Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-duterte-says-he-killed-someone-at-age-16-23894">facing international criticism for his bloody war on drugs,</a> said his country was willing to host a &ldquo;world summit&rdquo; to tackle how nations can protect human rights.

The firebrand leader, who spoke in a news conference late on Thursday while in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, said the summit should focus on human rights violations not just in the Philippines but globally.

Some western countries and human rights groups have strongly criticised Duterte&rsquo;s anti-narcotics campaign that has killed more than 3,900 suspected drug users and peddlers, in what the police called self-defence after armed suspects resisted arrest.

Critics dispute that and say executions are taking place with zero accountability, allegations the police reject.

&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s have a summit of how we can protect human rights for all human race,&rdquo; Duterte said shortly after meeting with the Filipino community in Vietnam, where he also renewed his attacks against United Nations human rights expert Agnes Callamard.

&ldquo;What makes the death of people in the Philippines more important than the rest of the children in the world that were massacred and killed,&rdquo; he asked. He said all victims of human rights violations are welcome to attend the summit and air their grievances.

Duterte reiterated his threat to slap Callamard if she investigates him for the rising death toll in his war on drugs and would ask her why she has made no comments on the victims of bombings and violence in the Middle East.

&ldquo;What have you been doing all the time? Why are you so fascinated with drugs?&rdquo; Duterte said. Duterte also threatened to ban two American lawmakers from coming to Manila after they criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for inviting him to visit the United States.

&ldquo;If you do not like me, I do not like you. We&rsquo;re even,&rdquo; he said without naming the lawmakers. Democratic Rep. James McGovern and Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren had called on Trump to highlight the human rights situation in the Philippines in his upcoming visit to Manila.

&nbsp;

He said all victims of human rights violations are welcome to attend the summit and air their grievances.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing international criticism for his bloody war on drugs, said his country was willing to host a “world summit” to tackle how nations can protect human rights. The firebrand leader, who spoke in a news conference late on Thursday while in Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, said the summit should focus on human rights violations not just in the Philippines but globally. Some western countries and human rights groups have strongly criticised Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign that has killed more than 3,900 suspected drug users and peddlers, in what the police called self-defence after armed suspects resisted arrest. Critics dispute that and say executions are taking place with zero accountability, allegations the police reject. “Let’s have a summit of how we can protect human rights for all human race,” Duterte said shortly after meeting with the Filipino community in Vietnam, where he also renewed his attacks against United Nations human rights expert Agnes Callamard. “What makes the death of people in the Philippines more important than the rest of the children in the world that were massacred and killed,” he asked. He said all victims of human rights violations are welcome to attend the summit and air their grievances. Duterte reiterated his threat to slap Callamard if she investigates him for the rising death toll in his war on drugs and would ask her why she has made no comments on the victims of bombings and violence in the Middle East. “What have you been doing all the time? Why are you so fascinated with drugs?” Duterte said. Duterte also threatened to ban two American lawmakers from coming to Manila after they criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for inviting him to visit the United States. “If you do not like me, I do not like you. We’re even,” he said without naming the lawmakers. Democratic Rep. James McGovern and Republican Rep. Randy Hultgren had called on Trump to highlight the human rights situation in the Philippines in his upcoming visit to Manila.

Willing to host world summit on human rights: Duterte

In a defiant speech, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that he stabbed a person to death at the age of 16 and hinted at more to come &quot;now that I am president.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;When I was a teenager, I would go in and out of jail. I&#39;d have rumbles here, rumbles there,&quot; said Duterte, who is in the Vietnamese city Danang for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

&quot;At the age of 16, I already killed someone. A real person, a rumble, a stabbing. I was just 16 years old. It was just over a look. How much more now that I am president?&quot; he told a local Filipino community in Danang.

The firebrand leader, 72, also threatened to slap a UN rights rapporteur if he met her and used obscene language to hit back at critics of his crackdown on drugs that has killed 100,000 people, AFP reported.

Duterte&#39;s defiant speech to promote his drug war comes ahead of him hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit of world leaders in Manila.

The firebrand leader consistently generates headlines for his abusive language and comments defending the drug war.&nbsp;

He remains popular with many Filipinos who believe he is making society safer.&nbsp;

Duterte won last year&#39;s presidential elections after promising to eradicate illegal drugs with an unprecedented crackdown that would see up to 100,000 people killed.

