- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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The first round of post-inauguration opinion surveys have been conducted:
quote:The first Social Weather Stations survey to measure public satisfaction of presidential performance in the Duterte era found that three-fourths (76 percent) of voting-age Filipinos declared themselves satisfied with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. About a tenth, or 11 percent, of respondents said they were dissatisfied, while 13 percent were undecided. The results of the September 24-27 survey were released through BusinessWorld, which partners with SWS.
In SWS terms, President Duterte’s net satisfaction rating in the first quarter of his term (percent satisfied minus percent dissatisfied) was 64 percent (rounded off) — “very good” in the SWS classification system and the second highest among post-Edsa presidents.
At roughly the same time in their respective terms, four other presidents earned “very good” net satisfaction ratings: Benigno Aquino III at 60 percent, Joseph Estrada also at 60 percent, and Corazon Aquino at 53 percent. Only Fidel Ramos received a higher net rating than Mr. Duterte, with 66 percent.
Gloria Arroyo, who came to power after Estrada was ousted in 2001, received a net rating of 24 percent, which SWS classifies as “moderate.”
SWS found that the first president from Mindanao enjoyed “excellent” support in Mindanao, with 88 percent satisfied and only 4 percent dissatisfied, for a net rating of 85 percent (rounded off). Mr. Duterte earned “very good” net ratings in the other major geographical blocs: 62 percent in the Visayas, 58 percent in Metro Manila, 57 percent in “balance Luzon.”
The SWS polling organization noted that another survey it conducted on June 24 to 27 measured the President’s net trust rating at an “excellent” 79 percent.
Pulse Asia, the other major survey organization, estimated President Duterte’s trust rating at 91 percent, as determined by its survey conducted from July 2 to 8, or just days after the presidential inauguration.
The Duterte administration marks its 100th day in office on October 8, Saturday.
Other cross-tabs from GMA's coverage:
quote:In urban areas, the former Davao City strongman got a net satisfaction rating of "very good" with +63 percent while in rural areas he got +67 percent.
Among socioeconomic classes, Duterte maintains a "very good" rating with +65 in classes D and E and a lower +56 rating among the ABC class.
On gender class, men gave Duterte an "excellent" rating with +71 while women only gave him a "very good" rating with +58 percent mark.
The rating given by respondents to Duterte by educational attainment was from high school graduates who gave him the highest score of "excellent" with +71 percent while college graduates gave him "very good" with +65 percent, +57 among elementary graduates, and +54 among non-elementary graduates.
Based on age groups, two age groups, namely respondents aged between 25 to 34 years old and those aged between 35 years old and 44 years old gave him an "excellent" rating or +73 percent. The rest gave him a "very good" rating.
To give you an idea of what would and would not have happened by the time of the survey:
The President's "Hitler" remark was on Sep 30
The "What if I say to you now I'm an atheist?" remark, the talk of joining Russia and China, the call for the AFP to serve as policemen, the US Senators threatening to end US aid to the Philippines, and Duterte's announcement that US-Philippine military exercises would stop after this next one, were all on Sep 28
The "I am about to cross a Rubicon with the United States" remark was on Sep 26
The second "gently caress you EU", and the first round of Justice Committee hearings under Dick Gordon, was on Sep 22
The proposal to bring back the Philippine Constabulary, and the whole deal with the Official Gazette's "commemoration" of Martial Law was on Sep 21
The first "gently caress you EU" was on Sep 20
The ouster of Senator de Lima from the Justice Committee was on Sep 19
The appointment of Teddy Boy Locsin as UN ambassador was on Sep 18
And of course the whole war on drugs and the issue of extra-judicial killings had been on-going for months by then, indeed before Duterte even took office.
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Oct 6, 2016 00:47
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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May 10, 2024 02:59
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- Darth Walrus
- Feb 13, 2012
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The obvious problem with letting the public realise their mistake and vote him out of office is that Duterte is dismantling the democratic infrastructure of the Philippines fast. By the time elections roll around again, removing the guy through legitimate democratic means may no longer be an option.
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Oct 6, 2016 01:02
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- Argue
- Sep 29, 2005
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I represent the Philippines
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Not that I want it to come to this but we removed the last guy who did that with what was essentially a protest rally. Of course that rally took like 20 years to form, after years of letting him commit crimes against humanity. Plus in the last decade and a half Filipinos suddenly started getting it into their heads that this was the quick and easy shortcut to deposing any leader they didn't like, so maybe we've cheapened the act a bit.
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Oct 6, 2016 01:09
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- Deceitful Penguin
- Feb 16, 2011
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Which mass-murdering dictator will he compare himself to next? Pol Pot? Stalin? Should we start laying odds?
The obvious problem with letting the public realise their mistake and vote him out of office is that Duterte is dismantling the democratic infrastructure of the Philippines fast. By the time elections roll around again, removing the guy through legitimate democratic means may no longer be an option.
