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This is the official news & discussions thread on the rise of "Duterte Harry" and the rapidly deteriorating sociopolitical climate in the Philippines.
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Thread Index
- Duterte declares upcoming Philippines-U.S. war games 'the last one' (Sept 29, 2016)
- Duterte spokesman tries to clarify Philippines leader's Hitler remarks
(Oct 1, 2016)
- Philippines' Duterte likens himself to Hitler (Sept 30, 2016)
- China envoy: Sun rises 'beautifully' on China-Philippines ties (Sept 28 2016)
- PH is breaking away w/ the US, Duterte asking his countrymen to ‘sacrifice’ (Sept 28, 2016)
- The Armed Forces of the Philippines invited U.S Marines from Okinawa
to joint military exercise amid Duterte's call for American troops to exit
(Sept 25, 2016)
- Duterte Gives Middle Finger to the European Union (Sept 20, 2016)
- Duterte's antics shake investor confidence in the Philippines (Sept 20, 2016)
- Duterte vows more benefits, pay hike, new weapons to soldiers (Sept 20, 2016)
- Manny Pacquiao Fights For Duterte, Ousts Senator Investigating Death Squad Hits (Sept 20, 2016)
- Duterte foe ousted from probe into Philippine killings because she's "ruining the country's image" (Sept 19, 2016)
- Duterte's tilt toward China upsets U.S. strategy in Asia (Sept 15, 2016)
- Duterte personally killed justice official, hitman tells Philippine senate (Sept 14, 2016)
- Duterte Signals Shift in U.S.-Philippine Military Alliance (Sept 13, 2016)
- Duterte wants US forces out of southern Philippines (Sept 13, 2016)
- Rodrigo Duterte Declares Indefinite State of Emergency in the Philippines (Sept 6, 2016)
- Philippines scrambles to soothe tensions after insult to Obama (Sep 6, 2016)
- From Ban to Obama: Diplomatic issues mar Duterte debut (Sep 6, 2016)
- Philippines leader curses Obama; White House cancels meeting (Sep 5, 2016)
- Duterte tells Obama not to question him about killings (Sep 5, 2016)
- Philippines president: Explosion that killed 14 was act of terrorism (Sept 2, 2016)
- Deadly Explosion Hits Philippines' President's Home City (Sept 2, 2016)
- Banana firm closes down due to Communist rebel extortions, leaving 1,500 jobless Filipinos (Aug 7, 2016)
- Pres. Duterte calls US Ambassador Golberg ‘Gay’ and a ‘Son of a bitch’ (Aug 7, 2016)
- Duterte Widening His Targets From Criminals to Business Tycoons (Aug 4, 2016)
- Philippines is the new killing field of Asia (Aug 5, 2016)
- Filipinos’ optimism hits record high (July 29, 2016)
- Communist officials: “AFP Modernization is a waste of taxpayer’s money” (July 29, 2016)
- Philippine Leader Threatens to Withdraw Truce with the NPA After Attack (July 28, 2016)
- Duterte: “We can get many benefits from China” (July 26, 2016)
- Duterte: “Middle East is not exporting terrorism, America imported terrorism” (July 10, 2016)
- Last Hurrah: America calls nations to support the Philippines against China (July 10, 2016)
- Yasay: “We have no power nor authority to tell China to leave” (July 10, 2016)
- Duterte calls China's Xi Jinping a "great leader", says the Philippines "will not be dependent on America" (June 2, 2016)
- Duterte Will Use Leftover Campaign Cash to Reward Killing Suspected Drug Dealers (June 1, 2016)
- Philippines' Duterte condemned for saying journalists deserved to die (June 1, 2016)
- Rodrigo Duterte Plans to Reinstate Death Penalty, Offer Cabinet Posts to Communist Rebels (May 16, 2016)
- Philippines' cash-strapped cops cheer new crime-buster president (May 13, 2016)
- History Revisited: Without the US, local heroes will defend the Philippines (May 10, 2012)
- Rodrigo Duterte, Poised to Lead Philippines, Is Expected to Take New Approach to China (May 11, 2016)
- Arkain2K's opinions on the USA-Philippines relations
- Duterte’s South China Sea stance could shake up security ties with Japan and U.S.(May 10, 2016)
- Rise of Philippines’ Duterte stirs uncertainty in the South China Sea (May 10, 2016)
- History Revisited: Philippines Orders U.S. to Leave Strategic Navy Base at Subic Bay (Dec 28, 1991)
- Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte says he may sever Australian relations over rape row (April 21, 2016)
- Philippines election: Duterte’s pledge to communist insurgency may trigger coup (May 9, 2016)
- Why Filipinos Are Voting for a New ‘Dictator’ (May 6, 2016)
- What is happening to my beloved country? (May 8, 2016)
- Philippines' 'Duterte Harry': the would-be president accused of using vigilante squads (May 8, 2016)
- "Duterte Harry" tipped to win as Philippines heads to the polls
'Duterte Harry' tipped to win as Philippines heads to the polls
By Jason Gutierrez, for CNN
May 9, 2016
By Jason Gutierrez, for CNN
May 9, 2016
Manila (CNN) Voters in the Philippines go to the polls Monday after a bruising campaign to lead the Catholic country.
