The Philippines: Forget everything you thought you knew about human rights

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gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

#1

The news about yesterday's events should be hitting international media by about now:

Daily Mail: Duterte foe ousted from probe into Philippine killings

Reuters: Philippine drug killings probe in limbo after senators drop Duterte critic

#2

Senator Cayetano was interviewed last night regarding the motion to oust Senator De Lima from her chairmanship:

quote:

"I do not have any ambitions in the Senate. I fully support you, with Dick Gordon as our leader. Just talk with each other. As for me, I only have two requests. First, pass all presidential bills that can benefit the country, like the emergency powers for the president."

That first sentence is an outright admission that Senator Gordon, the new Justice committee chairman, is just as much an administration ally as Cayetano himself, who recused himself from the chairmanship over concerns about neutrality.

That last sentence is an outright admission that the administration bloc's agenda is to award emergency powers to the President.

#3

On Sep 15 2016, Time Magazine released an article: Inside Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte�s War On Drugs, written by one Rishi Iyengar. It made the cover of Time's international edition.

Apparently, Mr Iyengar wrote about making the cover of Time on his personal Facebook page, and then a local Filipina journalist, a Ms Gretchen Malalad, congratulated him for it.

This then lead to the following image by the Crabbler Facebook page, which as I have brought up previously is a complete administration shill:

So they doxxed her, heavily implied that she was the source of the information Iyengar was working off of, and "let people decide" whether or not she was deserving of their ire.

I bring this up because the The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) released a statement on this turn of events:

quote:

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) deplore the recent social media attacks on our colleagues, freelance journalist Gretchen Malalad, and Al Jazeera correspondent Jamela Alindogan-Caudron, which have gone beyond legitimate criticism of their professional output to outright threats on their persons.

The media, whether here or elsewhere, will always welcome engagement, including criticism, from their audience for this is also how we learn to be more effective communicators.

However, we will never take any threats, whether of physical harm or to silence us, lightly for we have lost far too many of our colleagues and hardly seen justice for them.

We do take some measure of hope from the Duterte administration's creation of a special task force to investigate media killings and other threats against the Philippine press. This might be the perfect opportunity for the task force, or an equivalent mechanism currently available, to prove its worth. We call on Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to immediately cause an investigation and take action against the open threats against Ms. Malalad and Ms. Alindogan-Caudron, and to do its utmost to ensure that none of these are carried out.

We also urge all our colleagues to report any and all threats directed against you for your work that these may be properly documented and referred to the appropriate law enforcement bodies for action.

At the same time, we also urge the administration to end its penchant of constantly blaming the media for any controversy its words and actions give rise to. As communicators, we are only too aware of the power of words, especially when uttered by those in positions of leadership, for these may be, and have many times been, taken as gospel truth and a license to precipitate action by true believers.

As journalists, it is our duty to report events as faithfully as we can. To blame us for the consequences of what those we cover utter or do is tantamount to asking us to abrogate our duties and be silent. This we cannot and will never do.

Independent Philippine journalists helped shine the light on the dark deeds of the Marcos dictatorship and continued to scrutinize each and every administration since then without fear or favor despite the dangers we have and continue to face, for which many of us have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We will continue to do so and to oppose any attempts to stifle press freedom, a freedom that, incidentally, does not belong to us but to the people, whose right to know that freedom serves.

The linked article has multiple pictures of the kind of invective that's been flung against these women.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 02:45

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# ? May 10, 2024 00:58

chami: Mar 28, 2011; Keep it classy, boys~; Fun Shoe

This is especially chilling given that the Philippines has one of the most dangerous countries for journalists for quite a while now. It's not uncommon to hear of a journalist gunned down outside their home after criticizing a local politician.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 03:04

get that OUT of my face: Feb 10, 2007

After reading sources in this thread and elsewhere, I figured dictatorship was coming to the Philippines. What I wasn't expecting was a grand total of three months to elapse between Duterte's inauguration and the end of Philippine democracy. If anyone in this thread can leave, find a way to do so. Things won't get better until they get far worse.

Also, I kinda wish Mayweather beat the absolute poo poo out of Pacquiao like he did with numerous women, instead of the cowardly style he used in that fight and throughout his career.

gradenko_2000 posted:

His whole account's a goldmine of poo poo if you want to go looking, but he's got some very confused politics going on

I disagree, fetishizing Nazis seems to be a common link.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 06:15

RandomPauI: Nov 24, 2006; Grimey Drawer

So, is Duterte making the shift away from the US because he hates the US, or because they won't agree with his policies so he decided to just angle for a new patron?

