A Philippine lawyer on Monday filed a complaint at the world’s only permanent war crimes court against President Rodrigo Duterte, alleging his war on drugs has caused some 8,000 deaths. Lawyer Jude Sabio urged the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate Duterte and senior adminstration officials and bring charges of … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte faced criticism on Wednesday for defending adultery by a powerful political ally. Duterte had said that like himself, House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez — who has made public his extramarital affairs — had “many wives”. “This is a world of hypocrisy. Who among you here does not have a mistress?” … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday described two major media outlets as “sons of whores” and warned them of karmic repercussions for their critical coverage of his deadly drug war. Duterte’s verbal attacks on top television broadcaster ABS-CBN and the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper came in a pair of speeches in which he also lashed … Read more
The Philippines tourism secretary urged the media Wednesday to “tone down” coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, complaining that reports on extrajudicial killings were scaring away foreigners. On a trip to Thailand accompanying Duterte, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo insisted the Philippines was a safe destination but said journalists were making the country a … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has described European lawmakers as “crazies” in a salty-tongued rebuttal to criticism of his deadly drug war, while vowing again that all traffickers will be killed. Duterte fired his broadside in a late-night speech Sunday in Myanmar after the European Parliament issued a resolution last week condemning “the high number of … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s ruling party stripped a dozen lawmakers of congressional leadership posts for voting against the death penalty, which critics warned Thursday was part of a “dangerous slide towards authoritarianism”. In a rare move local media dubbed a “purge”, ex-president Gloria Arroyo was on Wednesday dumped as deputy speaker of the House of … Read more
An opposition lawmaker filed an impeachment complaint in the Philippine Congress on Thursday against President Rodrigo Duterte, calling for his removal for what he said were high crimes, betrayal of public trust and abuses of power. Lower house representative Gary Alejano accused Duterte of a laundry list of offences he said were worthy of impeachment, … Read more
Sally Antonio is exhausted from working three jobs since police killed her husband and son, a typical Philippine drug war widow enduring a life sentence of impoverished misery. While President Rodrigo Duterte’s unprecedented crackdown has claimed the lives of 7,000 people, the impacts on their families are the largely untold stories in what rights groups … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign to bring back the death penalty for drug-related crimes has cleared a major hurdle, with supporters backing it in congress but critics denouncing the plans as “inhumane”. The death penalty bill, along with a proposed measure to punish children as young as nine as adult criminals, are key planks of … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he would recall police to fight his drug war, a month after he withdrew them and denounced the force as “corrupt to the core”. “I need more men and I have to call back the police again,” Duterte told reporters, adding he had instructed his police chief to find … Read more
The Philippine foreign minister told the UN rights council on Monday that Manila would “destroy criminals” in a defiant defence of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. “There can be no middle ground for the well-being of our people. We will not be kind,” Perfecto Yasay told the opening of the 47-member council’s main annual session … Read more
A leading critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Leila de Lima, has been arrested on drug trafficking charges. Senator Leila de Lima is accused of receiving money from detained drug lords. She has insisted on her innocence and says the charges are an attempt to silence her criticism of Mr Duterte’s war against drugs. … Read more
The highest-profile critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war was arrested on Friday following an overnight vigil at the Senate, according to AFP reporters who witnessed her surrendering to police. In comments to journalists moments before police detained her, Senator Leila de Lima declared she was innocent of drug trafficking charges that could … Read more
Philippine drug war critic Leila de Lima was a highly paid lawyer who switched focus mid-career to human rights, a decision that would draw her into the deadly world of President Rodrigo Duterte. De Lima was due to be arrested Friday on drug trafficking charges she insists are manufactured to silence her opposition to Duterte’s … Read more
An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for the highest-profile opponent of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, outraging her supporters who said the move was aimed at silencing her. Senator Leila de Lima, 57, a lawyer who has spent nearly a decade trying to link Duterte to death squads that have allegedly killed … Read more
A probe into whether Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ran a death squad is making progress following crucial whistleblower testimony this week, the head of the country’s rights watchdog said Tuesday. Philippine Commission on Human Rights chief Jose Gascon, who is investigating allegations that Duterte orchestrated murders while mayor of the southern city of Davao, said … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is a “serial killer” who should be forced out of office, one of his chief critics said Tuesday, as she faced arrest on drug charges she insisted were meant to silence her. Senator Leila de Lima invoked a famous “People Power” revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos three decades ago, in … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ran a death squad that killed many people, including a journalist and a pregnant woman, when he was mayor of a southern city, a retired policeman who claimed to part of the group said Monday. Arthur Lascanas, sitting alongside three prominent human rights lawyers, broke down in tears as he listed … Read more
Thousands of Catholic faithful gathered in the Philippine capital on Saturday in a “show of force” to stop extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. More than 6,000 people have died since Duterte took office seven months ago and ordered an unprecedented crime war that has drawn global criticism for alleged human rights abuses, … Read more
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte may have ordered police to withdraw from his brutal drug war, but the bodies continue to pile up at a rate of 10 a day. Shadowy assassins have killed nearly 150 people since the end of last month, human rights groups have said. Duterte pulled police from his seven month ‘war … Read more