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

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Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

Argue posted:

Nah we're all good here. Anything you've heard to the contrary in this thread is yellow propaganda that the Aquinos paid Lowtax to promote, the same way they've been paying off the UN as well as every foreign publication.

Why are the Philippines so susceptible to dictatorships anyways? (like, I dunno, most of Latin America?)

# ? Jun 1, 2017 07:23

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# ? May 11, 2024 14:27

Xelkelvos: Dec 19, 2012

Grouchio posted:

Why are the Philippines so susceptible to dictatorships anyways? (like, I dunno, most of Latin America?)

Developing nations are generally more susceptible to corruption due to money doing a lot more there compared to more developed countries like China or America (where some of that money might come from). Lower education rates also make a public that's a bit more susceptible to demagoguery or merely following public or media opinion without as much critical thought. Then there's desperation for change and uplifting which also plays into it given the general state of affairs. With Latin American countries (this is just spitballing), there's a bit more trust in general authority due to its adherence to Catholicism. It's generally implied that, to be a good Catholic, you have to listen to your priest and the Church which then mentally extends to any sort of authority and its structure.

# ? Jun 1, 2017 13:11

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

Grouchio posted:

Why are the Philippines so susceptible to dictatorships anyways? (like, I dunno, most of Latin America?)

What I will say is that the Duterte presidency is at least partially attributable to the same kind of forces that were in play with regards to Trump, Brexit, and France.

The last 30 years of (neo)liberal economics in the post-Marcos era have not managed to solve the problems of income inequality and corrupt governance, and people were swayed by populist demagoguery under a "Change" candidate. This was exacerbated by an FPTP electoral system that allowed Duterte to prevail over a vote that was split between the administration-incumbent liberal (Roxas) and the outsider-change-candidate liberal (Poe).

EDIT:

The big news from today is that 11 soldiers were killed this morning when they were bombed by PAF planes in a friendly-fire incident.

The planes in question were Italian Marchetti S.211 trainers, probably dropping iron bombs.

I want to say that between the whole DFA transcript leak thing, and this most recent incident, I find myself in a kind of outside-looking-in observer watching how people deal with things like Washington Post leaks and blue-on-blue incidents that should be old-news to anyone that's been paying attention to current events since ... the Bush years, I guess. Is that an arrogant remark to make?

gradenko_2000 fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Jun 1, 2017

# ? Jun 1, 2017 13:25

toasterwarrior: Nov 11, 2011

Between reports from the DND saying they had Marawi on lockdown and not recommending martial law, Duterte pushing through anyway, and now this recent gently caress-up, I'm very concerned with what's happening in the AFP right now. I can totally see Duterte pushing for a purge of the officer ranks due to the Mindanao push going poorly to try and get more loyalists in for a nationwide ML declaration, and poo poo's really going to pop off.

# ? Jun 1, 2017 18:02

Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

Explosions and gunfire have been heard around a resort hotel in Manila.

# ? Jun 1, 2017 19:00

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

Grouchio posted:

Explosions and gunfire have been heard around a resort hotel in Manila.

Looks like Duterte has his "Plaza Miranda" and subsequent justification for martial law throughout the country.

# ? Jun 1, 2017 19:04

theflyingexecutive: Apr 22, 2007

Xelkelvos posted:

Developing nations are generally more susceptible to corruption due to money doing a lot more there compared to more developed countries like China or America (where some of that money might come from). Lower education rates also make a public that's a bit more susceptible to demagoguery or merely following public or media opinion without as much critical thought. Then there's desperation for change and uplifting which also plays into it given the general state of affairs. With Latin American countries (this is just spitballing), there's a bit more trust in general authority due to its adherence to Catholicism. It's generally implied that, to be a good Catholic, you have to listen to your priest and the Church which then mentally extends to any sort of authority and its structure.

No the joke is that we've hosed with those countries' governments for decades and decades

# ? Jun 1, 2017 19:05

Grouchio: Aug 31, 2014

ihatepants posted:

Looks like Duterte has his "Plaza Miranda" and subsequent justification for martial law throughout the country.

If it wasn't in fact a terrorist attack that he did not in fact precipitate. Oh who am I kidding.

# ? Jun 1, 2017 19:05

Xelkelvos: Dec 19, 2012

https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/870361934171910144

So this is a thing that happened. Probably not a big deal.

# ? Jun 1, 2017 20:40

Kurtofan: Feb 16, 2011; hon hon hon

Xelkelvos posted:

https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/870361934171910144

So this is a thing that happened. Probably not a big deal.

Any victims?

# ? Jun 1, 2017 20:47

webmeister: Jan 31, 2007; The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.

Kurtofan posted:

Any victims?

Unknown so far I think, supposedly only a single suspect. I read one report that someone poured a bunch of petrol on a gambling table and set it alight, but that could be completely wrong as I haven't seen it corroborated anywhere.

This sucks though, I've stayed a few doors down at the Belmont a couple of times

# ? Jun 1, 2017 21:37

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

https://twitter.com/ANCALERTS/status/870376962686111749

it looks like a white dude tried to rob the casino of a bunch of chips and opened fire with his gun and tried to set a table on fire while doing it.

# ? Jun 1, 2017 22:57

Kurtofan: Feb 16, 2011; hon hon hon

and trump called it a terror attack in his speech lol

glad it wasn't a big deal

# ? Jun 1, 2017 22:58

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

looks like there were still mass casualties from smoke inhalation from the fire that the attacker set

https://twitter.com/ANCALERTS/status/870468468226662400

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/901985/resorts-world-gunman-killed-pnp

the police are blaming it on a gambling addiction that made the guy snap, and that he apparently committed suicide by gasoline

# ? Jun 2, 2017 04:00

Fanatic: Mar 9, 2006

Do casinos not have much security there? Surprised he was able to do so much damage without getting popped early on.

# ? Jun 2, 2017 04:53

Big Willy Style: Feb 11, 2007; How many Astartes do you know that roll like this?

I haven't been to a casino in Manila but every hotel or bank in Manila usually has some dude with shotgun at entrances.

# ? Jun 2, 2017 05:09

Scaramouche: Mar 26, 2001; SPACE FACE! SPACE FACE!

Big Willy Style posted:

I haven't been to a casino in Manila but every hotel or bank in Manila usually has some dude with shotgun at entrances.

In Makati make that every concvenience store. The casino is in Pasay but still... The larger question is if any of those guns had been fired before or if the people knew how to use them.

# ? Jun 2, 2017 06:03

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

Fanatic posted:

Do casinos not have much security there? Surprised he was able to do so much damage without getting popped early on.

There's armed security in like every small little shop in the Philippines, or even like fast food places, etc. The guards at the casino were probably not well trained because the one story I read about a shooting victim was because one of the guards shot himself when the robber burst into the room.

# ? Jun 2, 2017 06:06

Abugadu: Jul 12, 2004; 1st Sgt. Matthews and the men have Procured for me a cummerbund from a traveling gypsy, who screeched Victory shall come at a Terrible price. i am Honored.

I stayed there for a night about a year ago when transiting, it seemed extremely lightly guarded at the time compared to most of the larger hotels in Manila. Maybe one armed guard at the door.