# ? Sep 20, 2016 06:23

blackguy32: Oct 1, 2005; Say, do you know how to do the walk?

Y-Hat posted:

After reading sources in this thread and elsewhere, I figured dictatorship was coming to the Philippines. What I wasn't expecting was a grand total of three months to elapse between Duterte's inauguration and the end of Philippine democracy. If anyone in this thread can leave, find a way to do so. Things won't get better until they get far worse.

Also, I kinda wish Mayweather beat the absolute poo poo out of Pacquiao like he did with numerous women, instead of the cowardly style he used in that fight and throughout his career.

I disagree, fetishizing Nazis seems to be a common link.

That's ok cause you can relish in Marquez knocking him the gently caress out.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 06:33

ihatepants: Nov 5, 2011; Let the burning of pants commence. These things drive me nuts.

Ytlaya posted:

Manny Pacquiao, nooo

Let's not act like he wasn't an awful person and a total shithead for a long time before this. I was probably the only Filipino rooting against the guy for most of his career because of it.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 06:56

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

RandomPauI posted:

So, is Duterte making the shift away from the US because he hates the US, or because they won't agree with his policies so he decided to just angle for a new patron?

It has to (as in this is just conjecture on my part) come down to a combination of:

1. China has dirt of him/his handlers
2. He/his handlers owe a great deal of debt to China, either in cash or in kind
3. Duterte has strong personal feelings about the US and holds a grudge, and it's leaking into his foreign policy decisions

Nothing else makes sense, unless we start delving into "yes, it doesn't make sense, Duterte is nuts".

I mean, you do have a point about how Obama/Clinton are probably not going to look kindly upon the Philippines descending into right-wing authoritarianism, but then again Egypt and other parts of the ME are a thing. They'd hold their nose as long they could use us as an ally and a pivot against China, so going full Marcos AND turning away from the US is a great way to get denouncements and sanctions that wouldn't otherwise happen if we'd just play ball with Kerry.

So, I don't really know.

ihatepants posted:

Let's not act like he wasn't an awful person and a total shithead for a long time before this. I was probably the only Filipino rooting against the guy for most of his career because of it.

Yeah, let's not forget that this is Manny "gays are worse than animals" Pacquiao here.

It's just that as a Congressman, he had an attendance record worse than Marco Rubio (HEYO!) so I thought he was going to mostly be an empty suit, and not "I'll file a bill for the reimplementation of the death penalty and let myself be used as the admin's attack dog"

# ? Sep 20, 2016 07:45

Troy Queef: Jan 12, 2013

blackguy32 posted:

That's ok cause you can relish in Marquez knocking him the gently caress out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSn3wWoKz-k&t=1524s

(This vid may or may not be available in your country, but let's watch JMM connect on one of the greatest counters I've ever seen, Jinkee flipping the gently caress out as a result, and then multiple replays from every angle of JMM getting revenge for being knocked down three times in Round 1 of their first fight.)

e: if that doesn't work for you, here's a video with both the KO and REACTIONS! to the KO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEyaODZRIbA

Troy Queef fucked around with this message at 08:49 on Sep 20, 2016

# ? Sep 20, 2016 08:42

chami: Mar 28, 2011; Keep it classy, boys~; Fun Shoe

gradenko_2000 posted:

Yeah, let's not forget that this is Manny "gays are worse than animals" Pacquiao here.

It's just that as a Congressman, he had an attendance record worse than Marco Rubio (HEYO!) so I thought he was going to mostly be an empty suit, and not "I'll file a bill for the reimplementation of the death penalty and let myself be used as the admin's attack dog"

I'm pretty sure he lobbied hard against the Reproductive Health bill too; I remember a quote about making his wife stop taking birth control pills. Dude is apparently generous to a fault but he's pretty much a worse religious zealot than Ted Cruz.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 11:12

500excf type r: Mar 7, 2013; I'm as annoying as the high-pitched whine of my motorcycle, desperately compensating for the lack of substance in my life.

I saw this in the news this morning and one line stood out to me:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/19/asia/philippines-uk-baron-moynihan-daughter-killed/index.html

CNN posted:

The daughter of a runaway British lord has become one of the highest profile victims of the Philippines' war on drugs.

