We have previously discussed the disgraceful reign of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a foul-mouthed, patently unstable leader who relishes extrajudicial killings. Duterte who has unleashed profanities at the Pope, President Obama, and anyone else objecting to his evisceration of human rights and the rule of law. Now, Duterte, undeterred by global condemnations and withholding of aid programs, he is now publicly bragging about how he personally murdered suspects as an example for police who were a bit more reluctant to engage in extrajudicial murders. The question now is whether the Filipino government contains enough sane and honorable leaders to finally move to remove this unhinged, tyrannical figure. While China clearly loves what it sees in this murderous authoritarian, most Filipinos were raised in a nation that has struggled to create true democratic institutions based on the rule of law.
Duterte used a speech on Monday night to businessmen to casually discussed how he used to personally kill people suspected of drug ties. Various witnesses have said that they witnessed Duterte murder people, but this is the first direct confession to murder. Thousands have reportedly been killed without charge or trial under Duterte’s short but blood-soaked rule. In referring to his time as mayor of Davao, he said
“In Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys (police) that if I can do it why can’t you . . . And I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble also. I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill.”
A lawyer by training, Duterte, 71, reportedly thought it was funny to recount his past murders: “I (would) sometimes go along with them. If you say I shot someone, maybe I did. I was closing my eyes because I am scared of firing a gun.”
Duterte is a little different from most tyrants. Most assume control of government based on promised of democracy or justice. There was no “bait and switch” by Duterte. He ran on a pledge to kill 100,000 people would die in the crackdown and to feed the fish in Manila Bay with their corpses.
Since taking office, he has made good on an established 2,086 killings in police operations and more than 3,000 others who have been killed in unexplained circumstances. He has promised police that no one in the force will go to jail for such murders.
In the United States, there might be an issue of impeachment for crimes that occurred before taking office. However, that is hardly a problem for a president who ran on the promise of extrajudicial murders and his government has carried out such murders.
HEY!!! Mr. FAKE NEWS!!! How about reporting on the results of Duterte’s efforts? What can you say about the PATHETIC society in the USA with incredible crime rates and drug use???
“NCR crime rate reduced by 60% owing to anti-drug war : NCRPO”
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/ncr-crime-rate-reduced-60-161320921.html
Expect Duterte to meet with an “accident” – “Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told the United States on Saturday to prepare for repeal of an agreement on deployment of troops and equipment for exercises, declaring “bye-bye America”, and we don’t need your money.” Unless this is “fake” newz =)
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46061.htm
schlorrs, Since you referenced a 2013 article that was justifiably critical of President Obama, I thought you might like some information about how Jeremy feels about your guys, Trump and Pence.
I will be critical of Trump, and especially Pence as well. I was probably the most critical of Bush on this blog during those years. Clinton is the same, just wears a different team jersey and has a different stand-up routine. As I stated, I am demonstrating historical record. You insist what you are showing is what will be. Truth is, Israel has us by the short hairs no matter who is in, so that is a wash. Obama has been somewhat successful at not falling in line, but it certainly hasn’t been anything to brag about. Trump MAY be this, Trump MAY be that. We for sure KNOW what Clinton is. Duturdy is just another dictator of the week. At some point, the CIA may decide he needs to go, just like Hussein, Gaddaffi, Mubarak, probably the guy in Ukraine who isn’t getting it done, and lots more. After looking at this, Duturdy thought he might take a chance with China–he might last just a little longer dealing with them. In the end, he’ll be just another aberration in history in a country to weak to protect itself from its overlords.
Oh yeah, Trump and Pence ain’t my “guys.” Independent is me. I attempt to destroy both parties. Kind of like Shiva that way. I’ll claim Randian privilege today. Maybe Spock tomorrow.
I have no idea what your political affiliation is or is not. I have followed Mr. Scahill for years and while he has been highly critical of Obama, he seems to think Trump is a truly dangerous man. I will continue to follow Mr.Scahill on my twitter feed and perhaps you should to. Hillary is out of the picture and it is a matter of weeks until Obama is gone. In the mean time Trump just might provoke an international crisis with China or maybe he already has.
Clinton is not out of the picture, and the rhetoric against Russia continues. The missiles being assembled to encircle Russia now should be complete early next year. Any leader in the world isn’t going to let them become operational, just as Kennedy was not going to stand down over missiles in Cuba. I suggest you follow this situation.
https://www.democracynow.org/2016/11/21/neocons_war_criminals_white_nationalists_jeremy It is 2016 now and Mr. Scahill does not think as highly of Mr. Trump and his appointments as you do.
Duturdy is just a termite compared to Obama. Obama may not assassinate drug dealers per se, but we can add “guilt by association” to reasons why you would be killed by this administration.
From Democracy Now
And so, this sort of scandal was brewing inside of Yemen because the people who were killed there—there were at least 46 people killed. Fourteen of the people killed were women, and 21 were children. When the Yemeni Parliament, which is a—which is supported by the United States, went to investigate it, they listed all of the dead—their ages, their names, their genders—and I got a copy of that report and have the list of every single person that we know of that was killed in that strike. And we added it up, and it was 14 women and 21 children among the 46 dead, and in the pursuit of trying to kill this one person who the president of the United States had been told was this high-value target, who everyone in Yemen says was an older mujahideen who had primarily done his jihad in Afghanistan and not inside of Yemen….
the journalists uncovered the truth that what happened was indeed a drone strike, and this is some of what follows
…that day, the dictator of Yemen receives a phone call from the White House—not from some liaison, not from secretary of state—from President Obama himself, personally. And President Obama tells the dictator of Yemen that he’s deeply concerned about news that Abdulelah Haider Shaye is going to be released. And the pardon is torn up…
I encourage all you fine Democrats who believe you own, or are entitled to, the high ground to read this entire article. You seem to state a future under Trump as though it was fact, here I offer recorded events as fact. So, in the end, who really cares about this mean shrimp in the Philippines when you have this kind of precedent? (I also know that the democratic response to an argument that presents facts that counter a proposed argument is to just ignore it like it’s never existed in the first place).
https://www.democracynow.org/2013/5/23/video_jeremy_scahill_noam_chomsky_on_secret_us_dirty_wars_from_laos_to_yemen_to_pakistan
https://www.democracynow.org/2016/12/16/andrew_bacevich_trumps_israel_first_policy Trump’s Israel first policy is likely to lead to more war in the region. His ambassador to Israel like all of his appointments have been to the right of Netanyahu.