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 Vice President Leni Robredo said Wednesday the nation’s drug war had left Filipinos feeling “hopeless and helpless”, with trust in the police eroded by thousands of summary executions. In a video message to a United Nations meeting on extrajudicial killings posted online, Robredo also called for international scrutiny on President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial crackdown. … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he had agreed to allow Chinese surveillance ships into Filipino waters, contradicting his defence minister who described their presence as “very concerning”. Duterte also told reporters he did not want to have a “fight” with China over Benham Rise — waters recognised by the United Nation as indisputably Philippine … Read more
The Philippine government agreed on Sunday to reinstate a ceasefire with the communists behind one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies, despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier threat to step up attacks on the group. Negotiators for both the government and the communist-led National Democratic Front also agreed to resume collapsed peace talks, a joint statement said. … Read more
Manila on Tuesday “strongly protested” an American television drama for showing a fictional Philippine president making a sexual advance on the US secretary of state. In the trailer for the latest edition of “Madam Secretary”, the lead character punches “the Philippines’ unconventional new president” in the face and gives him a bloody nose in reaction … Read more
When Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte summoned his security chiefs to an urgent meeting one Sunday night last month, his mind was already made up. His military and law enforcement heads had no idea what was coming: a suspension of the police force’s leading role in his signature campaign, a merciless war on illegal drugs. There … Read more
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte denied throwing a person off a helicopter in an interview with CNN Philippines Thursday, contradicting a statement he made on live television earlier this week. “We had no helicopter. We don’t use that,” he said. He described the incident as “just the creative imagination of this Tulfo.” Duterte did not clarify … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte derided U. S. ambassadors as “spies” on Thursday, responding to a media report of an alleged American plot to destabilize his government, a job he said some envoys were appointed solely to do. The volatile former mayor said though had received no intelligence reports of any U. S. plan to undermine … Read more
The Philippine President vowed Friday to keep up his controversial campaign against drugs as long as he remains in office. Rodrigo Duterte was met with a roar of approval and chants of “Duterte, Duterte” when he took to the stage in Singapore to address members of the Filipino community. He said he would not stop … Read more
China’s success at turning around relations with the Philippines under its new president Rodrigo Duterte show the “conspiracies” of certain countries to stir up trouble in the South China Sea have been defeated, China’s foreign minister said on Saturday. In July, the Philippines won a case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague … Read more
U. S. President-elect Donald Trump invited Philippines leader Rodrigo Duterte to the White House next year during a “very engaging, animated” phone conversation, a Duterte aide said on Friday, amid rocky relations between their two countries. A statement issued by Trump’s transition team, however, made no mention of an invitation. Trump’s brief chat with the … Read more
Controversial Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has moved to bury the hatchet with the United States after Donald Trump’s election to the White House. “I would like to congratulate President Trump. Long live!” Duterte said to applause on Wednesday. “Now we’re here, I don’t want to … fight because Trump is already there.” The traditional alliance … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hit out at the United States on Tuesday, saying he did not start a fight with Washington and it could forget about a military agreement between both countries if he were to be in power longer. Duterte said he was against the presence of any foreign troops in his country and … Read more
Duterte aligns Philippines with China, says U. S. has lost Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced his “separation” from the United States on Thursday, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through talks. Duterte made his comments in Beijing, where he is visiting with at least … Read more
A police van has rammed protesters in the Philippines capital Manila as a demonstration outside the US embassy turned violent. Footage showed protesters surrounding the van and hitting it with batons taken from police. The vehicle then drives into the crowd several times, injuring a number of people. Hundreds had met to demand the US … Read more
US President Barack Obama can “go to hell” over his criticism of the Philippines brutal war against drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte says. The European Union – another critic – “better choose purgatory, hell is filled up”, Mr Duterte said. The remarks came as the US and the Philippines began joint military exercises. The US said … Read more
President Rodrigo Duterte has announced that the military exercises between the Philippines and the United States scheduled in October will be the last under his administration. Duterte made the announcement on Wednesday during his official visit to Vietnam, signaling a shift away from an alliance that is one of the oldest in Asia. “You [US] … Read more
A former Filipino militiaman testified before the country’s Senate on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte, when he was still a city mayor, ordered him and other members of a liquidation squad to kill criminals and opponents in gangland-style assaults that left about 1,000 dead. Edgar Matobato, 57, told the nationally televised Senate committee hearing that … Read more
US President Barack Obama and Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte had a brief face-to-face encounter, days after a very public spat. On Tuesday Mr Obama cancelled planned talks after the firebrand Mr Duterte called him the “son of a whore”. Wednesday’s informal meeting took place before an Asean summit gala dinner. While a Philippine spokesman said … Read more
The U. S. State Department and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday stressed the need for ties with the Philippines to be based on mutual respect, after Manila’s new leader raised worries about the future of the key alliance by calling President Barack Obama a “son of a bitch.” Despite U.S. dismay over Duterte’s … Read more