Maria Aurora Moynihan, daughter of the third Baron Moynihan, was found shot dead in Quezon City, Manila in the early hours of Sunday September 11, police told CNN Philippines.

A sign reading "Drug pusher to celebrities, you're next," was found next to her body. Police said the death was being treated as "a murder case first and foremost."
Moynihan, 45, had previously been charged with illegal drug use after being arrested in a buy-bust operation in 2013, Quezon City Police Department Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar told CNN Philippines.

She was found in possession of cannabis, crystal methamphetamine and ecstasy, but was not charged with selling, Eleazar said.

I guess I should not find it surprising that someone from that kind of family gets different/better treatment but at the same time, with all the other news coming from there, it feels out of place (to me.)

# ? Sep 20, 2016 13:09

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

All right, reset the clock.

Duterte turns ire on EU, calls them hypocrites and uses �F� word

quote:

MANILA � President Duterte let loose a fresh string of tirades against the European Union, on Tuesday, after it called for a halt to extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines.

�I read the condemnation of the EU against me. I will tell them, �gently caress you.� You�re doing it in atonement for your sins,� Mr. Duterte said in a speech before local government officials in Davao City.

Duterte said members of the European Union have become strict about the behavior of other nations due to their �guilt feelings� over the atrocities they had committed in the past.

He also called them hypocrites, as he added that a check of encyclopedias would show what European countries have done, he said. For instance, France and Great Britain had killed Arabs, he said.

�And then EU now has the gall to condemn me. I repeat it, �gently caress you,�� he said.

Mr. Duterte also asked who he was supposed to have killed in the Philippines.

Assuming accusations against him were true, and there were over 1,000 killed in the country, he asked who were the people killed.

�Who are they? Criminals? You call it genocide? How many did they kill?� he asked.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 13:55

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

"I will tell them, �gently caress you.�"
Facebook: "Oh, he's not saying gently caress you, he's only _threatening_ to say gently caress you."
"I repeat it, �gently caress you,�"
Facebook: "Well come on you gotta look at the context here."

# ? Sep 20, 2016 14:45

toasterwarrior: Nov 11, 2011

Argue posted:

"I will tell them, �gently caress you.�"
Facebook: "Oh, he's not saying gently caress you, he's only _threatening_ to say gently caress you."
"I repeat it, �gently caress you,�"
Facebook: "Well come on you gotta look at the context here."

"He said "gently caress you", but like, gently, like a lover."

# ? Sep 20, 2016 14:51

blackguy32: Oct 1, 2005; Say, do you know how to do the walk?

Argue posted:

"I will tell them, �gently caress you.�"
Facebook: "Oh, he's not saying gently caress you, he's only _threatening_ to say gently caress you."
"I repeat it, �gently caress you,�"
Facebook: "Well come on you gotta look at the context here."

Spoken like a true Dutertinista. But from my standpoint, the guy just seems like a giant petulant baby that is lashing out at everything and everyone who dares criticize him.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 15:10

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

blackguy32 posted:

Spoken like a true Dutertinista. But from my standpoint, the guy just seems like a giant petulant baby that is lashing out at everything and everyone who dares criticize him.

Someone should introduce the President to smartphones and the Twitter app :allears:

# ? Sep 20, 2016 15:12

toasterwarrior: Nov 11, 2011

gradenko_2000 posted:

Someone should introduce the President to smartphones and the Twitter app

Teddy Boy's got that poo poo covered.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 15:15

Lord Zedd-Repulsa: Jul 21, 2007; Devour a good book.

Troy Queef posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSn3wWoKz-k&t=1524s

(This vid may or may not be available in your country, but let's watch JMM connect on one of the greatest counters I've ever seen, Jinkee flipping the gently caress out as a result, and then multiple replays from every angle of JMM getting revenge for being knocked down three times in Round 1 of their first fight.)

Works fine in the States for me.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 16:09

The Saddest Rhino: Apr 29, 2009; Put it all together.
Solve the world.
One conversation at a time.

EX250 Type R posted:

I saw this in the news this morning and one line stood out to me:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/19/asia/philippines-uk-baron-moynihan-daughter-killed/index.html

I guess I should not find it surprising that someone from that kind of family gets different/better treatment but at the same time, with all the other news coming from there, it feels out of place (to me.)