# ? Jun 2, 2017 07:47

Kurtofan: Feb 16, 2011; hon hon hon

gradenko_2000 posted:

looks like there were still mass casualties from smoke inhalation from the fire that the attacker set

https://twitter.com/ANCALERTS/status/870468468226662400

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/901985/resorts-world-gunman-killed-pnp

the police are blaming it on a gambling addiction that made the guy snap, and that he apparently committed suicide by gasoline

drat that sucks

# ? Jun 2, 2017 07:58

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

Okay, so a bit of history: back in Dec of 2000, there were a series of bombings that were executed throughout Metro Manila, killing 22 people and causing another hundred other casualties. These became known as the Rizal Day bombings, as Dec 30 is a holiday commemorating the death of national hero Jose Rizal.

The bombings were eventually traced to Moro Islamic separatists, along with links to the Jemaah Islamiyah.

This incident heralded the advent of post-9/11-style "security theater" across the country. Banks and most office buildings already had armed security guards prior to this, but after it, you'd also have guards posted at the entrances of pretty much every public place, especially malls.

Further, not only would they be posted at every entrance, you'd also have to be subjected to a combination of patdowns/frisking, a visual bag inspection, and/or walking through a metal detector.

It's been so pervasive across the last 17 years that I'm still a little thrown-off every time I travel abroad and can walk into a mall without having to pause to open my bag.

That said, the actual usefulness of such measures is likely quite low - the guards often just peek into the one compartment of the bag you're opening, which means you can still sneak in whatever in the other pockets. The metal detectors also aren't that useful because of course anyone stepping through it is going to set it off, but then they don't do strict screening because it'd make going into the malls about as obtrusive as queuing at the airport security line. You'd get caught if ... maybe you were carrying a gun in the waistband of your pants, or if your bomb has cartoonish wires sticking out everywhere, but that'd be it.

Various other incidents across the years have also caused variations on this security theater - after a robbery at a mall where the perps were wearing caps to shield themselves from CCTVs, malls banned the wearing of hoods and caps inside their establishments. After a robbery at a mall where the perps used a hammer to smash through the glass pane of a jewelry store's display case, malls banned bringing in hammers and other heavy tools. That sort of thing.

# ? Jun 2, 2017 08:27

Kurtofan: Feb 16, 2011; hon hon hon

is Marawi still under siege?

# ? Jun 15, 2017 11:49

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

Kurtofan posted:

is Marawi still under siege?

Yes. The government keeps posting favorable progress reports, but they've since dropped any pretense of providing an ETA on a resolution after having had to move the date multiple times since they were going to miss it.

Mind you, I don't think that this means that the government cannot lift the siege, just that they can't predict it well enough to stop from embarrassing themselves as they keep setting deadlines that they then can't hit.

# ? Jun 15, 2017 12:00

Mozi: Apr 4, 2004; Forms change so fast
Time is moving past
Memory is smoke
Gonna get wider when I die; Nap Ghost

When Duterte was elected, my feeling was that it was only after some time had passed that one could see whether or not a democracy would really be OK with such blatantly illegal, immoral, and crude conduct, or whether his administration would collapse on itself. (Obviously, Duterte wasn't the only elected official I had in mind here.)

Well, it's been a year since his election:

quote:

The president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, celebrates his first year in office Friday. Since becoming president, he has picked a fight with former President Obama, cursed out the Pope, joked about raping women and declared his "separation" from the United States to pursue a more independent foreign policy with new friends China and Russia.

But none of that really matters at home.

What does matter is that Duterte ran for president promising a brutal, bloody war on drugs. And he's delivered.

More than 7,000 alleged drug suspects have died in extrajudicial killings, in encounters with police or gunned down in so-called vigilante killings. The killings have drawn widespread international condemnation, with Human Rights Watch describing Duterte's first year in power as a "human rights calamity."

But here's the thing: Duterte is actually more popular now than when he was elected.

A year ago, he won the presidency with just under 40 percent of the vote. Today, according to the latest opinion polls, his approval rating is between 75 percent and 80 percent.

"He's a man of his word. He's a man who does what he says he's going to do," says Clarisse Santiago, an 18-year-old student from Manila. "It's because of him that drug-related crime is going down."

"He's like a father for every Filipino," says Daniel Bernardo, 31, a political science Ph.D. student. "I believe in his integrity. Of course, you can't say he's perfect. He has flaws. But he's a game-changer, not a traditional politician."

Both are sitting in one of the many bars across the street from Manila's De La Salle University, where the clientele is mostly middle- to upper-middle class students. The extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs aren't much of an issue, at least among the Duterte supporters here.

"I don't even consider them extrajudicial killings," Bernardo says. "It's a moral killing, in a way. It's like a pest in your house. If you see a cockroach or a mosquito, you'd kill it. For me, if you're a drug user, a drug seller, you're a sickness in society. You need to disappear."

I have to admit, this wasn't exactly what I was hoping to read by this point.

# ? Jun 30, 2017 15:20

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

Normally I'd caution against the whole "39% of the vote vs 70%+ approval rating" because that's an almost apples-to-oranges analogy with how public support congeals around a President-Elect no matter what, but:

quote:

"I don't even consider them extrajudicial killings," Bernardo says. "It's a moral killing, in a way. It's like a pest in your house. If you see a cockroach or a mosquito, you'd kill it. For me, if you're a drug user, a drug seller, you're a sickness in society. You need to disappear."

actually, no, gently caress it, this is country is completely hosed.

We don't even have a Sanders/Corbyn-esque leftist wing. 2022 (if we even have an election!) is going to look like Macron vs Le Pen.

# ? Jun 30, 2017 15:25

Xelkelvos: Dec 19, 2012

Mozi posted:

When Duterte was elected, my feeling was that it was only after some time had passed that one could see whether or not a democracy would really be OK with such blatantly illegal, immoral, and crude conduct, or whether his administration would collapse on itself. (Obviously, Duterte wasn't the only elected official I had in mind here.)

Well, it's been a year since his election:

I have to admit, this wasn't exactly what I was hoping to read by this point.

I mean, the quoted section is the bougie fucks that go to university. People rich and/or smart enough to get into Uni, but not rich and/or smart enough to go get educated outside the Philippines.

Here's another section that's relevant:

quote:

But there's a new problem, she says: "We're not scared of the addicts. We're scared of the police and how they're harassing us, just barging into our houses and violating our rights."

Cindy's got a 27-year-old brother who recently got out of jail. He stopped at home just long enough to see his mother, she says, then left for the provinces.

"He was scared he'd be a target," she says � that he'd be killed. "He said he wouldn't come back as long as Duterte was president."

Down a nearby alley, I go to visit Sylvia Garcia, whose son Aristotle was killed in an encounter with police back in September. I ask her how it's going.

"It's hard," she says. "I've not yet moved on."

She says she's noticed that a lot of young men have moved on � or, more precisely, fled � in the past few months. Like Cindy, she says the neighborhood is quieter these days � and people are afraid of the police.

