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 has fired the interior minister, his spokesman said Tuesday as infighting and corruption allegations rock his government. Ismael Sueno, who supervised Duterte’s war on drugs that has left thousands dead, was fired on the spot at a cabinet meeting late Monday, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement. “The summary … 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
China and the Philippines will hold direct talks on their maritime dispute in May, Filipino officials said Wednesday, as President Rodrigo Duterte seeks stronger economic ties with Beijing. Last year a United Nations-backed international tribunal rejected Beijing’s claims to most of the South China Sea, including disputed areas close to the coasts of its neighbours. … Read more
Three turbulent decades after the Philippines shed dictatorship, President Rodrigo Duterte is offering a return to authoritarian rule as a solution to all the problems democracy has failed to fix. In a series of recent speeches, Duterte has repeatedly said martial law may be needed to save his nation of 100 million people from descending … Read more
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he was open to sharingBeijing in flashpoint South China Sea waters over which Manila has been given exclusive rights by an international tribunal. Beijing claims most of the sea, including waters close to the Philippine coast, despite the claim being declared as without basis last year by a United … 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
President Rodrigo Duterte says instructed the military to assert Philippine ownership of a large ocean region off the country’s northeastern coast where China’s survey ships were spotted last year. However, Duterte said on Monday he ordered the military to claim the Benham Rise area in a friendly way, repeating his country has no option but … 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
The Philippines’ defence secretary on Saturday visited a US aircraft carrier patrolling the South China Sea, hailing the “strong relationship” with Washington despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s pivot away from Manila’s traditional ally. The US Navy said the USS Carl Vinson had been engaging in “routine operations in the South China Sea” since last month to … Read more
More than 1,000 people took to the streets of Manila on Saturday to protest Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, following the arrest of his most high-profile critic. The protestors massed outside the national police headquarters where Senator Leila de Lima was detained on Friday, in a demonstration against the alleged death-squad murders … 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 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
Shadowy assassins are still killing poor Filipinos, despite a police withdrawal from Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, a rights group said Friday, as Manila filed criminal charges against the president’s top critic. Duterte ordered the police to step back at the end of January after a seven-month campaign that had left 6,485 people dead, many … Read more