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Oct 6, 2016 01:13
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- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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Has there ever been any indication that Duterte is not going to leave if he were not to get re-elected?
He cannot get re-elected, as Philippine Presidents only serve a single six-year term, as opposed to American Presidents that can do two four-year terms.
As for indications that he won't leave at the end of his term, he's repeatedly threatened to close down Congress (and again) (and again), repeatedly threatened to impose Martial Law, and said this in the same speech where he told Obama to go to hell:
quote:The reason why I do not want an election because money, narco money will be used to finance the candidacies of so many candidates [, and when they win] … whether you like it or not, he wields power he will use it. And [those who are used to having lots of money, they will not back down. If we are not vigilant], you will be facing a candidate backed by narco-politics, lots of money.
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Oct 6, 2016 01:20
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- Sephyr
- Aug 28, 2012
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You can't really 'close down' Congress, because it has too many windows and crevices and such that make such an endeavor impractical as there will always be an aperture left. He was just speaking figuratively so chill out, colonialists.
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Oct 6, 2016 03:17
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- get that OUT of my face
- Feb 10, 2007
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Ooooo, I can't wait to see what nickname he gives himself as a way of thumbing his nose to his country's former colonial masters. My money's on "The Second Coming of Jefferson Davis."
Is it too late to dub him Pinoychet?
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Oct 6, 2016 04:36
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- chird
- Sep 26, 2004
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Thanks gradenko_2000 and Argue for your continued coverage and translations.
chird fucked around with this message at 09:46 on Oct 6, 2016
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Oct 6, 2016 05:55
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- Spangly A
- May 14, 2009
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God help you if ever you're caught on these shores
A man's ambition must indeed be small
To write his name upon a shithouse wall
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To take a slight tangent, what's up with the weird phillipino exceptionalism on drug use? Of all places in the world, America certainly knows what a massive meth problem looks like. Why do people think they can say poo poo like "shabu makes you rape children" and expect this to be believable? Is it all massive projection of cognitive dissonance? I can think of several recreational drugs worse than Meth and, while it certainly does nothing for your looks, this bizarre idea it turns you into a subhuman is alarming. Duterte's stuff about it shrinking your brain being repeated is also an incredible piece of stupidity. If a controlled and medically used substance can shrink your brain, does absolutely no Duterte supporter then make the leap that another drug can reverse that?
I really don't get this consistent theme of "you don't understand, our drug problems are different". They clearly aren't, unless someone is suggesting that there's something magic in Phillipino blood that, when combined with an ADHD medication, makes you rape children. Which would probably have been encountered by now. Where is it coming from? constant message discipline from the Pres alone?
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Oct 6, 2016 10:50
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- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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It's a combination of:
1. cognitive dissonance
2. repeated and clear messaging from the President and his surrogates on the effects of drugs
3. a general lack of understanding on the effects of drugs to counteract the disinformation of #2
4. just barely enough real incidents of people "freaking out" over meth to make people think #2 actually is real
It's still "reefer madness" levels of the public perception of drugs here, which only got further reinforced by the President saying that it's literally how it works.
And then people buy into it as another layer of rationalization over what's been happening: the drug-addled maniacs are going to stab the policemen if they don't fire first, so every kill is a righteous shoot.
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Oct 6, 2016 11:04
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- chird
- Sep 26, 2004
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WikiLeaks
quote:6. (C) CHR Regional Director Sipaco (strictly protect) noted that Mayor Duterte's visible rage against criminality and drugs stemmed from family history: Sipaco claimed that one of Duterte's two sons previously abused drugs, and the Mayor channeled his anger over his son's drug use not just against drug pushers, but also drug users, eventually leading him to embrace vigilante killings as a means to reduce crime.
The Mayor's tough anti-crime rhetoric became the hallmark of his governance style, and Davao residents perceived a marked improvement in public safety under his tenure, which many thought contributed to improved prospects for economic growth (ref C).
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Oct 6, 2016 11:26
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- Argue
- Sep 29, 2005
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I represent the Philippines
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Good news, everyone! Duterte isn't Hitler after all! Now, he's Jesus!
quote:
Despite President Rodrigo Duterte's propensity for blurting out invectives in his speeches, Presidential Communications Office head Secretary Martin Andanar saw it fit to compare the outspoken Chief Executive to the Lord himself.
In his first opinion column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Andanar compared his first meeting with Duterte in Davao City to when Jesus met the fishermen who would be his apostles at Galilee.
During the meeting at the DPWH facility in Panacan—fondly called Panacanang—Andanar said did not expect that he would be asked to lead the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
“With characteristic decisiveness, the President-elect instructed me to put back together the presidential communications apparatus fragmented by the outgoing administration. He told me to choose my people and to head the unified apparatus,” Andanar said in his piece.
“I was awed by that investment of faith in my abilities. This must have been how those fishermen at Galilee felt when Jesus walked over and told them to follow him, to be fishers of men. Like the apostles, I obeyed,” he added.