Critics at home and abroad warn that he is orchestrating a campaign of extrajudicial mass murder, carried out by corrupt police and hired vigilantes.

Duterte denies the allegations.

Duterte said last year he would be &quot;happy to slaughter&quot; three million drug addicts and branded then US president Barack Obama a &quot;son of a whore&quot; for criticising the drug war. 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

The firebrand leader, 72, also threatened to slap a UN rights rapporteur if he met her and used obscene language to hit back at critics of his crackdown on drugs

In a defiant speech, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that he stabbed a person to death at the age of 16 and hinted at more to come "now that I am president." "When I was a teenager, I would go in and out of jail. I'd have rumbles here, rumbles there," said Duterte, who is in the Vietnamese city Danang for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. "At the age of 16, I already killed someone. A real person, a rumble, a stabbing. I was just 16 years old. It was just over a look. How much more now that I am president?" he told a local Filipino community in Danang. The firebrand leader, 72, also threatened to slap a UN rights rapporteur if he met her and used obscene language to hit back at critics of his crackdown on drugs that has killed 100,000 people, AFP reported. Duterte's defiant speech to promote his drug war comes ahead of him hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit of world leaders in Manila. The firebrand leader consistently generates headlines for his abusive language and comments defending the drug war. He remains popular with many Filipinos who believe he is making society safer. Duterte won last year's presidential elections after promising to eradicate illegal drugs with an unprecedented crackdown that would see up to 100,000 people killed. Critics at home and abroad warn that he is orchestrating a campaign of extrajudicial mass murder, carried out by corrupt police and hired vigilantes. Duterte denies the allegations. Duterte said last year he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts and branded then US president Barack Obama a "son of a whore" for criticising the drug war. (With inputs from AFP)

Philippine's Duterte says he killed someone at age 16

Mourners at the funeral of a Philippine man who police shot dead protested his innocence on Sunday, the latest sign of rising anger over President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s bloody campaign to stamp out drugs.

More than 12,500 people, many small-time drug users and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office in June 2016. Police say about 3,500 of those killed were shot by officers in self-defence.

Human rights monitors believe many of the remaining two thirds were killed by assassins operating with police backing or by police disguised as vigilantes, a charge the police deny.

On Sunday, dozens of mourners wearing white T-shirts with the slogan &quot;Kill drugs, not people&quot;, bore the coffin of Leover Miranda to his grave in a Manila cemetery.

Miranda was killed this month in what police said was a drug sting operation but relatives say he was innocent.

&quot;I want justice for my son,&quot; Elvira Miranda, 69, told Reuters.

&quot;I have no powerful friends, I do not know what to do, but I want the people behind this senseless killing punished.&quot;

Most people in the Philippines support the anti-drug campaign and Duterte remains a popular leader but questions have begun to be asked about the slaughter, with more than 90 people killed in a new surge of shootings in recent days.

The country&#39;s two most influential Catholic bishops on Sunday spoke against the latest deaths, asking the faithful to pray for the victims.

&quot;We knock on the consciences of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces ... to stop wasting human lives,&quot; said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila.

Another senior cleric, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, called for churches to ring their bells every evening at 8 pm, to stir the consciences of the authorities.

&quot;You shall not kill. That is a sin. That is against the law,&quot; he said in a statement.

Public anger rose last week when police killed a 17 year-old high-school student.

Television channels aired CCTV footage that showed Kian Loyd Delos Santos being carried by two men to a place where his body was later found, raising doubt about an official report that said he was shot because he fired at police.

Some civil society groups and left-wing activists have called for protests increasing anger with the police was evident in social media posts.

Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said he has suspended the police chief in Caloocan City, where the boy was killed, pending an investigation. Three officers involved in the operation were earlier relieved of duties.

The justice department has also begun an investigation while senators will also summon police this week to explain the sudden rise in killings.