The facebook post for these news have so many "she didn't deserve to die, but" comments

# ? Sep 20, 2016 16:24

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

I wasn't really able to keep pace with today's proceedings in a way that'd let me do a neat summary, so I'll just try to link relevant news stories:

A backgrounder on Herbert Colangco, one of the drug lords that testified to a House committee today on allegations that Senator De Lima used them to funnel drug money into her campaign fund.

Despite the fact that this was a House committee hearing, Department of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre personally got involved in questioning Colangco and the other witnesses.

One of the bombshells in today's testimony was that Colangco was able to contact De Lima directly, through her cellphone.

In shades of what happened to Senator Lindsay Graham, the witnesses did publicly expose De Lima's cellphone number and home address, which then resulted in the Senator being called �the vilest of names� in thousands of angry messages.

De Lima of course denied these allegations, asserting that the testimony must have been falsified, done under duress, or done with a deal, especially since the DOJ, with the approval from the House, granted immunity to these inmates in exchange for their testimony.

President Duterte's own response to these allegations of drug lords living it up inside what's supposed to be a maximum security was yet another reference to declaring Martial Law.

In the Senate, De Lima did deliver her own privilege speech in response to yesterday's events and the allegations leveled against her, and I will end with an excerpt from the speech:

quote:

The point is, Senator Cayetano wants to impress upon us the Singapore-like safety of our communities in the middle of all these killings with anecdotes. His proof that we are safe consists of anecdotal taxi driver stories. In the meantime, his President has just declared a State of National Emergency due to the existence of Lawless Violence. For the first time since the eve of the declaration of Martial Law 44 years ago to the day today, the country has not come close to such an admission by the State that it is incapable of enforcing order in society, that the President has to resort to his extraordinary commander-in-chief powers under the Constitution in order to maintain public safety, peace and order.

So are we in a State of Safety, as claimed by Senator Cayetano? Or are we in a State of Lawlessness, as declared by the President?

Safe lawlessness, or lawless safety? Ang tawag po doon sa salitang Inggles ay �oxymoron�, with emphasis on moron.

Senator Cayetano�s anecdotes will not pass any known academic standard to prove his proposed thesis that our countrymen feel safe. I for one do not feel safe, what with the President unleashing the might and power of the whole Executive Branch, the other half of Congress, and 1/24 of the Senate to go after me and destroy me, a single Senator from Bicol who wants nothing else in the world but to be and play with her dogs at home and to see that the killings stop and justice be done to those who already fell during the night.

The next time Senator Cayetano recites his now famous anecdotes about how safe we are, maybe he can include my own story. Definitely it is not a story of being safe. It is the story of being the first target of a new McCarthyism in our time, of being singled out by the powers-that-be for daring to think differently and to advocate passionately for what one believes in.

This has been the line of Duterte's paid trolls in social media: If you are not pro-Duterte, you are a drug coddler, you are a pusher, you are an addict. This is the new communist scare of our times: The Addict. If you do not worship Lord Duterte, you are an addict, because only addicts do not worship Lord Duterte.

Link to the speech's full text

# ? Sep 20, 2016 16:48

Schubalts: Nov 26, 2007; People say bigger is better.

But for the first time in my life, I think I've gone too far.

This really does reek of extreme, bloodthirsty McCarthyism.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 18:25

Dapper_Swindler: Feb 14, 2012; Im glad my instant dislike in you has been validated again and again.

Just read through through most of the thread. Holy poo poo Duterte is going full dictator fast a gently caress. poo poo like this scares me that trump if he wins somehow is gonna do the same poo poo.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 21:55

ihatepants: Nov 5, 2011; Let the burning of pants commence. These things drive me nuts.

chami posted:

How strong is their case against de Lima anyway? Last I heard anything about that, they were trying to play the morality police and slut-shame her for alleged infidelity.

Also making the rounds are people blaming the international media for "destabilizing the country". Yea sure, blame the international media for the trouble in the glorious Democratic People's Republic of the Philippines.

I know this is one of those "my uncle works at Nintendo" type stories, but I have heard from others in the know (that also hate Duterte) that De Lima really does have connections to the drug trade and has her right hand man handles pretty much everything with that. She is also very willing to be bribed, even compared to her other peers. She's dirty as gently caress and probably deserves everything that's coming to her.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 22:24

keevo: Jun 16, 2011; WAKE UP

I'm surprised a politician hasn't said, "Hey for a guy so against drugs you sure sound like you're on them."