Andanar was apparently referring to Matthew 4:18-19 of the Bible, which detailed how Jesus met fishermen Simon--also called Peter--and his brother Andrew and asked them to follow him. They were Jesus' first disciples.
He said that that it was not the time to walk away from duty and pointed out that his current post had been both a source of pride and a personal nightmare.
"Before that life-changing meeting, I continued to imagine myself a volunteer, giving advice here and there, doing some useful things for the President we after all worked to get elected to the post. I did not expect to be assigned the daunting role I ended up with," Andanar said.
"Maybe I should have. That is how President Duterte operates. He assigns people to do things they never imagined themselves capable of doing beforehand. He invests so much trust in the people he works with, expecting them to exceed expectation. That is at once a source of pride and a personal nightmare," he added.
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Oct 6, 2016 11:27
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- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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The entire editorial is just so much better
quote:How I ran into Digong
By: Martin Andanar
Now I know how it feels when Destiny hits. I did not plan to be here, to do the thousands of things I must do each day. I just wanted to help get the best man to the presidency, the man who would best relieve us of all the torments afflicting our society.
Sometime in 2013, I and some friends started a quest for a man who could possibly lead our country out of the quagmire. We worried about the safety of our children in a country seemingly overrun by criminality. There was a dreadful malaise gripping the country and clouding our future, we thought. It was our duty as citizens and broadcasters to help find a leader who could define a new future.
Then a man named Rodrigo Duterte began a series of “consultation tours” nationwide. He was preaching the gospel of federalism although, by reputation, he was the man who restored civil order to the once broken City of Davao.
ADVERTISEMENT
We observed him closely. We looked at his record. We decided this was the man who should lead the nation—the only man, a Mindanawon, who could. We joined the clamor for him to run for the presidency.
We were seriously disappointed when the deadline for the filing of candidacies came and the man from Davao did not. Our hopes were rekindled when he eventually decided to join the fight by way of substitution weeks later.
From then on, our lives would never be the same. Even as we were never really too political and surely had no experience running a campaign, we did everything we could imagine doing to help this man win. We discussed his merits on air and online, with neighbors and friends, citing his record as a crime-fighter. We followed the rallies and sorties. We contributed time and resources to a campaign powered by passionate volunteers and the most fervent hopes for a safer, saner country.
Mr. Duterte won by a landslide—the largest plurality ever in our strange multiparty system and the largest number of votes for any president our country ever had. That was the easy part.
The tougher part was giving flesh to a government that could deliver on the promises made on the campaign trail. Our people will not take another betrayal. They invested much hope in the mayor of a provincial city farthest from the old boys’ club at the metropolis. This was the last card we who hope for security in the streets and inclusion in the economy could draw.
We were optimistic as the man from Davao began working nearly a day after the elections. From his stronghold in the deep south, Mr. Duterte conferred with his closest advisers and began forming a Cabinet. Through every long day that lasted to the wee hours of the morning, he met with various groups, listening to whatever advice they might offer.
It was sometime in June when I received a call from Bong Go, asking me to come over and meet the President-elect. I thought I might be able to give him advice in communications, which was my meager area of competence. I researched the way presidential communications were set up in the outgoing administration.
I arrived at the Panacan(ang) where the President-elect holds office in Davao. Like all the others, I waited several hours before he could see me. Not wanting to waste any more of his precious time than necessary, I went through with the briefing and started off with my recommendations. I was not prepared for what happened next.
With characteristic decisiveness, the President-elect instructed me to put back together the presidential communications apparatus fragmented by the outgoing administration. He told me to choose my people and to head the unified apparatus.
I was awed by that investment of faith in my abilities. This must have been how those fishermen at Galilee felt when Jesus walked over and told them to follow him, to be fishers of men. Like the apostles, I obeyed.
If we deserved the change we want, we should all put our shoulders to the wheel. This was not the time to walk away from duty bestowed.
Before that life-changing meeting, I continued to imagine myself a volunteer, giving advice here and there, doing some useful things for the President we after all worked to get elected to the post. I did not expect to be assigned the daunting role I ended up with.
Maybe I should have. That is how President Duterte operates. He assigns people to do things they never imagined themselves capable of doing beforehand. He invests so much trust in the people he works with, expecting them to exceed expectation. That is at once a source of pride and a personal nightmare.
I must thank the Inquirer for trusting me to write a twice-weekly column that I inaugurate with this piece. Print is not my native medium. But then, I was not born a bureaucrat either. So here’s to the beauty of daring.
This forum allows me to think aloud, which is a relief. Hopefully, it will allow me to be funny as well.
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Oct 6, 2016 11:30
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- Argue
- Sep 29, 2005
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I represent the Philippines
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One day. I'll settle for ONE DAY going by where he doesn't say a thing.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/584078/news/nation/duterte-dares-us-eu-un-go-ahead-withdraw-your-aid-to-phl
quote:
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday lashed out anew at international bodies amid criticism of the rising death toll in his administration's crime war.
