be disproved at the click of a mouse...

To call this "a mistake", as Rappler do, is being enormously generous.

http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fa...arawi?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=referral

Editor: "Get your ass in there in and take a Pulitzer prize worthy image that we can stun the world with young man"!..

Photographer:: " Yes Sir"!!,the young war time correspondent replied..

Secretly ****ting himself but with steely resolve he read this article in the Guardian for a source of inspiration from those that went before him..
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jun/18/war-photographers-special-report



The pure fear that he was feeling inspired him to look further through the Vietnam picture archives..
'This picture" he thought..Might just save my life"!..""A snip here..A snip there,who would ever know"?

Someone's head will roll ....

Or not.

Do keep in mind the point that I made earlier - because, in many places in the Philippines, Facebook is "free" over phone links but data over a phone signal is expensive, and free wifi is limited and often of poor quality, all that is is needed is to post a false "meme" and the Duterard's job is done, because the target audience lack the ability to check it without spending money on data.

A friend reports that he has secured the deletion of seven fake Facebook profiles, all named "John Wick" and all but one actually Filipino supporters of Duterte, in the past few days. (The odd one out was a Brazilian and he was collateral damage!)

I think this thread may be the appropriate place to draw attention to the non-confirmation of Gina Lopez, amidst much public hand wringing from the President, who controls the super-majority in the House and the Senate...

But then, the mining interests are largely Chinese....

China says Philippines' P6.4-B. drug seizure was largest in shared crackdown

SHANGHAI - Philippine authorities last week seized more than 600 kg of methamphetamines in the largest such bust since China launched a crackdown on drug-smuggling in cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation, Chinese customs said on Monday.

China is the main source of methamphetamine consumed in the Philippines, which is caught in the throes of a brutal war on drugs waged by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Two people arrested in a May 12 raid on suspected smugglers told Chinese authorities they hid the drugs in five printing machines to smuggle them into the Philippines, customs officials in the coastal city of Xiamen said.


Tipped off by their Chinese counterparts, Philippine officials seized 604 kilograms of methamphetamine on May 26, Xiamen Customs said on its website.

"According to the Philippines side, this case is the largest drug trafficking bust made by the Philippines since China and the Philippines launched cooperation against cross-border drug smuggling," the Xiamen officials said in the statement.

"It shows China's determination to crack down on drug smuggling."

The Philippines' Bureau of Customs said in a statement issued last Saturday that it had acted on the intelligence from Chinese customs to seize the drugs in Valenzuela City, about 14 kilometres north of the country's capital of Manila.

It valued the haul at P6.4 billion.

"Our level of effective information-sharing with China Customs Cooperation sends a strong warning to all those involved in the drugs trade," said Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon.

The two nations agreed during Duterte's visit to China last October to strengthen cooperation in battling illicit drugs.

Duterte defended Beijing last year after a Reuters report quoted Philippine drug enforcement officials as saying China had done little over the years to staunch the flow of meth and its precursor chemicals.


vhttp://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/29/17/china-says-philippines-p64-b-drug-seizure-was-largest-in-shared-crackdown

Not surprised by the tap out. It's impossible to continue the discussion w/o admitting Duterte's faults - and that's difficult for the supporters who adore him no matter what. But better you say? If your safety is so important to you that abuse of power, blatant women-shaming and murders of other people are all worth it, then that’s your choice. But don't blame us for not thinking the country is better this way. Not everyone is blind to Duterte’s disgusting actions.

If it wasn't clear, I don’t doubt that Duterte changed Davao or that he has good intentions for the country. But that doesn’t mean he’s infallible or incapable of being a trapo. Humans are neither purely good nor purely evil. Duterte can do good, have good intentions AND at the same time still be corrupt. Even Marcos was impressive during his first term and he died a dictator who stole billions from us. It's dangerous when people refuse to see absolutely anything else aside from someone’s “good deeds.”

I think the award for Bare Faced Lie of the Week can go to Aguirre:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/903431...cial&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1496826237

and see the response:

FROM Gary Alejano:

Statement on the allegations of Sec. Aguirre of my involvement with the Maute group which staged the Marawi siege

This is a complete lie fabricated by no less than a secretary of justice who should be the first one to uphold truth in pursuit of justice in this country. He has become a purveyor of anything that is fake, a peddler of lies and a persecutor of people who does not agree with the policies of the Duterte administration.

Such statement is irresponsible and dangerous considering that the government has all the resources and manpower to validate any information before blurting out names in public. Aguirre's objective is just to destroy our reputation by feeding these lies to our detractors and their paid trolls in the social media.

The records will bear out that on May 2, 2017, I was in a press conference with the House media together with the members of the independent minority. I also attended the plenary session that afternoon as reflected in the Journal of the House dated May 2, 2017.

There was never a meeting attended by Sen. Trillanes, Sen. Bam Aquino, Sec. Llamas and myself. Much more a meeting held in Marawi. It has been years since the last time I visited Marawi City.

I must remind Aguirre that the Magdalo represents former and retired members of the Armed Forces and pursues reforms in the security sector. The Magdalo will in no way put the lives of our soldiers and police in danger, many of whom are our classmates and friends from the Philippine Military Academy and colleagues when we were still in the active service. The Magdalo would never support or affiliate with any terrorist organization.

I'm aware Duterte supporters are the majority on this forum, but this article is mostly for the not so pro-Duterte foreigners who wonder why the president is adored. The article focuses on just one reason, and there are more, but it's a good start.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/31/opinion/philippines-rodrigo-duterte.html

Believe me, I am no supporter of Fentanylla, I am a member of quite a number of anti- Fentanylla FB groups.

I spent six years living in his bailiwick with him and his daughter Sara as Mayors. I have experienced first hand what life was like there - completely different and much, much more pleasant than Cebu City where I'd spent the previous 3 years. And yes I was aware of the controversies surrounding him but having met and spoken with him and Sara, I liked them, neither are the ogres the media likes to paint them to be. And by the way, regarding Yolanda, Duterte sent two aid convoys within days of the typhoon strike and a third two or three weeks later. I believe Davao was the only Philippine city that did send aid and that is all thanks to Duterte and Dabawenyos' generosity.

My brothers-in-law worked for his campaign as close protection and travelled with Duterte to the various rallies he held including those in Manila. They reported that they have never seen so many people in one place at one time as came to his Manila rallies so although his popularity is strongest in VisMin, he's also hugely popular in the NCR part of Luzon; countrywide his approval rating hasn't dropped below 80%.

There are a lot of vested interests in the Philippines some of which are potentially threatened by Duterte and his anti-corruption crackdown which has barely got underway. It is very much to their advantage to ensure stumbling blocks are placed in his way. There have been numerous attempts to "get" Duterte and stop his various crackdowns, none have succeeded and whilst I'll keep an open mind, I doubt any will succeed in future.