It's probably nothing new that the upper classes are fine with everything since the blood spatter doesn't reach them while the lower classes suffer, but they don't exactly have to means to exact any sort of political revolution by themselves. At least not without immense bloodshed.

More fuckery from the article:

quote:

The emotional cost of losing a loved one isn't the only struggle families face. There's the financial cost, too, says De La Salle University's Diokno, who also chairs the Philippines' Free Legal Assistance Group.

"They have to pay as much as 15,000 to 25,000 pesos to recover the bodies of their relatives," Diokno says, about $300 to $500 � a huge sum for poor families who still have to arrange a funeral as well.

So many have come up with a workaround.

"Some relatives, some families, don't wait for the scene-of-the-crime operatives to claim the body," Diokno says. "As soon as the police or the vigilantes, or whoever is responsible, commit the extrajudicial killings, before the authorities can come, [the families] get the body and bury it so they don't have to pay."

Diokno says those killings don't get recorded. He believes many others go unrecorded these days, too. His legal assistance group receives reports from communities of people just disappearing. And nobody, he says, knows where the bodies are.

He doesn't believe the commonly accepted estimate of 7,000 dead since the war on drugs began last year, and thinks the number may be between 10,000 and 12,000.

# ? Jun 30, 2017 16:33

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

In more minor news:

https://twitter.com/ANCALERTS/status/880047290588602368

The Tagalog bit in the middle translates to: "I'm not going to make a show of being clean. I myself have stolen plenty, but that's all been used up already."

# ? Jun 30, 2017 16:58

Ytlaya: Nov 13, 2005

quote:

"I don't even consider them extrajudicial killings," Bernardo says. "It's a moral killing, in a way. It's like a pest in your house. If you see a cockroach or a mosquito, you'd kill it. For me, if you're a drug user, a drug seller, you're a sickness in society. You need to disappear."

I feel like once you're comparing people to insects and saying they need to be exterminated you've crossed some sort of line.

I think that many people enjoy the feeling of dismissively condoning terrible atrocities. Like, there's a part of them that thinks "yeah I'm so fuckin hardcore, not pulling any punches" when expressing an opinion about things like this. On some level there's a pleasure associated with - without reservation - saying "these people are subhuman and deserve to die." I wonder if the only reason there's some resistance to it taking as strong of a hold in developed Western nations is that there's still some association with Hitler/WW2, but as the years continue to pass that status quo might change.

# ? Jun 30, 2017 18:41

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

Argue posted:

In more minor news:

https://twitter.com/ANCALERTS/status/880047290588602368

The Tagalog bit in the middle translates to: "I'm not going to make a show of being clean. I myself have stolen plenty, but that's all been used up already."

https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews/status/881057712620003328

:thunk:

# ? Jul 1, 2017 09:21

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

Inquirer: SC upholds validity of martial law in Mindanao

CNN: Supreme Court upholds martial law in Mindanao

ABS-CBN: Supreme Court affirms Mindanao martial law

11 Justices voted to dismiss the petition against President Duterte's Martial Law proclamation
3 Justices voted to have it limited to just the city of Marawi
1 Justice voted against the the Martial Law proclamation altogether

According to the Constitution, a declaration of Martial Law cannot exceed 60 days without an extension. That sixty-day mark is coming up on Jul-22-2017. An extension would have to be granted by a majority vote from both Houses of Congress.

# ? Jul 4, 2017 07:10

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

ronpaulitshappening.gif

SC ruling: Duterte can put 'entire PH' under martial law

quote:

'The Constitution has provided sufficient safeguards against possible abuses of Commander-in-Chief's powers; further curtailment of presidential powers should not only be discouraged but also avoided,' the High Court says in its ruling

===

MANILA, Philippines � The Supreme Court (SC), in a landmark decision on Tuesday, July 4, said that the Chief Executive should be trusted to declare martial law and should have the sole discretion on its scope.

"The Constitution grants him the prerogative whether to put the entire Philippines or any part thereof under martial law. There is no constitutional edict that martial law should be confined only in the particular place where the armed public uprising actually transpired," the SC said in its ruling penned by the ponente of the case, Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.

This was agreed upon by 10 other justices � Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin, Presbitero Velasco Jr, Jose Mendoza, Bienvenido Reyes, Diosdado Peralta, Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Noel Tijam, Samuel Martires, and Francis Jardeleza.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio believes martial law should be limited only to Marawi City while Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa voted to limit martial law to the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu.

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen was the the lone dissenter in the High Court, siding with the petitioners' bid to nullify Proclamation 216.

Armed Forces chief General Eduardo A�o and Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa have indicated that they would recommend to Duterte the extension of martial law in Mindanao, which is supposed end on July 22.

Presidential prerogative

In the 82-page ruling released late Wednesday, July 5, the High Court said all issues of martial law and circumstances of its proclamation are upon the prerogative of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The SC said Duterte does not need the approval of the Court, not even Congress, to impose martial law � it's up to him to determine that there is rebellion and to impose martial rule.

"The Court, as Congress does, must thus accord the President the same leeway by not wading into the realm that is reserved exclusively by the Constitution to the Executive Department," the SC said.

The SC also said Duterte has the power to declare martial law not only in the area where he finds rebellion to exist but also in "other areas where present hostilities are in danger of spilling over."

"In fine, it is difficult, if not impossible, to fix the territorial scope of martial law in direct proportion to the range of actual rebellion and public safety simply because rebellion and public safety have no fixed physical dimensions," the SC said.

"The Constitution must have considered these limitations when it granted the President wide leeway and flexibility in determining the territorial scope of martial law. Limiting the proclamation and/or suspension to the place where there is actual rebellion would not only defeat the purpose of declaring martial law, it will make the exercise thereof ineffective and useless," the SC added.

The High Court cited incidents related to the Marawi clashes one way or the other which occurred outside the besieged city, such as the arrest of Maute matriarch Farhana Maute in Masiu town, and even the attack of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Cotabato City.

Sereno said, however, that the SC should not have given the President carte blanche, or the exclusive discretion to determine the matter.

"Validating a Mindanao-wide coverage is indeed convenient for the Court but it is not right. If, to use the words of the ponencia, the most important objective of Article VII, Section 18 is to 'curtail the extent of the power of the President,' then this Court miserably failed," Sereno said in her opinion.

Probable cause enough

The Constitution says that martial law may be declared in the event of a rebellion, but for the SC, Duterte does not need to be sure that there is actual rebellion; he only needs to have probable cause to believe so.

"The President only needs to convince himself that there is probable cause or evidence showing that more likely than not a rebellion was committed or is being committed. To require him to satisfy a higher standard of proof would restrict the exercise of his emergency powers," the SC said.

Carpio, although voting to restrict martial law to Marawi City, agreed that only probable cause is required of the President. "Probable cause is the same amount of proof required for the filing of a criminal information by the prosecutor and for the issuance of an arrest warrant by a judge," Carpio said in his opinion.

As for the convincing factors, the SC said the President does not need to be correct but only needs to have "sufficient factual basis" for making the declaration.

"The Court does not need to satisfy itself that the President's decision is correct, rather it only needs to determine whether the President's decision had sufficient factual basis," the SC said.