More than 12,500 people, many small-time drug users and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office in June 2016. Police say about 3,500 of those killed were shot by officers in self-defence

Mourners at the funeral of a Philippine man who police shot dead protested his innocence on Sunday, the latest sign of rising anger over President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody campaign to stamp out drugs. More than 12,500 people, many small-time drug users and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office in June 2016. Police say about 3,500 of those killed were shot by officers in self-defence. Human rights monitors believe many of the remaining two thirds were killed by assassins operating with police backing or by police disguised as vigilantes, a charge the police deny. On Sunday, dozens of mourners wearing white T-shirts with the slogan "Kill drugs, not people", bore the coffin of Leover Miranda to his grave in a Manila cemetery. Miranda was killed this month in what police said was a drug sting operation but relatives say he was innocent. "I want justice for my son," Elvira Miranda, 69, told Reuters. "I have no powerful friends, I do not know what to do, but I want the people behind this senseless killing punished." Most people in the Philippines support the anti-drug campaign and Duterte remains a popular leader but questions have begun to be asked about the slaughter, with more than 90 people killed in a new surge of shootings in recent days. The country's two most influential Catholic bishops on Sunday spoke against the latest deaths, asking the faithful to pray for the victims. "We knock on the consciences of those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces ... to stop wasting human lives," said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila. Another senior cleric, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, called for churches to ring their bells every evening at 8 pm, to stir the consciences of the authorities. "You shall not kill. That is a sin. That is against the law," he said in a statement. Public anger rose last week when police killed a 17 year-old high-school student. Television channels aired CCTV footage that showed Kian Loyd Delos Santos being carried by two men to a place where his body was later found, raising doubt about an official report that said he was shot because he fired at police. Some civil society groups and left-wing activists have called for protests increasing anger with the police was evident in social media posts. Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said he has suspended the police chief in Caloocan City, where the boy was killed, pending an investigation. Three officers involved in the operation were earlier relieved of duties. The justice department has also begun an investigation while senators will also summon police this week to explain the sudden rise in killings.

Anger simmers in Philippines over Duterte's drug war

At least 26 people died overnight in police operations in the Philippines capital Manila, authorities said on Thursday, the second night of heavy bloodshed this week in an intensification of President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s fierce war on drugs and crime.

The killings across Manila followed 32 deaths in police raids on Monday night in Bulacan province, which borders the capital. Together, they mark the deadliest period of a drugs-focused crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos, and caused international alarm, since Duterte took office over a year ago.

Colonel Erwin Margarejo, spokesman for Manila police, described the raids that started late Wednesday in Manila as &quot;one-time, big-time&quot; operations, the same term used by police in Bulacan, who said the victims died because they chose to put up a fight.

The term has been used by Philippines police to describe a coordinated anti-crime drive in crime-prone districts, usually slums or low-income neighbourhoods, often with additional police deployed.

It was however not immediately clear what was behind the step-up in the number of coordinated police operations this week.

According to police reports, a total of 179 people were arrested in Manila and Bulacan. The reports said police launched 84 operations in the two regions, the majority of which were &quot;buy-bust&quot; stings, in which plain-clothes officers attempt to trap drug peddlers.

&quot;This is &#39;one-time, big-time&#39; operations, so it is not focused only on drugs, we are operating also against other street crimes, like robbery, but these people could also be under the influence of drugs,&quot; Margarejo said.

&quot;If they resisted violently, our police have to defend themselves.&quot;

Duterte unleashed his crackdown the day he took office on June 30 last year after a convincing win in an election in which he campaigned heavily on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs.

On Wednesday, he indicated the latest operations had his blessing.

Duterte said it was good that 32 criminals had been killed in Bulacan, then added: &quot;Let&#39;s kill another 32 every day. Maybe we can reduce what ails this country.&quot;

Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said there had been no instruction to change or increase the scale and scope of the anti-drugs campaign.

&quot;This is just part of our &#39;one-time, big-time&#39; operations against illegal drugs,&quot; he told Reuters.

&#39;Grave Danger&#39;

Duterte also chided human rights groups on Wednesday for getting in the way of his anti-drugs campaign and said police should shoot them if they obstructed justice, a remark the New York-based Human Rights Watch said puts activists &quot;in grave danger&quot;.

Its deputy Asia director, Phelim Kine, described the comments as &quot;like painting a target on the backs of courageous people working to protect the rights and upholding the dignity of all Filipinos.&quot;

The exact number of people killed during the war on drugs is difficult to quantify, with no independent statistics available and police providing comprehensive data only for deaths during anti-drugs operations, where official accounts typically say suspects resisted arrest.

From the start of the drugs war to the end of July, police said over 3,400 people were killed in their operations. Police said about 2,100 deaths among some 13,500 murders over the same period were drugs-related, attributed to turf wars, informants being silenced, or vigilantes killing drug users.