In yet another rant directed at the United States, the European Union, and the United Nations during his speech in Butuan City, Duterte dared the groups to withdraw their aid to the Philippines.
Duterte said that the international community would never understand the depth of the drug problem in the Philippines.
"I do not expect human rights, I do not expect Obama, I do not expect the EU to understand me. Do not understand me. And if you think it's high time for you to withdraw assistance, go ahead. We will not beg for it," Duterte said, partly in response to Vice President Leni Robredo's earlier statement saying his rhetoric may affect foreign aid for anti-poverty programs of the government.
“[What do you think of us?] How do you look at us? Mendicants? [That we'll just blindly obey?]?” he added. “We will survive. We will survive as a nation.”
He also said Filipinos should not worry about foreign groups withdrawing aid, noting that if it happens: "[Even if we suffer], we will survive. And I'll be the first one to go hungry and the first the one to die. [Don't worry]. We'll never never compromise our dignity as a Filipino."
The President earlier in his speech asserted that the government has been fighting itself amid the drug war because thousands of government workers including Senator Leila de Lima, barangay captains, and police officers had drug links.
"You’ll never understand the pain that we are suffering for my countrymen. Go away, bring your money to somewhere else. We will survive as a nation. [But let's see]. There is always a day for reckoning. [It is not always your time]," Duterte said.
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Oct 6, 2016 12:56
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- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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Teddy Boy Locsin has been a few congressmen short of quorum for years now. It's Duterte's sycophants like Abella, Panelo, Yasay and Andanar that keep making excuses for whatever poo poo he decides to spew, right down to "well he didn't mean it"
And he's kinda like Trump where it seems like he feeds off of the crowds he keeps speaking at - he doesn't have a prepared speech, and nobody dares time him or keep him on topic so he just keeps going on these long, rambling, Gadaffi-esque tirades where he makes himself angrier and angrier until he says something deplorable.
I know Gadaffi's hours-long speeches were the subject of mockery and incredulity, but I finally know what it's like being on the native speaker end of one of those when you can actually understand everything being said.
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Oct 6, 2016 14:30
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- Xelkelvos
- Dec 19, 2012
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It's a combination of:
1. cognitive dissonance
2. repeated and clear messaging from the President and his surrogates on the effects of drugs
3. a general lack of understanding on the effects of drugs to counteract the disinformation of #2
4. just barely enough real incidents of people "freaking out" over meth to make people think #2 actually is real
It's still "reefer madness" levels of the public perception of drugs here, which only got further reinforced by the President saying that it's literally how it works.
And then people buy into it as another layer of rationalization over what's been happening: the drug-addled maniacs are going to stab the policemen if they don't fire first, so every kill is a righteous shoot.
East Asia as a whole is basically 100% regressive when it comes to drugs. Even developed countries like Japan and South Korea still have fairly regressive views when it comes to drug users and drug use. Part of this is due to overwhelming US propaganda regarding illicit drug use during the cold war with none of the counter culture influences that allowed for more progressive views to push back.
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Oct 6, 2016 17:34
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- Zohar
- Jul 14, 2013
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Good kitty
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http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/duterte-orders-halt-us-philippines-military-drill-amid-leanings-towards-china-1585285
quote:Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered a halt to the ongoing joint patrols and naval exercises between the US and the Philippines military, the country's defence chief said on Friday (7 October). It has come days after Duterte vowed to "break up with America" and signalled his intention to seek new alliances with Russia and China.
The drill, dubbed as the Philippines Amphibious Landing Exercise (Phiblex), began on 4 October and was scheduled to run until 12 October. As many as 1,400 Americans and 500 Filipino troops are involved in the war games, said to be the first such exercise under Duterte's administration. The annual naval exercise included events in waters close to the disputed South China Sea in which China has made sweeping claims.
Filipino Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said 107 US troops who are currently based in the southern province of Mindanao and involved in operating surveillance drones against Islamist militants there would be asked to withdraw. This would be done after the Philippines acquire intelligence-gathering capabilities in the near future, the Associated Press reported.
Lorenzana added that the tough-talking president also wanted to stop the 28 military exercises that American forces have been carrying out every year. Duterte has viewed the joint drills as being too dependent on the US.
The announcement to put the drill on hold is thought to be the first concrete break in defence cooperation between the countries as their ties have increasingly strained in recent weeks following Duterte's tirade against Washington and leanings towards China.
Lorenzana added that Duterte has asked him to travel to China and Russia to discuss purchasing weapons and other equipment. Duterte had earlier declared the war games would be the last joint military operation between the US and the Philippines.
Lorenzana, however, seemed to be optimistic about the relationship between Washington and Manila. "I think it's just going through these bumps on the road. Relationships sometimes go to this stage... but over time it will be patched up," he told a news conference.