Nearly 55 million of the country's 100 million population have registered to choose not only a new president and deputy, but also to elect half of the Senate, the entire House of Representatives as well as tens of thousands of local posts, from governors, mayor and members of the provincial councils.
Leading in presidential polls is Rodrigo Duterte, a long-time mayor of the southern city of Davao.
He's a colorful and controversial figure known for his inflammatory comments on a gang rape, his sexual conquests and tough stance on crime.
If elected, he has vowed to execute 100,000 criminals and dump them into Manila Bay.
In his last campaign stump Saturday, Duterte, 71, played his role to the hilt, and again vowed to butcher criminals as he told thousands gathered in central Manila: "Forget the laws of human rights."
"If I make it to the presidential palace, I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, hold-up men and do-nothings, you better go out. Because as the mayor, I'd kill you," Duterte, said to wild cheers from the throng of supporters.
He has also promised to jail the corrupt, along with rogue members of the police and the military.
His tirades against the country's elite have touched a chord among many Filipinos but he has set alarm bells ringing for rights advocates.
'Duterte Harry?'
In the southern city of Davao, where Duterte has held office for decades, he has long been dogged by allegations of ties to death squads and extrajudicial killings.
The man, who is most comfortable in shirts and jeans, has been dubbed "Duterte Harry" and "The Punisher" by the enamored local press for his exploits.
Carlos Conde, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the group had put out a questionnaire to the candidates to ask about their stance on extra-judicial killings. Duterte did not reply.
"We've always raised the concern that the death squads in Davao has ushered in an epidemic of similar death squad-style killings in other cities. HRW documented this particularly in Tagum City, not far from Davao."
"Politicians who popularize death squads as a form of crime control are helping spread this epidemic across the country. At the bottom of this, of course, is the breakdown of rule of law," he told CNN.
He noted that "death squad killings" have a measure of support among the citizenry wary of high crime, but stressed they also breed "lawlessness, corruption and disregard for the rule of law that will spell disaster for the years to come."
'Specter of dictatorship?'
President Benigno Aquino, the son of the country's democracy icons Benigno and Corazon Aquino, was elected in a landslide in 2010, but his popularity has taken a dent in the past two years as crime worsened — even as the economy chugged forward.
Aquino himself called for all the candidates to unite against Duterte, warning of uncertainty and the "specter of dictatorship" if Duterte won.
Duterte faces current Interior Minister Mar Roxas, Aquino's protege who is perceived as bland despite solid credentials; Grace Poe, 47, a popular senator who has been challenged over her citizenship; Jejomar Binay, 73, the country's exiting vice president hounded by accusations of corruption ; and Miriam Defensor Santiago, 70, a veteran lawmaker and legal expert who once contested the presidency in 1992.
A recent poll by polling firm Social Weather Stations has Duterte in the lead, with 33%, followed by Poe at 22% and Roxas at 20%. Binay and Santiago were at 13% and 2%, respectively.
Roxas , 57, said the campaign had been extremely taxing and characterized by mudslinging. He said the Philippines once again was in the world's spotlight, and urged all voters to make the right choice.
"We are here fighting for our future, fighting for the continuation of our way of life," he said Saturday. "No matter what they say, critics cannot deny that the Philippines is now Asia's bright star."
Indeed, the Philippine economy has steadily grown since the early 2000s, earning credit ratings upgrades, with the economy and spending power fueled by the money sent home by the country's army of overseas workers.
On the political and diplomatic front, the government has been feted for standing up to China over a row in the South China Sea.
Protest vote?
Ramon Casiple, a political analyst and head of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, said Duterte leads in the polls because choosing him is considered "a protest vote."
"He is a symbol for the people. Nothing happened for many people in the past six years, and he has capitalized on his image as the folk hero here," Casiple told CNN.
He said the electorate were mesmerized at how Duterte continued his attacks on the country's elite, and seemed to care little that he is portrayed, at times, as uncouth.
"Even some in the business elite are intrigued by what he has promised, and the way he proposed to step down as president if he failed to solve crime, traffic, congestion," he said, but cautioned as well that when "moths fly closely into the fire" oftentimes, they get burned.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/08/asia/philippines-election/
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