A total of 65 policemen have been killed on the job during this time.

Critics maintain that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are executing suspects and say it is likely they have a hand in thousands of unsolved murders of drug users by mysterious vigilantes. The PNP and government reject that.

Although the violence has been criticised by much of the international community, Filipinos largely support the campaign and domestic opposition to it has been muted.

Several Senate hearings into allegations that Duterte operated a death squad when he was a city mayor and was now using the same approach on a national scale have been inconclusive, while an impeachment complaint filed earlier this year was dismissed by Congress.

National police chief Ronald dela Rosa told reporters there would be no let-up in the war on drugs.

&quot;This is unrelenting, we will continue to operate until the end,&quot; he said.

Duterte unleashed his crackdown the day he took office on June 30 last year after a convincing win in an election in which he campaigned heavily on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs

At least 26 people died overnight in police operations in the Philippines capital Manila, authorities said on Thursday, the second night of heavy bloodshed this week in an intensification of President Rodrigo Duterte's fierce war on drugs and crime. The killings across Manila followed 32 deaths in police raids on Monday night in Bulacan province, which borders the capital. Together, they mark the deadliest period of a drugs-focused crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos, and caused international alarm, since Duterte took office over a year ago. Colonel Erwin Margarejo, spokesman for Manila police, described the raids that started late Wednesday in Manila as "one-time, big-time" operations, the same term used by police in Bulacan, who said the victims died because they chose to put up a fight. The term has been used by Philippines police to describe a coordinated anti-crime drive in crime-prone districts, usually slums or low-income neighbourhoods, often with additional police deployed. It was however not immediately clear what was behind the step-up in the number of coordinated police operations this week. According to police reports, a total of 179 people were arrested in Manila and Bulacan. The reports said police launched 84 operations in the two regions, the majority of which were "buy-bust" stings, in which plain-clothes officers attempt to trap drug peddlers. "This is 'one-time, big-time' operations, so it is not focused only on drugs, we are operating also against other street crimes, like robbery, but these people could also be under the influence of drugs," Margarejo said. "If they resisted violently, our police have to defend themselves." Duterte unleashed his crackdown the day he took office on June 30 last year after a convincing win in an election in which he campaigned heavily on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs. On Wednesday, he indicated the latest operations had his blessing. Duterte said it was good that 32 criminals had been killed in Bulacan, then added: "Let's kill another 32 every day. Maybe we can reduce what ails this country." Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said there had been no instruction to change or increase the scale and scope of the anti-drugs campaign. "This is just part of our 'one-time, big-time' operations against illegal drugs," he told Reuters. 'Grave Danger' Duterte also chided human rights groups on Wednesday for getting in the way of his anti-drugs campaign and said police should shoot them if they obstructed justice, a remark the New York-based Human Rights Watch said puts activists "in grave danger". Its deputy Asia director, Phelim Kine, described the comments as "like painting a target on the backs of courageous people working to protect the rights and upholding the dignity of all Filipinos." The exact number of people killed during the war on drugs is difficult to quantify, with no independent statistics available and police providing comprehensive data only for deaths during anti-drugs operations, where official accounts typically say suspects resisted arrest. From the start of the drugs war to the end of July, police said over 3,400 people were killed in their operations. Police said about 2,100 deaths among some 13,500 murders over the same period were drugs-related, attributed to turf wars, informants being silenced, or vigilantes killing drug users. A total of 65 policemen have been killed on the job during this time. Critics maintain that members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) are executing suspects and say it is likely they have a hand in thousands of unsolved murders of drug users by mysterious vigilantes. The PNP and government reject that. Although the violence has been criticised by much of the international community, Filipinos largely support the campaign and domestic opposition to it has been muted. Several Senate hearings into allegations that Duterte operated a death squad when he was a city mayor and was now using the same approach on a national scale have been inconclusive, while an impeachment complaint filed earlier this year was dismissed by Congress. National police chief Ronald dela Rosa told reporters there would be no let-up in the war on drugs. "This is unrelenting, we will continue to operate until the end," he said.

Philippines death toll rises to 58, war on drugs and crime intensifies

In a call last month with the Philippines&#39; president, US President Donald Trump described North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong Un as a &quot;madman with nuclear weapons&quot; who could not be let on the loose, according to a leaked Philippine transcript of their call.