For the majority in the SC, the inaccuracies in Duterte's martial law report to the Court are "irrelevant" in view of the necessary haste in deciding on the imposition of martial rule.

"As the President is expected to decide quickly on whether there is a need to proclaim martial law even only on the basis of intelligence reports, it is irrelevant, for purposes of the Court's review, if subsequent events prove that the situation had not been accurately reported to him," the SC said.

The SC also agreed that Duterte does not need the recommendation of anyone, not even his top security officials, for his proclamation to be valid.

The petitioners had cited inaccuracies in the martial law report in seeking to nullify Proclamation 216, mostly based on news reports that fact-checked Duterte's report. The SC said news reports are inadmissible.

The SC also said that the presence of true and accurate incidents in the report would be sufficient.

The ruling also said that Duterte, as Commander-in-Chief, and not the Court, can "properly assess the ground conditions."

The SC said that it would be up to Duterte if he wants to disclose to the public certain information.

"He cannot be forced to divulge intelligence reports and confidential information that may prejudice the operations and the safety of the military," the High Court said.

Vague martial law?

The Bayan group of petitioners alleged that the martial law declaration was too vague because of its inclusion of "other rebel groups."

In fact, the military's operational directive for the martial law in Mindanao also targets communist rebels, drug syndicates and other peace spoilers.

The petitioners' counsel, Neri Colmenares even showed a copy of the annex that Solicitor General Jose Calida submitted to the Court listing the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as among the peace spoilers in the region.

For Colmenares, rebel groups outside of the Maute network are irrelevant to the case. He accused Calida of inventing facts to justify martial law.

For the SC, the vagueness doctrine only applies to cases of free speech, and martial law is not such case.

The High Court also said that the absence of clear operational guidelines does not make martial law vague. It said it is not the SC's job anyway to determine the legality of operations when ruling on the constitutionality of martial law.

The Court said that it would address questions about the legality of a martial law-related operation when raised before the High Court.

"Any act committed under the said orders in violation of the Constitution and the laws, such as criminal acts or human rights violations, should be resolved in a separate proceeding," the Court said.

Constitutional safeguards

The High Court also cited "sufficient safeguards" in the 1987 Constitution to prevent abuse of the power to declare martial law.

"The Constitution has provided sufficient safeguards against possible abuses of the Commander-in-Chief's powers; further curtailment of presidential powers should not only be discouraged but also avoided," the SC said.

For the SC, it is enough that the 1987 Constitution limits the basis of martial law to only rebellion, and that it imposed a 60-day expiry on the proclamation.

The Court said the public should not be scared or biased against martial law because of the country's experience of martial rule under the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. (READ: Martial law, the dark chapter in Philippine history)

"After all, martial law is critical and crucial to the promotion of public safety, the preservation of the nation's sovereignty and ultimately, the survival of our country," the SC said.

The petitioners and the political opposition have expressed fears that the SC ruling may embolden Duterte to declare martial law in the entire Philippines. They cited the "creeping authoritarianism" in the country under the year-old Duterte administration.

# ? Jul 6, 2017 05:54

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

Here's a partial transcript of today's State of the Nation Address. I'm sorry, but I'm too lazy to translate the tagalog bits, but a good deal of it is in English anyway. For those who are too lazy to read it all, let me preface with the money quote:

quote:

When you go into an anger, when you burst with rage, [I'm okay with that]. But with so many killings as brutal and as cruel as what happened, if you add human rights and due process, you stink and your mouth smells.

quote:

Kindly sit down. Thank you for your courtesy.

When I was a member of Congress, I �- my seat was over there. The seat� The lady with a violent � not violent but rather violet dress � seated. But I was always absent together with the Speaker and Tonyboy Floirendo, who is still absent until today. [laughter] And that started� Ay nandiyan ba? Sorry. But his propensity started almost 17 years ago when we were members of the 11th Congress.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and the members of the Senate; Pantaleon Alvarez, the Speaker and the members of the House of Representatives; Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo; Former Presidents Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and former President Gloria Arroyo; Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno of the Supreme Court and the members of courts; Archbishop Pinto and the distinguished guests of the diplomatic corps; Secretary Salvador Medialdea and the members of the Cabinet; my fellow workers in government; my countrymen.

When I took my oath of office a year or so ago, I knew that our country was reeling from a multitude of problems. That day, there was euphoria in the air resulting from a successful campaign and the thought that dominated my being was to make good on my promise to the people to bring [about change] � change in government, not a change that is passing but a change that can survive the test of time.

Although I still had to know the magnitude and gravity of the problems, my feeling then was that, equipped with political will and braced by a concerned citizenry, those problems would eventually be bested by us. It was only a matter of determination and collective action. It was only a question of time.

For as I saw it then as I see it now, there is no problem in the world which can stop the march of a people with unflinching and tenacious determination. That was how euphoric � euphoric it has been.

Early on, I felt that if change was to be meaningful, it had to start with those occupying the highest positions in government because change that comes from below is more transitory than permanent. And I was aiming for permanence. Let change trickle down from [top to] bottom.

It has to be a change that is not confined merely to the replacement of people by people, but a change in the people�s attitude, disposition and work ethic.

Sadly, although we knew years ago that what was needed or ought to do, we did not do [them] because our idea of government was parochial and we could not rise above family, ethnic and clan loyalties as well as loyalty to friends and co-workers. No one wanted to be a snitch. That is why we are one in saying that genuine change is what this country truly needs.

I believed then, as I believe still, that progress and development will sputter if criminals, illegal drugs, illegal users of drugs are allowed to roam the streets freely, victimizing seeming with impunity, the innocent and the helpless. Worse yet, there were times in the past when the protectors of the people were themselves the perpetrators of the very crimes they were tasked to prevent or suppress. It is ironic as it is madness.

I have learned that economy surges only when there is peace and order prevailing in places where investors can pour [in] their capital and expertise. I have learned from my experience in Davao City that investor confidence [is] bolstered and fortified only if a potent force and mechanism for [the] protection of local and foreign investments are in place.

That is why, I have resolved that no matter how long it takes, the fight against illegal drugs will continue because that is the root cause of so much evil and so much suffering [applause] that weakens the social fabric and deters foreign investments from pouring in. The fight will be unremitting as it will be unrelenting.

Despite international and local pressures, the fight will not stop [applause] until those who deal in it understand that they have to cease, they have to stop because the alternatives are either jail or hell. [applause] And I will make sure, very sure that they will not have the luxury of enjoying the benefits of their greed and madness.

I do not intend to loosen the leash in the campaign or lose the fight against illegal drugs. Neither do I intend to preside over the destruction of the Filipino youth by being timid and tentative in my decisions and actions. [applause]

To the critics against this fight, your efforts will be better spent if you use the influence, moral authority and ascendancy of your organizations over your respective sectors to educate the people on the evils of illegal drugs instead of condemning the authorities and unjustly blaming for every killing that bloodies this country.

But don�t get me wrong. I value human life the way I value mine. Each life that is snuffed out translates into future generations lost. It is like cracking the acorn from which an oak tree grows � which, in turn, produce the seeds to complete the cycle of [life in] perpetuity.