He said the growing divide with the US will not affect Manila's ties with Japan or other regional allies of Washington. He said Japan will be delivering five small surveillance planes for the Philippines as promised next month. Japan had also committed to provide patrol ships for the Philippines coast guard so that Manila can safeguard and defend its territorial borders.
Japan and the US are reported to have helped the Philippines confront Chinese aggression in the hotly contested waters. Under the administration of Duterte's predecessor Benigno Aquino, Washington and Manila's militaries were thought to have conducted naval exercises twice a year near the disputed waters.
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Oct 7, 2016 12:28
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- TheIneff
- Feb 7, 2006
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BEEP BOOP BEEEEEP
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It's not the 50s anymore, get over it.
My man are you retarded
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Oct 7, 2016 13:21
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- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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Again. AGAIN with delivering an anti-US tirade in the middle of a completely unrelated event.
Duterte to US: Do not treat PHL like a doormat
quote:President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday warned the United States that it would lose the Philippines if it would not stop treating it like a "doormat," blaming Washington for the destruction Manila suffered during World War II.
Duterte was delivering a message for the Banana Congress 2016 in SMX Convention Center in Davao City when he once again called out the US for its previous statements criticizing his war on illegal drugs.
Duterte pointed out that while the China-funded drug rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija would soon be accepting patients, the US has yet to make a similar offer despite the destruction it caused to Manila during WWII.
"We suffered during the last Second World War because you were here. Had you not been here, we would not have experienced so much destruction in the country. The Battle of Manila—200,000 Filipinos died because you were here," Duterte said.
"Do not forget, do not say it was 45 years ago, 60 years ago. In the relation between race and tribes, the past is as valid as the present. Assess yourselves because if you don’t, you will lose the Philippines," he added.
Duterte then dared the US to remove him from the presidency, saying he would face such fate if it is his destiny.
"You want to oust me? You want to use the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)? Go ahead. I said I put at stake my honor, my life, and the presidency. What happens to me is really a part of my destiny. If I am ousted, then that is part of my presidency," he said.
Duterte then once again reminded the US that he would veer away from them and go to China and Russia if they would not give the Philippines some respect.
"But as long as I am there, do not treat as like a doormat because you will be sorry for it. I will not stick with you. I can always go to China. Invite them. I have met [Russian Prime Minister Dmitry] Medvedev during the [ASEAN] Summit," he stressed.
"For the foreign policy now, I am opening up the Philippines. I do not want to antagonize you. But I said, try to give us a little of respect. You do not go around reprimanding a head of state," Duterte said.
Maybe he's reading this thread guys 
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Oct 7, 2016 13:21
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- WeedlordGoku69
- Feb 12, 2015
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by Cyrano4747
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Hahaha he is literally asking us to oust his rear end
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Oct 7, 2016 16:23
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- Prism
- Dec 22, 2007
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yospos
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'You do not go around reprimanding a head of state', says man repeatedly and aggressively reprimanding a head of (a much larger, more powerful) state.
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Oct 7, 2016 16:37
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- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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#1
[Foreign Affairs Secretary] Yasay: America has failed us
(this story was actually from the morning of Oct 6)
quote:MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' top diplomat defended the move of President Rodrigo Duterte to realign the country's foreign policy towards an independent track.
"America has failed us. This is at the core message of [Duterte] to the American people and the world," Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said in a statement originally posted on his personal Facebook page, which was then shared on the Department of Foreign Affairs' website.
Yasay noted that the Philippines breaking away from the United States addresses both internal and external security threats.
The Foreign Affairs chief cited the "invisible chains" that reined the country toward dependency and submission to the US as their "little brown brothers not capable of true independence and freedom" even after the recognition of independence on July 4, 1946.
Direct link to Yasay's Facebook post
quote:AMERICA HAS FAILED US.
This is at the core of the message of PRRD to the American people and the world. This has also compelled him to realign our foreign policy towards an independent track in pursuing the overriding national interest and in upholding and protecting our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Breaking away from the shackling dependency of the Philippines to effectively address both internal and external security threats has become imperative in putting an end to our nation's subservience to United States' interests.
It has been 70 years ago since America acknowledged the hard fought independence of its only colony in Asia after it arrogated our victory in the struggle for freedom from 400 years of Spanish domination. And yet, after proclaiming in July 4, 1946 that the Filipinos had been adequately trained for self determination and governance, the United States held on to invisible chains that reined us in towards dependency and submission as little brown brothers not capable of true independence and freedom.
Yes, there are many significant countless things that we will be forever grateful to America for. But the stark reality is that even in protecting our territorial boundaries and the exclusive use of our maritime entitlements in the South China Sea, our defensive forces remain grossly incapable in meeting the security threats that we face from potential foes, not to mention their stagnating impact on our development. Worse is that our only ally could not give us the assurance that in taking a hard line towards the enforcement of our sovereignty rights under international law, it will promptly come to our defense under our existing military treaty and agreements.
The "carrot and stick" policy of the U.S. towards the Philippines has been effectively used all through the long years since our independence to force Filipinos into submission to American demands and interests.