Trump told Duterte in the April 29 call that the United States would &quot;take care of North Korea,&quot; and had a lot of firepower in the region, although it did not want to use it, according to a transcript of their conversation published by the Washington Post and the investigative news site The Intercept.

The document included a &quot;confidential&quot; cover sheet from the Americas division of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs.

A senior US official said the Trump administration did not dispute the accuracy of the transcript and declined to comment further.

Trump requested Duterte&#39;s help in impressing on China, North Korea&#39;s neighbour and only major ally, the need for it to help rein in Kim, the transcript showed.

&quot;We can&#39;t let a madman with nuclear weapons let on the loose like that,&quot; Trump said. &quot;We have a lot of firepower, more than he has, times 20, but we don&#39;t want to use it.&quot;

The US president told Duterte that Washington had sent two nuclear submarines to waters off the Korean peninsula, comments likely to raise further questions about his handling of sensitive information after US officials said Trump discussed intelligence about Islamic State with Russian officials this month.

&quot;We have two submarines - the best in the world. We have two nuclear submarines, not that we want to use them at all,&quot; Trump said.

The Philippines foreign ministry said earlier in a statement that it had no comment on news reports about the leaked transcript.

But it said that under Philippine law there was &quot;criminal and civil liability attached to the hacking, unauthorized disclosure and use of illegally or inadvertently obtained confidential government documents.&quot;

The ministry said it valued the need for transparency, but the release of some information could affect national security and regional stability. &quot;As such, we appeal to the sense of responsibility and patriotism of all concerned,&quot; it added.

North Korea has vowed to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike the U.S. mainland, presenting Trump with perhaps his biggest foreign policy challenge.

It has conducted dozens of missile launches and two nuclear bomb tests since the start of last year.

Trump has said &quot;a major, major conflict&quot; with North Korea is possible and that all options are on the table, but his administration says it wants to resolve the crisis diplomatically with the aid of tougher sanctions.

On May 1, just after the call with Duterte, Trump said he would be &quot;honoured&quot; to meet Kim Jong Un, under the right conditions.

According to the transcript, Trump said he hoped China would act to solve the North Korea problem.

&quot;They really have the means because a great degree of their stuff comes through China,&quot; Trump said. &quot;They (Beijing) are doing certain things, like not accepting calls. But if China doesn&#39;t do it, we will do it,&quot; Trump said, having asked Duterte if he thought China had influence over Kim.

Trump said Kim had the &quot;powder&quot; - an apparent reference to North Korea&#39;s nuclear capability - &quot;but he doesn&#39;t have the delivery system.&quot;

&quot;All his rockets are crashing. That&#39;s the good news. But eventually when he gets that delivery system,&quot; Trump said without finishing his sentence.

While North Korea missile tests have frequently failed, Trump and Duterte spoke before an apparently successful test of a long-range missile this month.

Western experts say that test appeared to have advanced North Korea&#39;s aim of developing a missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, although the capability was probably still several years away.

The director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, General Vincent Stewart, said on Tuesday that if left unchecked, North Korea was on an &quot;inevitable&quot; path to obtaining a nuclear-armed missile capable of striking the United States.

In a show of force, the United States has sent the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to waters off the Korean peninsula, where it joined the Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in South Korea in April.

(Reuters)

Trump told Duterte in the April 29 call that the United States would 'take care of North Korea'