# ? Sep 20, 2016 22:27

Wizchine: Sep 17, 2007; Television is the retina
of the mind's eye.

ihatepants posted:

I know this is one of those "my uncle works at Nintendo" type stories, but I have heard from others in the know (that also hate Duterte) that De Lima really does have connections to the drug trade and has her right hand man handles pretty much everything with that. She is also very willing to be bribed, even compared to her other peers. She's dirty as gently caress and probably deserves everything that's coming to her.

I was talking a bit about the stuff going with a couple of co-workers - none of us is Filipino by the way. One of them was saying something along the lines of the above, like "yeah, it wouldn't be surprising if the people at the top were all big players in the drug trade because that's how it works where I came from. She's probably dirty as hell." He's from Honduras.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 22:39

Badger of Basra: Jul 26, 2007

Has Duterte turned Davao into the second capital? It seems like all quotes or speeches end with "said today in Davao City." Does he ever go to Manila?

# ? Sep 20, 2016 22:42

Adventure Pigeon: Nov 8, 2005; I am a master storyteller.

keevo posted:

I'm surprised a politician hasn't said, "Hey for a guy so against drugs you sure sound like you're on them."

Everyone would have a chuckle then a few days later whoever said that would turn up dead with a cardboard sign around their neck.

# ? Sep 20, 2016 23:15

Ceiling fan: Dec 26, 2003; I really like ceilings.; Dead Man’s Band

Schubalts posted:

This really does reek of extreme, bloodthirsty McCarthyism.

Someday the US will have to get around to exporting the good parts of democracy. I mean, I don't want it to be all about us, but drat. A former occupied territory casually refers to one of our most tragic fuckups. One that happened years after independence (depending on how you measure that kind of thing.) We must have really hosed you over or something. Oh well. At least we aren't backing this dictator. Just handing him an easy rationalization.

# ? Sep 21, 2016 02:34

Xelkelvos: Dec 19, 2012

Wizchine posted:

I was talking a bit about the stuff going with a couple of co-workers - none of us is Filipino by the way. One of them was saying something along the lines of the above, like "yeah, it wouldn't be surprising if the people at the top were all big players in the drug trade because that's how it works where I came from. She's probably dirty as hell." He's from Honduras.

At first I assumed you meant Duerte was probably dirty until I saw "She" and felt disappointed.

# ? Sep 21, 2016 03:13

Wizchine: Sep 17, 2007; Television is the retina
of the mind's eye.

Xelkelvos posted:

At first I assumed you meant Duerte was probably dirty until I saw "She" and felt disappointed.

It doesn't matter to me what she is involved in: due process is paramount, and extra-judicial killings are abominations. I like to believe in the rule of law. Is it a luxury? American privilege? It's amazing (and frightening) to me how people are willing to throw away freedom and sign over everything to a dictator once they fee their personal security is at stake.

# ? Sep 21, 2016 03:40

CronoGamer: May 15, 2004; why did this happen

A Filipino friend posted about the EJKs and I responded in kind. Then some other Filipino guy he knows came in with "Oust Duterte! Install Yellow Oligarch and American puppets! " and 20 minutes later "It's obvious that Duterte is behind all the deaths and killings as De Lima said. The Philippines doesn't need a mass murderer. What the Philippines need is a president who is completely loyal to US and oligarchic interests."

I made the mistake of arguing that just because Duterte is allowing this poo poo to go down doesn't mean people are calling for an ouster, and you can criticize him without calling for a coup. Now he's asking me why I am against human rights. I can't loving handle these people, how do you respond when someone doesn't have a grasp of logic or rhetoric?

# ? Sep 21, 2016 04:04

Fizzil: Aug 24, 2005; There are five fucks at the edge of a cliff...

CronoGamer posted:

A Filipino friend posted about the EJKs and I responded in kind. Then some other Filipino guy he knows came in with "Oust Duterte! Install Yellow Oligarch and American puppets! " and 20 minutes later "It's obvious that Duterte is behind all the deaths and killings as De Lima said. The Philippines doesn't need a mass murderer. What the Philippines need is a president who is completely loyal to US and oligarchic interests."

I made the mistake of arguing that just because Duterte is allowing this poo poo to go down doesn't mean people are calling for an ouster, and you can criticize him without calling for a coup. Now he's asking me why I am against human rights. I can't loving handle these people, how do you respond when someone doesn't have a grasp of logic or rhetoric?