This is what PRRD is now trying to liberate us from.
Yes, we have serious concerns and challenges with the Chinese as we try to engage them in bilateral talks towards peacefully settling our disputes in accordance with the legal and diplomatic process under international law. Our past mistakes in fostering and strengthening our friendship with our white big brother will be instructive for this purpose.
We will never allow China or any other nation to bully us or deal with Philippine interests under another carrot and stick policy.
But for now the urgent message of PRRD in realigning our independent foreign policy is about the state of our relationship with America and traditional partners. It is principally addressed to American leaders and policy shapers. Are they willing to change their tack in dealing with us to be in sync with geopolitical realities? Does it value our special friendship to save and strengthen it?
Or would it instead choose to ignore our urgent pleas and interject alleged human rights violations and concerns as we address our pressing domestic problems based on our urgent needs and priorities to get what they want?
The Philippines' defensive forces remain incapable of addressing security threats amid the maritime dispute in the South China Sea despite its alliance with the US, Yasay said.
"Worse is that our only ally could not give us the assurance that in taking a hard line towards the enforcement of our sovereignty rights under international law, it will promptly come to our defense under our existing military treaty and agreements," the Foreign Affairs chief said.
Yasay stressed that the president is trying to liberate the country from the "carrot and stick" policy of the US toward the Philippines which forced Filipinos to submit to American interests.
"We will never allow China or any other nation to bully us or deal with Philippine interests under another carrot and stick policy," Yasay said.
The secretary, however, admitted that the government has serious concerns and challenges in engaging the Chinese to hold bilateral talks to settle the sea dispute in accordance to international law.
"Our past mistakes in fostering and strengthening our friendship with our white big brother will be instructive for this purpose," Yasay said.
#2
Defense chief Lorenzana says military can manage without US aid
quote:US-Philippines ties are going through "bumps on the road" and the Armed Forces of the Philippines could manage if treaty ally the United States were to withdraw aid, Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana said Friday.
The Philippines intended to buy arms from China and Russia and there had been no adverse reaction from within the military to President Rodrigo Duterte's vows to scale back defense ties with the United States, Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana's remarks suggested he was following other top officials in Duterte's administration in rallying behind the maverick president's tough anti-US agenda after weeks of scrambling to manage the fallout from his outbursts and threats to downgrade the alliance.
Lorenzana had on Wednesday set a conciliatory tone, saying Duterte may have been misinformed when he said US-Philippine military exercises were no benefit to his country.
But on Friday, Lorenzana said the value of US military aid to the Philippines was "not that much," and the military could ask Congress to make up for a shortfall of some $50 million-$100 million a year in US military aid.
"We can live without (that)," Lorenzana told a foreign correspondents' forum.
Duterte said on Thursday in Butuan City that if the United States and European Union objected to his drugs war and wished to withdraw aid, they should do so, and the Philippines would not beg.
"I do not expect human rights, I do not expect Obama, I do not expect the EU to understand me. Do not understand me. And if you think it's high time for you to withdraw assistance, go ahead. We will not beg for it," Duterte said.
“[What do you think of us?] How do you look at us? Mendicants? [That we will just follow you around like lapdogs?]” he added. “We will survive. We will survive as a nation.”
US State Department spokesman John Kirby responded to that saying total U.S. assistance to the Philippines in the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1 was $180 million "and we're committed" to delivering that.
Lorenzana said he believed Duterte's objective was to diversify Philippines' foreign ties and cut dependency on former colonial ruler the United States.
"The president is trying to develop a relationship with the US that is not too dependent on one country," he said.
Lorenzana said there had been no official directive to scrap a two-year-old Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. He said the uncertainty in the US-Philippines relationship was "just going through these bumps on the road."
"Maybe we should re-assess (the relationship)," he said. "Are we benefiting, are we getting what we should be getting from alliance? It is part of this growing up."
Asked how changes in the security relationship could impact a strategic US "rebalance" to Asia, he said: "They are not lacking of any place to park their ships if they are no longer allowed to park their ships here."
He said there may be some issues of compatibility with defense procurements from Russia and China, which were willing to sell to the Philippines.
A Philippine dispute with China over sovereignty in the South China Sea would not impede defense procurements, he said, adding there had been no discussion of the two countries working together militarily.
"All we are thinking now is buying equipment," he said. "No talks yet about military alliance. Just simple transaction of buying equipment."
Lorenzana's show of accord with Duterte's anti-US stand follows a similar tough line from Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay who said this week that Duterte wanted to liberate the country from a "shackling dependency" on the United States.
Yasay said the president was "compelled to realign" Philippine foreign policy and not submit to US demands and interests.
#3
China lifts import ban on Philippine bananas
quote:MANILA, Philippines - The Chinese government has lifted the ban on the import of bananas coming from the Philippines.
During his courtesy call at the Department of Agriculture, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said China would now accept bananas and pineapples from Philippine-based exporters.