There is a jungle out there. There are beasts and vultures preying on the helpless, the innocent [and] the unsuspecting. I will not allow the ruin of the youth, the disintegration of families and the retrogression of communities, forced by criminals whose greed for money is as insatiable as it is devoid of moral purpose. Neither will I be immobilized into inaction by the fear that I will commit an act that will expose me to public condemnation or legal prosecution. You harm the children in whose hands the future of this Republic is entrusted, and I will hound you to the very gates of hell. [applause]

That is why I ask you to join me in this fight against illegal drugs and all forms of criminality.

The government, equipped with legal authority, and you, with the moral ascendancy over the sector you represent, can do so much, and hopefully eradicate this social scourge that plagues us no end.

Look beyond your biases, your prejudices, your ambition [and] your political agenda. The search for change will begin and end only when we look into ourselves and find it within.

Today, a multitude of problems confront us. No sooner is one problem solved [when] another surges forth in its place. But we will not be disheartened; we will not be cowed; we will not be overwhelmed.

It is during trying times and troubled events that the resilience, perseverance and determination of the people are tested. The Filipino is no stranger or neophyte to situations like the one we face today. We can, and we will, overcome as we did countless times in the past, [but] only if we work together towards a common goal.

Sad to say, despite all efforts, peace, especially in the Island of Mindanao, continues to elude us. But of course, it is not the peace of the dead but the peace of the living that we seek. Peace flits away like a butterfly when you try to snatch it by the wings. And our pursuit of peace continues.

The red insurgency has been with us for decades; the Muslim issue, for centuries.

So much time has lapsed, so many lives have been lost and so much destruction has been wrought but peace eludes us still. Sometimes I am almost tempted to conclude that peace might not be able to come during our lifetime.

But believe me, it will not be for want of trying. And I will persist in our goal of attaining peace [up] to the last day of this administration and maybe even beyond although in a different capacity. [applause]

There is rebellion in Mindanao. The extremists have declared it their purpose to establish a caliphate within Philippine territory along the teachings and beliefs of [the] Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or otherwise known as ISIS. The battle of Marawi has dealt a terrible blow to our quest for peace especially now that an alien ideology and a radical shift in purpose have been injected into the local setting.

I declared Martial Law in Mindanao because I believed that that was the fastest way to quell the rebellion at the least cost of lives and properties. [applause] At the same time, the government would be adequately equipped with the constitutional tool not only to prevent the escape of rebels who can easily mingle and pretend to be civilian evacuees only to re-group in another place to fight another day, but also to prevent them from spreading their gospel of hate and violence in the rest of Mindanao.

Martial Law and the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus enable the military to arrest, detain and question suspected members and sympathizers of the rebellion similar to what happened to the parents of the Maute brothers.

As president, I am reiterating my unwavering support and commitment to the soldiers of our Armed Forces and the members of our police force � [applause] those who are on the ground and in the battlefields and those who are risking their lives for our country and our democracy. I have your backs. To those who oppose and think that all these efforts are out of order, I hold myself � me and me alone should be responsible. [applause]

The people of Marawi need help. Caught in the crossfire between government troops and Muslim extremists, they have been through hell and we need to help them rise and move forward.

If we cannot provide for the poor and the needy who are many, then we will not be able to keep from harm the rich who are few.

At the vanguard of our struggle for peace and order are our Armed Forces and Police. They are the silent heroes who risk their lives everyday for our country�s security. In recognition of their valor, we have crafted a program to provide them with comprehensive social assistance, including financial, should they meet harm in the performance of their duty. For the family left behind by those who fell or are rendered totally disabled in the line of duty, we shall provide shelter, health care assistance, education, and employment. That is my way of telling our troops: never fear, do your duty. I stand behind you. So does this government and all its agencies. [applause]

To decisively address insurgency and terrorism, we are working doubly hard towards [achieving] a stronger and more credible national defense system for the country. We continue to strengthen the defense capability of the AFP as a deterrence against terrorists, lawless elements, and other threats.

My fellow citizens, what I have said so far about the events in Marawi and its neighboring environs is only a part of a looming problem, which will cut across all classes and all sectors of society and eventually affect the entire country from north to south, from east to west, given the fact that Mindanao supplies a great part of our country�s food requirements. I refer to climate change, which could bring drought and long dry spells affecting food production in Mindanao, given the fact that Mindanao is unusually warming. I ask all agencies involved in food production to look into this and act accordingly.

Also, I am appealing to all our legislators to immediately pass the National Land Use Act or NALUA [applause] to ensure the rational and sustainable use of our land and our physical resources, given the competing needs of food security, housing, businesses and environmental conservation.

Ours is a rich country. Wealth that this country is endowed with [is] a gift from God to be utilized for the [people�s] welfare and the common good. I do not believe that this gift was given to us to be merely viewed or appreciated, but to be extracted from the earth and utilized to make life worth living.

That is why I say that it is not enough that we mine this wealth. What is more important is that we convert the raw material thereof into finished products for international and local purposes. [applause] That way, it will not only be the few who are the rich but also the poor who are many who will benefit therefrom.

Therefore, I call on our industrialists, investors [and] commercial barons to put up factories and manufacturing establishments right here in the Philippines to process our raw materials into finished products. [applause]

At this point in my administration, if possible, we shall put a stop to the extraction and exportation of our mineral resources to foreign nations [applause] for processing abroad and importing them back to the Philippines in the form of consumer goods at prices twice or thrice the value of the original raw materials foreign corporations pay for them.

However, in the extraction and utilization of these resources, extreme care must be exercised [applause] that we do not recklessly and needlessly harm the environment. [applause] Responsible, regulated and sustainable development is what we advocate and require. The protection of the environment must be made a priority [applause] ahead of mining and all other activities that adversely affect one way or another. And this policy is non-negotiable. [applause]

I sternly warn� I am warning all mining operations and contractors to refrain from the unbridled and irresponsible destruction of our watersheds, forests, and aquatic resources. You have gained much from mining, we only get about 70 billion a year, but you have considerably neglected your responsibility to protect and preserve � and even the tax, it�s about five percent � environment for posterity.

I am holding all mining companies and its officials responsible for the full and quick clean-up, restoration [and] rehabilitation of all areas damaged by mining activities, and the extension of all necessary support to the communities that have suffered mining�s disastrous effects on their health, [applause] livelihood, and environment, among others.

Ganito �yan eh. Medyo alis muna ako diyan sa� Sasakit ang mata ko diyan sa y*** na �yan. [laughter] Alam mo, you have the mining. I have to grant you a mining because you have complied with all the requirements of the law. And I cannot� I�d be subject to a mandamus if everything is perfect and you have every right to mine. But in doing so, you destroy the rivers, you destroy the streams, from which the poor people fish � halwan or mudfish � and that is protein for the day for them.