You don't. The more i talk with people the more its apparent they really just regurgitate stuff that they like to hear and have absolutely no interest in even thinking about or discussing things honestly or even in the face of evidence.

On that note, where i live, that rhetoric of "x country murdered these people 50 years ago, they aren't angels also gently caress off with your human rights bullshit" is used very frequently in any discussion that involves politics. A lot of people just don't realize two wrongs don't make a right.

Fizzil fucked around with this message at 04:22 on Sep 21, 2016

# ? Sep 21, 2016 04:20

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

CronoGamer posted:

I made the mistake of arguing that just because Duterte is allowing this poo poo to go down doesn't mean people are calling for an ouster, and you can criticize him without calling for a coup. Now he's asking me why I am against human rights. I can't loving handle these people, how do you respond when someone doesn't have a grasp of logic or rhetoric?

Congratulations on finishing our introductory course on "What Half of a Filipino's Facebook Feed Looks Like" :unsmigghh:

Edit: post it to the crazy emails thread

# ? Sep 21, 2016 04:23

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

Today marks the 44th anniversary of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines.

You know what you probably shouldn't do today? Float an idea to bring back the police force that Marcos used to enforce it.

quote:

MAWAB, Compostela Valley � President Duterte is considering the revival of the Philippine Constabulary to help in the fight against terrorism.

Mr. Duterte made the announcement during his visit to the headquarters of the Army�s 10th Infantry Division in Mawab, Compostela Valley on Tuesday afternoon.

He said the reactivation of the PC would strengthen the government�s fight against terrorism.

Mr. Duterte said the Constabulary, which had been abolished by President Corazon Aquino due to alleged abuses during the Marcos regime, could be effective in dealing with urban terrorism.

LOOK BACK: The Philippine Constabulary under Marcos

quote:

MANILA, Philippines � Days before the Philippines is set to mark the 44th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law, President Rodrigo Duterte made another callback to history: announcing his plan to revive the Philippine Constabulary (PC).

He needed to do so, he said, to fight urban terrorism.

"I will return the Philippine Constabulary under the 4 commands � army and the Philippine Constabulary because I need people in urban terrorism like the [Special Action Forces]," Duterte said in a speech before a military camp on Tuesday, September 20.

The PC was the national police force that began under the American regime in 1901. It eventually became part of the military and was in charge of maintaining peace and order.

But it became infamous during the martial law years of the late president Ferdinand Marcos, who used the PC to implement his strongman rule and arrest those deemed critical of the dictatorship.

On September 21, 1972, Marcos signed Proclamation 1081, placing the Philippines under Martial Law purportedly due to the communist threat. But his diary entry for September 22, 1972 cited the alleged ambush of then defense secretary Juan Ponce Enrile as the triggering force behind the declaration. Marcos went on national television on September 23, 1972, to make the formal announcement.

But even before the declaration, Marcos' plan to take over government had been known to a number of people. According to the Official Gazette, the late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr had exposed "Oplan Sagittarius" during his September 13, 1972 privilege speech. Aquino spoke about a supposed plan to place Metro Manila and outlying areas under the control of the PC.

Following the declaration of Martial Law, the PC took the lead in its implementation. Marcos had ordered the takeover of private establishments and the arrest of activists � orders followed through by the PC.

Under Presidential Decree 170, signed in April 1973, the defense secretary was given the power to place any city or municipal police force under the control of the PC.

Marcos' orders gave the military the authority to arrest and detain anyone going against the government or deemed subversive. In General Order No. 62, issued in October 1977, Marcos allowed the defense secretary and his authorized law enforcement officials to issue an arrest, search and seizure order (ASSO) for various offenses ranging from robbery and arson to murder and kidnapping.

The victims who were picked up during that time remember being detained on trumped up charges or unclear allegations.

But arresting and detaining known oppositionists were not the only tasks of the military and the PC then. Various historical and personal accounts point to them as the ones behind the torture and killing of hundreds.

Former congressman Neri Colmenares was one of those arrested and tortured by members of the PC. When he was arrested as an 18-year-old activist, he was strangled and made to play Russian Roulette � a torture method where a bullet is loaded into one chamber of a revolver, the cylinder spun, and the victim forced to pull the trigger to his own head.

A young doctor, Dr Juan Escandor, was tortured by the PC, his skull broken open and stuffed with trash.