“We very much appreciate the action of the Chinese government as this will relieve our banana farmers from the serious problem during the suspension considering that China is a huge market for our banana industry,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pińol said over the phone.
The Philippines remains the second largest producer of bananas worldwide, next to Ecuador, and it continues to supply 95 percent of the total banana demand for the Asian market.
Last year, the Philippines exported 448,000 metric tons of bananas to China valued at $157.5 million.
China had destroyed 35 tons of bananas from the Philippines valued at $33,000 last March, and eventually suspended 27 exporters.
The bananas were destroyed in Shenzen, a major entry point for Philippine bananas, after notifications of non-compliance.
The Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in China issued the notification of non-compliance, saying it detected the presence of the pest Dysmicoccus neobrevipes in the shipment made by NKM Import/Export Inc. to Dalian Kawoo Import and Export Co. Ltd.
Another factor for the suspension was the shipment of Sumifru to Shenzen Everglory Trading Co. Ltd which has a carbendazim level of 0.199 mg/kg, in excess of the maximum residue level of 0.1 mg/kg.
But just last month, ASQIQ sent an inspection team to the Philippines to evaluate the corrective measure being implemented by the local-based exporters, thus the lifting of the ban.
Aside from lifting the ban, China is also looking at increasing its imports from the Philippines particularly on high value commercial crops such as mangoes, coconut and dragon fruit, among others.
Jianhua said China was also interested in high-end fishery products from the Philippines including Lapu-Lapu, crabs, shrimps, prawns, and tuna.
I bring this up because let's go back to this round-up of campaign contributions to Duterte's campaign:
quote:Duterte's top donors included incoming Davao City Second District Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., who gave him a total of ₱75 million.
This is relevant because of the business that the Floirendo family is involved in: Floirendo: I gave P75M to Duterte campaign out of brotherly love
quote:DAVAO CITY – Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. said it was his “brotherly love” for President-elect Rodrigo Duterte that prompted him to support his candidacy.
Floirendo, son of the late banana magnate Antonio Floirendo Sr., made the biggest donation to Duterte’s campaign funds with P75 Million.
Antonio Floirendo Sr., 'banana king' and Mindanao frontiersman, dies at 96
quote:MANILA, Philippines – Antonio Floirendo Sr., dubbed as the “banana king” for transforming vast tracts of raw land in Mindanao into fruits-for-export plantations as one of the first frontiersmen who ventured to the South after World War II, died Friday night of organ failure at the age of 96, his family announced.
And yes, this is a little "follow the money" conspiratorial-ish, but I found the connection interesting.
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Oct 7, 2016 16:38
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- gradenko_2000
- Oct 5, 2010
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HELL SERPENT
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Lipstick Apathy
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I did a little more digging on this whole banana thing.
First, in a speech from Tuesday, Oct 4 2016, Duterte spoke about the tight bond between his family and that of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
quote:MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he cannot cut ties with the Marcos family, even as he has been criticized for admiring the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Speaking at an event in Makati City, Duterte said Marcos’ daughter, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, was among the local government officials who supported him in his presidential campaign.
“[Who of you supported me? How many of you?[] Four, five, six?” Duterte asked the audience composed of local government officials.
“[I didn't have any barangay captains, no congressmen. I didn't have any money. It was only Imee that gave me money, and she took our a loan for it.] Imee supported me.”
Duterte said his father Vicente once served as a Cabinet member of the late president.
“My father was one of the two who stood by Marcos in his darkest hours. Everybody was shifting to the Liberal [Party] at the time, [over to] Diosdado Macapagal, and it was only [former Zamboanga del Sur Governor Bienvenido] Ebarle and my father who stood by Marcos,” he said.
“That is why when he won, my father was one of the Cabinet members of Marcos. So [that's the deal], I cannot really dissociate [myself].”
Duterte's decision to allow the burial of the Marcos patriarch at the Libingan ng mga Bayani has also divided the nation.
So from my previous post, we have Floirendo giving 75 million pesos in campaign contributions to Duterte.
And then Duterte revealing his close ties to Ferdinand Marcos and his family.
The connection is that the Floirendos themselves were closely tied to the Marcoses. From that obituary I posted earlier:
quote:When Floirendo and some of his contemporary pioneers—the Almendrases, Sarmientos and Antoninos—first went to Mindanao as settlers after the war, Floirendo was left with the land that was remotest from the city. He took it in stride, and “what do you know—it turned out he was left with the most fertile soil.” The early years were sheer struggle, though, involving back-breaking work in clearing raw land. “But he had a vision, and he had the tenacity. Perhaps it was the hardy Ilocano in him. He dreamt big and worked hard for everything,” stressed Lagdameo.
It was thus with some pain, he added, that the old man had to confront allegations, after the Edsa revolt in 1986 that as a “Marcos crony,” he had amassed wealth illegally or may even be fronting for the dictator. Fortunately, said Lagdameo, the first chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), Jovito Salonga, gave Floirendo a fair chance to state his case and prove he had worked hard for what he owned. “Thus, his was among the first PCGG cases to be resolved,” said Lagdameo.