Ngayon makita mo naman not only Gina Lopez gave you a clear picture of what was happening horrendously. Nakita mo kay Ted Failon � �yung kay Ted Failon, talagang nanood ako, dalawang beses. And I realized that I have to do something about it as a Filipino. [applause]

Alam mo, okay na �yung mining. Subsidiary ka lang ng isang another giant corporation or you�re a sister company of a telecommunication, hindi kayo magugutom. But look at the picture shown to you. For once, they behaved correctly ang ABS-CBN. Tingnan mo �yung pelikula ni Ted Failon. I salute him for coming with it. [applause]

You see the palayan� Ang palayan tumuyo at ang soil nag-crack. So the farmers cannot eat anymore. They are reduced to the garbage of what you can get there, salvage anything and sell it to the scrap. Ganun ang nangyari sa Pilipino. Hindi ko kayo kalaban. As a matter of fact, you give government almost 70 billion. Pero actually maliit lang �yan.

Ngayon, nakikita ninyo itong mga palayan na tumutuyo and the rivers wala ng isda. The only source of protein. Hindi ka naman pwedeng mag-hunting. May makita kang eagle diyan, barilin mo, preso ka. Pakainin mo �yung� Saan mo ipa�?

Try to go out, sumama tayo � kayo sa akin. And try to see how hard it is for them to survive. Now ito ang� Gusto mo ganito ang pangyayari, tutal sobra-sobra naman �yang pera ninyo, adre, sa totoo lang. Mayor ako eh, I can look at your corporate earnings, your sister company, I can pierce the corporate identity, kayo rin pala. And even diyan sa mga newspaper. When you are not supposed to� You know, �pag newspaper ka you are supposed to be 100 percent Filipino. And yet when you start to pierce their identity, it is pala fully owned by Americans. Ganun ang nangyari eh. It�s just a matter of piercing the�

So wala masyado ako� ABS, Rappler kayo ba �yan? Have you tried to pierce your identity and it will lead you to America? Do you know that? And yet the constitution requires you to be 100 percent � media � Filipino. Rappler, try to pierce the identity and you will end up American ownership. Mayaman na kayo, mga mining companies. Ito ang deal ko sa inyo, either I will raise the taxes, ang kumikita niyan i-reserve ko to compensate for those who are suffering and in agony. [applause]

You have to come up with a substitute, either spend to restore the virginity of their source or I will tax you to death. [applause] Kasi �yung taxes makuha ko, talagang ibubuhos ko. Ngayon, if you can make an arrangement, an inventory of the � �yung nasira � �yung mga tao nagutom pati �yung river nila wala nang makuha because� You know guys, kayong mga taga-Davao we are not new to it, you want to see horror in your lifetime? Akong bahala. NPA huwag muna kayong magpagara-gara diyan, away-away kay magpunta kami samahan ko sila. You stop your � puro hambog lang kayo diyan. Punta tayo doon sa Diwalwal, doon sa [inaudible] and I will show you the river. Up there at the source, it�s so pristine. But doon sa � right at the start of the boundary where the millings are started, the water there is not clear, it is not brown, it is black. Your one peso will win one million from me if I am lying. Kung gusto mo isama ko kayo bukas doon. Ngayon, �pag tinarget tayo ng mga g***** NPA na �yan eh problema natin �yan lahat. Sabay-sabay na lang tayo. Bakante ang presidency, bakante ang Senado pati ang congressman. Pero totoo �yan, you should visit the� Even the first spade, even the first spade full of earth that you extract and throw it away of no use. Itabi mo lang �yan diyan eh because it�s an open pit, you dig and dig and dig, is already the first spade there is the decreasing of Mother Earth.

Alam mo ang isa pang galit sa mining? Si Speaker. He comes from a mining town but he hates mining. Ako naman kasi mga kaibigan ko �yung iba, �yung mga classmate ko mga vice president ng mining, magpunta sila dito� But it reduces into something � the damage that you have caused. It�s not about our friendship. It�s not about years of being in the same room. It�s not about being fraternity brothers. But it is something that� [raises his right hand] Ganun �yan eh.

Alam mo �yung martial law, I am not so much endeavored diyan sabihin ninyo na hindi ninyo ibigay? Okay lang. Wala akong problema diyan. Maski sabihin ninyo na tama na? Okay lang. Then I will still fight. The way I will fight the war. If it is not acceptable to the normal of civilian conduct, then I am sorry because I am not fighting a civilian war, I am stopping violence and rebellion. [applause] Hindi talaga ako�

Ibigay man ninyo o hindi, para sa akin wala. Because ako, I do not intend to go beyond my term. As a matter of fact, mas gusto kong barilin ako doon sa likod. Eh hindi masyado ako itong bilib itong trabahong ito? Akala ko bilib ako. Pagdating ko ah l****, sakit ng ulo. [applause]

Totoo. Kayo nakikinig kayo. Wala akong pinirmahan ni isa, p**** i**** �yan na para pagkain. Pagkain-pagkain sa opisina, eh bayaran ninyo �yan. Maglabas ako. I do not collect anything. I do not remember. I do not sign anything there until now. Wala akong allowance wala akong tinatanggap lahat except my salary. Tapos dalawang pamilya pa ang maghati. Anong masama niyan? [applause and cheers] Sige kayo pakpak diyan. Lahat naman tayo. [laughter] I can count my� Not even the two hands, one hand lang na exempted sa rule na �yan. Dalawa, tatlo, apat, lima. Lokohin ninyo ako, ba�t tayo pa ba ang maglokohan? Just because this is Congress it has to be a secret, secret. Maniwala kayong mga ito? Pareho kaming lahat niyan. Ayaw pa tumawa kunwari. [laughter and applause]

So I will increase the taxes. Then I will think of something that will compensate or make up for the damage or at least the income restored. Otherwise, I�ll have to stop mining. I will ask you to stop it. It�s not good. We are a small group of islands, hindi naman marami. The coastal, marami �yan kasi marami paikot-ikot, but we are in a contiguous territory, maliit lang tayo.

You must remember that there are so many billions of the future generations waiting in this stratosphere. Ang gusto ninyo para hindi na kayo mandamay, huminto na kayo ng ano. Then let us go to� Because this will not end here. How about the billions and billions and billions of Filipinos who will come after us? Kawawa naman. They�ll have to scratch Mother Earth to eat. By this time kung walang upheaval, no regeneration will occur, we are almost like talagang ginaganun natin ang � maliit na lang ang makuha nila. But maawa naman kayo. Makikita mo �yung apo mo kung ganun mo na lang� Kung ganun mo na lang �yung � embrace mo �yung apo mo sa pangalawang asawa. �Yung isa ganun rin. �Di ba? �Di ba, sir?[laughter] Suntukin kita diyan ngayon, liar ka.

Finally, let me make this appeal to those directly engaged in mining. Declare your correct income [and] pay your correct taxes. Believe me, your failure to do so will be your undoing and eventual ruin. [applause]

Hindi na ako makatakbo, matanda na ako. I don�t think I�ll even survive the five years. Pero pagka sinabi ko upakan kita, upakan talaga kita.

To our employees and officials of the LGUs tasked with monitoring these mining operations within their territorial jurisdictions, do your job without fear or favor. I [hold] you absolutely responsible for any misdeed or failure [by] the mining entities to comply � do not comply or comply with the guidelines, rules and regulations governing mining operations and activities within your area of responsibility. I mean it. Do not try to test my resolve. Absolutely I have nothing to lose except my life.