In "Dark Legacy: Human rights under the Marcos regime," historian Alfred McCoy wrote about elite torture units during the Martial Law years whose officers were "the embodiment of an otherwise invisible terror."

The most notorious of these units were the 5th Constabulary Security Unit (CSU) and the Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group (MISG).

The 5th CSU was known for the capture of communist leaders, such as Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison. The dreaded unit became infamous for its use of various torture methods, such as water cure, electric shocks, and psychological torture.

The historian said Marcos' interrogation units "practiced a distinctive form of theatrical torture" that relied more on psychological humiliation than physical pain.

From 1972 to 1981, an estimated 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 tortured, and 3,240 killed, according to Amnesty International.

EDIT: And to continue on our delving into the twitter of newly-appointed UN Ambassador Teddy Boy Locsin:

ihatepants posted:

I know this is one of those "my uncle works at Nintendo" type stories, but I have heard from others in the know (that also hate Duterte) that De Lima really does have connections to the drug trade and has her right hand man handles pretty much everything with that. She is also very willing to be bribed, even compared to her other peers. She's dirty as gently caress and probably deserves everything that's coming to her.

Wizchine posted:

I was talking a bit about the stuff going with a couple of co-workers - none of us is Filipino by the way. One of them was saying something along the lines of the above, like "yeah, it wouldn't be surprising if the people at the top were all big players in the drug trade because that's how it works where I came from. She's probably dirty as hell." He's from Honduras.

Ultimately the problem with any opposition to Duterte is that you don't get to be a national-level politician without dirt on your hands, which means the juxtaposition of you as a "moral crusader" is immediately going to get blown up by oppo research.

And then, your opponent isn't supposed to be clean, because he ran openly declaring that a Presidency under him would be bloody and involve a lot of killings, so when you point out that he's a loving rear end in a top hat, he gets a pass since that was part of the Faustian bargain.

Badger of Basra posted:

Has Duterte turned Davao into the second capital? It seems like all quotes or speeches end with "said today in Davao City." Does he ever go to Manila?

He does a lot of these speeches while visiting military camps, and a lot of the military is deployed in Mindanao and around Davao as part of operations against the Abu Sayyaf.

He does still go to Manila, but he does a lot of shuttling back-and-forth between there and Davao. We only just joke that he's made Davao the new capital.

A more cynical person might say that the reason he does so many addresses to military formations is that he's currying favor with them for the eventual take-over. You'll notice a lot of the articles I post also open with "to the xth Infantry Division".

gradenko_2000 fucked around with this message at 05:42 on Sep 21, 2016

# ? Sep 21, 2016 05:38

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

In that same speech in Mawab, Compostela Valley to the 10th Infantry Division, Duterte made another pronouncement:

quote:

MANILA, Philippines � President Rodrigo Duterte reminded Philippine soldiers that no matter how many criminals they kill in the line of duty, he will pardon them and even give them a promotion.

�For as long as there is the power to pardon sa Constitution, [that�s my weapon] against crime. [Massacre 100 people, I�ll pardon all of you] � restore to full political and civil rights plus a promotion to boot,� said Duterte on Tuesday, September 20.

He was speaking to soldiers of the 10th Infantry Division in a military camp in Mawab, Compostela Valley.

�[Carve this into your hearts]: For as long as I am the president, nobody but nobody � no military man or policeman will go to prison because they performed their duties,� he emphasized.

Duterte instructed soldiers to kill criminals whether or not they pull out a gun. Previously, he had said to shoot criminals only if they violently resist arrest.

�[If they pull out a gun, kill them. If they don�t, kill them, son of a whore so it�s over, lest you lose the gun. I�ll take care of you],� he said.

But Duterte later on said he would never order the military to do something illegal.

�[I won�t order anything illegal. Don�t believe that.] I did not order you and the police to perform punitive police action. I have declared war against the drug syndicates in this country. You know what is war. War is war,� said the President.