The son-in-law is uncertain why exactly Floirendo was lumped among the Marcos cronies, but surmised that his involvement in Marcos’s party, the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan or KBL, was a factor.
Search for Marcos' wealth: Compromising with cronies
quote:MANILA, Philippines – Months after its creation in 1986, the Presidential Commission Good Government (PCGG) saw tangible results of its quest for the return of the illegal assets of the Marcoses and cronies.
In 1987, banana magnate Antonio Floirendo entered into a compromise deal with the PCGG and turned over P70 million ($1.5 million) in cash and assets. The Marcos assets he gave to the PCGG included the Lindenmere Estate and Olympic Towers in New York and the real property listed as 2443 Makiki Heights Drive, Honolulu, Hawaii.
The PCGG sold the Marcos assets under Floirendo’s name such as: Beverly Hills property in California in 1994 for $2.52 million and its residual items for $42,300; the Makiki property in 1995 for $1.35 million; and the Lindenmere Estate in 1996 for $40 million. Since the Lindenmere property was heavily mortgaged, the PCGG’s share was $1.62 million.
Fast-forward to 2016, and you have the Floirendos campaigning for Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for Vice President
quote:DAVAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – The kin of Davao del Norte's influential Floirendo-Lagdameo family backed the campaign of vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr on Friday, March 11.
Antonio "Tony Boy" Floirendo Jr and incumbent Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Lagdameo Jr threw their support for their longtime family friend as they hosted his campaign in their bailiwick.
Floirendo, who previously served as a lawmaker, is the son and namesake of Davao's banana magnate Antonio Floirendo Sr, who founded Tagum Development Cooperation (TADECO), one of the biggest and highest earning banana plantations.
The late "banana king," who died in 2012, was also an Ilocano, having been born in La Union. He also faced allegations of being a "Marcos crony" during the martial law rule of Senator Marcos' father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
While Floirendo has thrown his support behind Marcos, he won't be backing Marcos' standard bearer, Senator Miriam Santiago.
Instead, Floirendo will be supporting the presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
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Oct 7, 2016 16:58
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- CronoGamer
- May 15, 2004
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why did this happen
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Pretty sure Imperial Japan would have invaded anyway given our strategic position back then.
Du30's apparently sky-high approval ratings are causing me to lose what little faith I had left in the Filipino people.
He's referring to the Battle of Manila, which was when the US liberated Manila from Japan in 1945. So, did he just... not want Japan kicked out? He also overstates the casualties by nearly double.
His approval ratings (I think it was 76%?) are basically on par with every other new president since Marcos. I wouldn't read a whole ton into that number.
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Oct 7, 2016 17:04
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- blackguy32
- Oct 1, 2005
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Say, do you know how to do the walk?
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I can't tell if Duterte is really smart, or really stupid. Or maybe somewhere in the middle where he just doesn't know what he is doing.
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Oct 7, 2016 17:11
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- Xelkelvos
- Dec 19, 2012
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Is the Philippines in the TPP? Is it too late to cut them out of it?
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Oct 7, 2016 18:04
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- CronoGamer
- May 15, 2004
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why did this happen
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Is the Philippines in the TPP? Is it too late to cut them out of it?
It's not in the TPP and would need to have some pretty significant constitutional overhaul to comply with the requirements on protectionist policies like foreign ownership of companies. Duterte has expressed interest in joining in the past but I wouldnt hold my breath on it.
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Oct 7, 2016 19:01
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- Pilsner
- Nov 23, 2002
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Christ. I've had an attachment to Philippines for the past few years, I have a girlfriend there going on 1˝ years, visited about 5 times, and one of my good friends is slowly planning a life there, building a house and retiring there in the near future. I really feel with all the kind Filipinos, that just barely manage to scrape by in the rather harsh work climate as bottom-rank workers, as mothers, as farmers, as fishermen and the like, and wish them prosperity in the future.
Can anyone native to Phili read between the lines and imagine that Duterte, aside from battling with words and sucking up to China, might end up turning Phili in a communist direction, like it happened disastrously in Veneluela? Any country that has ever attemped this has failed miserably, when the country attempts to shut itself in, confiscate foreign investments and companies, and act like they're the new king of the hill communism state, fueled temporarily by populist propaganda. Phili is vastly populated by relatively poor people, that dare I say will be easily lured by this sort of propaganda. My impression of the ruling system in Phili is that nepotism is ripe and good ol' boys with lots of money run the show, so I don't really know how it would fly if Duterte did a Hugo Chavez, claiming to be a representative of the common man, fighting against the wealthy elite. I don't think the public would find it to be strange, but rather, would he lack support in the government? Unless he fires up a military coup, that is...
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Oct 7, 2016 22:54
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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May 10, 2024 02:59
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Oct 6, 2016 00:47