While we can control the acts of man, no one can control [or] stop the fury and rampage of weather gone wild. When nature fights back, it does so with a vengeance.

We have seen the terrible toll that Super typhoon Yolanda and the succeeding typhoons exacted in terms of human life and property. And we still have to recover from the beating that we got both during and in the aftermath of those mega-typhoons.

Aside from droughts, tempests and other problems taking shape which, according to DOST-PHIVOLCS � it is no longer just a distant possibility but a probability: Earthquakes.

The series of damaging quakes in Leyte, Surigao and nearby provinces and islands attest to this. We were told that it is no longer a question of �if� but a matter of �when.�

Thus, we need to act decisively and fast because the threat is huge, real and imminent.

Come to think of it really, they say that there is no perfect instrument or human acumen can really predict earthquake. I hope it will not come. Kasi kung magdating �yung sabi nila �yung �Big One�, I hope it will be just in the mountains and in the rural areas. Because if it�s right � sabihin nila tinatakot nila ang� Media kasi� Nandito eh in the speech, I reviewed it last night. I am calling [on] both houses of Congress to expeditiously craft a law establishing a new authority or department that is responsive to the prevailing 21st century conditions and empowered to best deliver [an] enhanced disaster resiliency and quick disaster response.

While the law is [being] crafted with extreme urgency, we need to undertake immediate action to ensure disaster resiliency and effective response in the greater [Metro] Manila area, which is our country�s seat of governance, center of business, commerce, and the academe. Disaster resiliency of Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces is a matter of urgent [national ] concern.

Iyon nandito �yan, tinatakot nila dito because of the high-rise buildings and� Ilang tao ang nakatira diyan? Kung� Kaya kaya ito sa isang sinkhole? I mean if it cracks and it goes down, can we still manage to go up? God, huwag ngayon ha kay nandito ako. Hintayin mo lang �yan sila na lang sila dito nag-aaway. [laughter]

I am directing the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management to immediately work hand in hand with the concerned LGUs, the private sector and the affected communities themselves, in undertaking disaster [resiliency] measures, antidotes.

We all need to act fast.

With all the foregoing said, what then is the state of the nation today?

I will mince no words and neither will I window-dress the situation [that] we are in. Let me answer in two brief sentences. We are in for trouble because we live in troubled and uncertain times. And I fear that things might get worse before they become better. But like I said I hope we will cope, we hope and pray.

The West Philippine Sea issue and Federalism are matters that we have to tackle sooner or later.

On the other hand, despite our recent gains in improving the peace and order situation in the country, there is still so much to be desired and if we are to completely eradicate the menace of illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, we must do it.

I therefore ask Congress to act on all pending legislations to reimpose the death penalty on heinous crimes � especially on the trafficking of illegal drugs.

There is a shortage� No, no, no. There is a short clip of CNN about people in Massachusetts, was it there? Iyong clip nila ang ipinakita. Tiningnan� Pakitingin lang� It�s repeated for almost every week yata �yang mga short clips. Tingnan mo �yung mga tao doon na hinayaan nilang mag� They are there, they live under the bridge, they are getting thin, they are doing nothing. Nakaganun lang sila tapos po-pose ng ano� And they are aplenty there. They do not work, wala.

Tapos sabi ng UN� Is he here? Are you there iyong UN representative? Na sinabi mo na shabu will not affect the brain? Are you here? Raise your right hand, if you�re here. Do not worry. I will just� Do not � the word �delude� as into you� Iyong mga ano ninyo na � but we know everyday that one family raped, dalawa and all are dead. Then you trivialize it with human rights and due process. Okay ako niyan. When you go into an anger, when you burst with rage, okay �yan. But with so many killings as brutal and as cruel as what happened, if you add human rights and due process, you stink and your mouth smells. If you want to criticize, criticize, condemn the act, stop there. But do not give the excuse or do not make it trivial by saying human rights at least we�ll be protected� Iyan ang pinakab***** na magawa ng isang tao. When you criticize, stick on one topic. Then you find an event where you can talk about human rights and due process, but do not talk about it in the same time when there is a carnage and you begin to blabber, talk about human rights. Lalong nagagalit ang tao. Eh p****** i** mo. May namatay na diyan, akala mo kung sino ka. [applause] What have you done in the name of human rights? Seventy-seven � you have the records. You can summon the police. Seventy-seven before I became president. All drug- related, 77,000. And you trivialize that with a conference� At tsaka pumunta dito ang tatanungin �yung nasa presuhan na pinireso dahil nag � just imagine�

I challenge you, you want a debate in public? Okay, we�ll have it. I will challenge you how also you trivialize the thing by � �yung binibigyan niyo ng importansiya si De Lima. You all know, you were all here. You conducted the investigation. You heard the witnesses. You saw the videos. Is she a credible woman? Can she be a moral person? [applause] Puro kayo drama diyan sa�

When you talk about an incident, talk about it, then condemn, condemn the police. But do not connect it with due process and human rights. Mag-mukha kang g*** sa harap ng Pilipino. You know why I get this rating? I could not be brighter than you and my work is not more important or your vocation is not less than mine. But when you talk in public carry the proper message. Kaya mag-82 kayo or kaya binobombahan niyo kasi ako ng ganun. Sasabihin naman ng mga tao, �Eh tama �yan. Tama �yan si Duterte.� Kasi nangyayari eh. Eh kayo man ang front sa pa-ganun-ganun, eh �pag may namatay diyan na maraming massacre, ni-rape mga babae, bata, hindi kayo umiimik. [applause] Maya-maya pagdating ng mga � [applause and cheers] pagdating nitong mga Western expert kuno, you give them so much premium and importance. Saan ba ang utak ninyo? Bakit kayo bilib diyan sa puti? Tingnan mo ang puti, panahon ni Obama, una �yung spokesman ng State Department. Akala mo kung sino. Akala nila mas bright pa sila sa akin. Then the staff of the President, then Obama. �I would like to remind Mr. Duterte that the policy of�� Eh �di yari ako. Pagdating ni Trump, �Oh yes, Mr. President, I�ve been expecting your call. You are doing it all right� And this G*******�� [applause] Uwi na ako. T**** i*** �yan.