And Rappler has also helpfully documented Duterte's frequent visits to military camps:

quote:

From July 21 to August 12, or in less than a month, the President has visited no less than 14 military camps across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Here is a complete list of these camps with the dates of his visit:

Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo, Sulu (August 12)
Camp Major Cesar Sang-an (1st Infantry Division or Tabak Division) in Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur (August 10)
Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City (August 9)
Camp Lukban in Catbalogan, Samar (August 8)
Camp Panacan, Davao City (August 6)
Camp Lapu-Labu in Cebu City (August 5)
Camp General Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz (August 5)
Camp Victoriano Luna or AFP Medical Center in Quezon City (August 2)
60th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Asuncion, Davao del Norte (July 29)
Camp Guillermo Nakar in Lucena City, Quezon (July 28)
Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija (July 26)
Camp Siongco in Awang Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao (July 22 and August 18)
Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City (July 21)
104th Infantry Battalion in Isabela City, Basilan (July 21)

No other president has dropped in on so many military camps in his first weeks in power.

# ? Sep 21, 2016 10:48

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

I just hope he doesn't make his move before early next year, when I'm hoping to leave. What was it like, anyway, back in the Marcos era, for a not-politically-active citizen to make a permanent move to another country?

# ? Sep 21, 2016 11:08

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

On the night of the Plaza Miranda bombing, Aug 21, 1972, my father, a medical student and an activist, already decided that he would not go home that night. The declaration of Martial Law would come almost a month later, but he and his friends already figured that something like that was going to happen anyway, and did not wait around for it.

He left Manila and stayed with various friends and relatives for weeks until he was sure that the police, who did go my grandparents' house, had stopped looking for him. He only came back to grab his personal effects and say his goodbyes, and then left for the States, where he'd spend the next couple of years studying optometry in DC and Maryland.

One of his schoolmates from medical school stayed behind. He would go to the province of Isabela to work at a rural clinic there. Occasionally, they would have patients who were Communist rebel soldiers, but they treated them anyway. Government soldiers eventually got wind of this, and one night my father's friend was murdered in cold blood. The family never found out who was directly responsible.

My father, and his fallen schoolmate's younger brother, to this day still share a clinic in Manila together. It's a very small private practice, and never as glamorous nor as well-paying as working in a large hospital, but that's what they chose to do. Every year they still go back out to the province to do a stint serving the rural population.

I knew bits and pieces of this for a long time, but my father relayed the whole story to me when we talked on the eve of the elections, May 8, 2016.

I'd read the polls, and I knew that Duterte was going to win, and I wanted someone to tell me that I was just being panicky, just being melodramatic, that I was being absurd for worrying as much as I did about the country electing the second-coming of a dictator. He didn't. He told me that it was playing out just like it did so many years ago, when people believed that Martial Law was necessary for the security of the country. It wasn't an instant dip in Marcos's approval ratings, it wasn't perceived as a tipping point in the erosion of civil rights. It was just something that had to happen, and people welcomed it.

I asked him, "What do we do now?"

"There are no easy answers, son"

# ? Sep 21, 2016 11:34

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

That answer is a lot more gripping than I expected. Mind if I share that? With your SA membership cropped out, of course.

Edit: actually D&D is publicly viewable and would probably be indexed by Google if someone were to look for it

# ? Sep 21, 2016 12:08

gradenko_2000: Oct 5, 2010; HELL SERPENT; Lipstick Apathy

I'm sorry if that doesn't really answer the answer of how to leave the country in the event of Martial Law (my dad essentially was there on a student visa), but yes, go ahead and share it. I wrote it that way.

# ? Sep 21, 2016 13:33

TZer0: Jun 22, 2013

This is a good thread. I've been following the situation in the Philippines mostly through this thread as these things do not make headlines in local media and I really appreciate the effort put into the posts here.

The situation in the Philippines is really dismal and I'm afraid that the bottom hasn't been reached yet.

Argue: best of luck in regards to getting out.

Question: has the release of the Norwegian from Abu Sayyaf been used for propaganda purposes? I find the situation quite sad, because paying these groups money to release someone basically funds them capturing and killing other people.

# ? Sep 21, 2016 14:32

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# ? May 10, 2024 00:58

CronoGamer: May 15, 2004; why did this happen

gradenko_2000 posted:

A more cynical person might say that the reason he does so many addresses to military formations is that he's currying favor with them for the eventual take-over. You'll notice a lot of the articles I post also open with "to the xth Infantry Division".

I don't know how cynical you really have to be to think this. He has also promised to double AFP and PNP salaries, hasn't he? Maybe I'm a pessimist but it seems readily apparent that he at least wants them to be neutral if not strong supporters of his.

Ugh Noynoy why couldn't you have dropped that boring tool Mar and supported Grace from the start

# ? Sep 21, 2016 14:39

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > The Philippines: Forget everything you thought you knew about human rights

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