So? That�s the value of the country that you value. Ambivalent. Parang electric fan. Okay dito o hindi na okay, it�s vacillating. Tapos kayong mga � bilib kayo. Hindi ko talaga maintindihan ang Pilipino. It takes for an American to say that I�m a son of a b****. And it takes for an American to say, �Oh you�re great. You�re a hero in your country.� O saan ako pumunta dito ngayon? [laughter]

It is time for us to fulfill our mandate to protect our people from these crimes that have victimized� You know, huwag ninyo akong takot-takutin niyang preso �yung international court of justice. S***, I am willing to go to prison for the rest of my life. Ang importante sa akin ginagaw ko �yung gusto ko. [applause]

Alam mo kasi in this country it is a rule of majority. I did it for the 50 plus one because in a vote of 100, I get 51, 50 plus one. Fifty is one-half, one, that is majority of one, I win. �Yung 49, �yon �yung mga� I do not have to make them happy. But when the time comes, eh kung malasin ako, pupunta ako sa presuhan, do not worry about me. I can take it. Noong maliit pa ako, labas-pasok ako sa� Wala pa �yang law ni Pangilinan. Labas-pasok na ako sa presuhan. Kunin ninyo �yung record sa pulis doon sa Davao. Takutin na, �He will be prosecuted.� Hoy, abogado ako because I will�

Sabi ko nga, everybody is entitled to come here and question me, but I have to question you also. At para magaling, let us make it official. We go to court and we tell the judge that we are hearing by an international body, can we have it judicially recorded? And I will place them under oath. Mahuli ko man talaga �yan sila. May pinatay ako, tama �yan. When I was mayor, a little over� For 23 years ako mayor ng Davao eh. Makita mo ang Davao ngayon, you have been LGUs before. What city is now hitting nine growth percent? Eh nandoon pa kami sa Mindanao, binobomba pa kami sa Davao. Davao is nine growth. Tapos sabihin ninyo� Ngayon, paano ngayon i-nine mo �yung � palabas mo itong nine we are about to hit six or so, sabi nila. Pero �pag hayaan mo lang ako, mag-abot ito ng 21, the highest in the world. [applause] Kayo lang ang taga-pigil eh.

It is time for us to fulfill our mandate to protect� Tapos na �yan. Kindly� For so long� We have to act decisively on this contentious issue.

Capital punishment is not only about deterrence. It is also about retribution. Make no mistake about that.

# ? Jul 24, 2017 14:38

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

https://twitter.com/ACJooom/status/889413394490576896

# ? Jul 24, 2017 16:02

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

No need to provide free tuition if everyone is dead :thunk:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/619761/provisions-for-free-tuition-in-sucs-removed-from-2018-budget-act-lawmakers-say/story/

quote:

The Duterte administration has stricken off provisions for free tuition in state universities and colleges, lawmakers from ACT Teachers Party-list said on Thursday.

This, even though there was a P8.3 billion allocation for the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in the 2017 for free tuition and other school fees.

"The 2018 budget omitted provisions that will provide free tuition for all undergraduate and medical students from SUCs," Representative Antonio Tinio said in a statement.

"In fact, there is a P6.29 Billion budget cut for the CHED," he added.

...

Anime is real. Death Note is real and Light is my friend
http://www.rappler.com/nation/177021-quezon-city-barangay-uses-drug-boxes-suspects

quote:

MANILA, Philippines � Afraid to report to the police in person? Drop your tip in a box.

Since July 2016, Barangay Valencia in Quezon City has stationed 4 wooden boxes to collect names of drug suspects from residents who fear the risk of reporting.

�That is actualy a joint project with Station 7 wherein yung merong alam tungkol sa mga nagda-drugs sa kanila at natatakot na magsalita, doon na lang naglalagay ng pangalan (those who know drug suspects and are afraid of speaking up, they just give the names there),� barangay captain Anna Millonado told Rappler.

According to Police Officer (PO1) Ramon Beltran, if they receive a name, they search for the person and confirm whether they use or sell illegal drugs, then they recommend them for rehabilitation.

The problem: Not a single tip has been dropped in the boxes.

...

Haha of course I won't kill the kids, I'm only going to bomb their schools while they aren't inside
http://www.interaksyon.com/du30-clarifies-threat-vs-lumad-schools-bobombahin-ko-kung-wala-nang-bata/

quote:

MANILA, Philippines � Amid criticisms, including one that called him �the lowest of the low,� and �mad man with bombs,� President Rodrigo Duterte clarified on Thursday that while he had warned that he would blast �rebel� schools of indigenous communities in Mindanao, he did not intend to kill lumad students.

�Hindi ko sinabing bobombahin ko �yon habang may mga bata, kundi kung wala nang bata. Kaya nga pinapaalis ko na sila doon [I didn�t say I would bomb the schools while the children are there but when they�re no longer there. That�s why I�m telling them to leave the schools],� Duterte told media after attending the wake of the six policemen slain by communist rebels in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.

The President claimed the schools were not registered with the Department of Education (DepEd) and were just being used to �poison the minds� of children, �who grow up hating the government.�

�Sisirain ko kasi ginagamit n�yo (para) sirain (ang) mental health of children [I will destroy these schools because these are being used to destroy the mental health of children],� said Duterte.

...

# ? Jul 28, 2017 11:46

CommieGIR: Aug 22, 2006; The blue glow is a feature, not a bug; Pillbug

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/philippine-police-dumping-bodies-drug-war-victims-170728034001676.html

Philippine Police are hiring fishermen to dump the bodies of drug war victims at sea.

# ? Jul 28, 2017 12:14

Argue: Sep 29, 2005; I represent the Philippines

who wants to tell him

https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews/status/892679669002063872

i wonder why

https://twitter.com/abcnews/status/892587668097212416

Argue fucked around with this message at 11:15 on Aug 3, 2017

# ? Aug 3, 2017 11:10

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

I am so goddamn sick and tired of having to defend the utility of exercising government regulation on Uber.

Like, yeah, okay, traffic is bad, and the government is corrupt, but that's not really an excuse to allow Travis Kalanick to jizz all over Manila and steamroll over regulations by daring the government to come after them.

# ? Aug 3, 2017 12:13

TROIKA CURES GREEK: Jun 30, 2015; by R. Guyovich

Ytlaya posted:

I feel like once you're comparing people to insects and saying they need to be exterminated you've crossed some sort of line.

I think that many people enjoy the feeling of dismissively condoning terrible atrocities. Like, there's a part of them that thinks "yeah I'm so fuckin hardcore, not pulling any punches" when expressing an opinion about things like this. On some level there's a pleasure associated with - without reservation - saying "these people are subhuman and deserve to die." I wonder if the only reason there's some resistance to it taking as strong of a hold in developed Western nations is that there's still some association with Hitler/WW2, but as the years continue to pass that status quo might change.

Look at how quickly people here on the right wing are decried as subhuman or worse, it's just what people do to be quite honest. On every side of the political spectrum.

# ? Aug 5, 2017 03:07

Xelkelvos: Dec 19, 2012

TROIKA CURES GREEK posted:

Look at how quickly people here on the right wing are decried as subhuman or worse, it's just what people do to be quite honest. On every side of the political spectrum.

Do people who consider others to be subhuman deserve to be treated the same way?

# ? Aug 5, 2017 04:22

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# ? May 11, 2024 14:27

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

gradenko_2000 posted:

I am so goddamn sick and tired of having to defend the utility of exercising government regulation on Uber.

Like, yeah, okay, traffic is bad, and the government is corrupt, but that's not really an excuse to allow Travis Kalanick to jizz all over Manila and steamroll over regulations by daring the government to come after them.

What's the story behind this? I mean most of the people I know would still rather have Uber available than have to rely on taxis in Manila. I hated taxis there as well when I was living there. I can't even count the number of times a taxi driver would ask where I was going then pull away because he didn't want to go in whatever direction I was going. I also thought Kalanick isn't a CEO of Uber anymore.

# ? Aug 5, 2017 19:51

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

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