In a call last month with the Philippines' president, US President Donald Trump described North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un as a "madman with nuclear weapons" who could not be let on the loose, according to a leaked Philippine transcript of their call. Trump told Duterte in the April 29 call that the United States would "take care of North Korea," and had a lot of firepower in the region, although it did not want to use it, according to a transcript of their conversation published by the Washington Post and the investigative news site The Intercept. The document included a "confidential" cover sheet from the Americas division of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. A senior US official said the Trump administration did not dispute the accuracy of the transcript and declined to comment further. Trump requested Duterte's help in impressing on China, North Korea's neighbour and only major ally, the need for it to help rein in Kim, the transcript showed. "We can't let a madman with nuclear weapons let on the loose like that," Trump said. "We have a lot of firepower, more than he has, times 20, but we don't want to use it." The US president told Duterte that Washington had sent two nuclear submarines to waters off the Korean peninsula, comments likely to raise further questions about his handling of sensitive information after US officials said Trump discussed intelligence about Islamic State with Russian officials this month. "We have two submarines - the best in the world. We have two nuclear submarines, not that we want to use them at all," Trump said. The Philippines foreign ministry said earlier in a statement that it had no comment on news reports about the leaked transcript. But it said that under Philippine law there was "criminal and civil liability attached to the hacking, unauthorized disclosure and use of illegally or inadvertently obtained confidential government documents." The ministry said it valued the need for transparency, but the release of some information could affect national security and regional stability. "As such, we appeal to the sense of responsibility and patriotism of all concerned," it added. North Korea has vowed to develop a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike the U.S. mainland, presenting Trump with perhaps his biggest foreign policy challenge. It has conducted dozens of missile launches and two nuclear bomb tests since the start of last year. Trump has said "a major, major conflict" with North Korea is possible and that all options are on the table, but his administration says it wants to resolve the crisis diplomatically with the aid of tougher sanctions. On May 1, just after the call with Duterte, Trump said he would be "honoured" to meet Kim Jong Un, under the right conditions. According to the transcript, Trump said he hoped China would act to solve the North Korea problem. "They really have the means because a great degree of their stuff comes through China," Trump said. "They (Beijing) are doing certain things, like not accepting calls. But if China doesn't do it, we will do it," Trump said, having asked Duterte if he thought China had influence over Kim. Trump said Kim had the "powder" - an apparent reference to North Korea's nuclear capability - "but he doesn't have the delivery system." "All his rockets are crashing. That's the good news. But eventually when he gets that delivery system," Trump said without finishing his sentence. While North Korea missile tests have frequently failed, Trump and Duterte spoke before an apparently successful test of a long-range missile this month. Western experts say that test appeared to have advanced North Korea's aim of developing a missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, although the capability was probably still several years away. The director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, General Vincent Stewart, said on Tuesday that if left unchecked, North Korea was on an "inevitable" path to obtaining a nuclear-armed missile capable of striking the United States. In a show of force, the United States has sent the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to waters off the Korean peninsula, where it joined the Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in South Korea in April. (Reuters)

Trump calls North Korea's leader 'madman', says he can't be let on the loose

Philippine security forces bombed a southern city on Thursday as they battled Islamist militants who were holding hostages and reported to have murdered at least 11 civilians.

An initial rampage by the gunmen, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, through the mainly Muslim city of Marawi on Tuesday prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose martial law across the southern third of the Philippines.

Authorities said ending the crisis was proving extremely hard because, although there were only 30 to 40 remaining gunmen, the militants were moving nimbly through homes, had planted bombs in the streets and were holding hostages.

Intense gunfighting could be heard constantly throughout the day, according to an AFP reporter in the city, and the military said it had dropped bombs on residential neighbourhoods.

&quot;We are using surgical airstrikes,&quot; local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera told reporters in Marawi shortly before big clouds of black smoke rose from a bombed area near the provincial government building.

Most of Marawi&#39;s 200,000 residents had fled the city, which is about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Manila, but Herrera said those who remained had been warned to get out of the areas where there was bombing and fighting.

&quot;We are requesting our people in Marawi to go to safe places... and to stay indoors,&quot; he said.

Five soldiers, two policemen and 13 militants have died in the three days of fighting, according to authorities.

Herrera said two civilians had also been killed inside a hospital that the gunmen had occupied on Tuesday, and the military was investigating reports that nine people had been murdered at a checkpoint the militants had set up.

Local GMA television network showed images of nine bullet-riddled bodies lying in a field with their hands tied together.

Duterte said on Wednesday that one of the policemen killed was similarly caught at a checkpoint set up by the militants, then beheaded.

The militants are also holding between 12 and 15 Catholic hostages abducted from a church, according to the local bishop, Edwin Dela Pena.

&nbsp;

Failed raid&nbsp; 
The fighting erupted on Tuesday after security forces raided a house where they believed Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the infamous Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom gang and Philippine head of IS, was hiding.

The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world&#39;s most dangerous terrorists, offering a bounty of $5 million for his capture.

The raid went spectacularly wrong as dozens of gunmen emerged to repel the security forces, then went on a rampage across the city while flying black IS flags.

The gunmen belonged to the Maute group, which along with Hapilon&#39;s faction of the Abu Sayyaf, had pledged allegiance to IS, authorities said.

The militants raided two jails, leading to the escape of more than 100 inmates, according to Mujiv Hataman, the governor of a Muslim self-rule area that includes Marawi.

They also set fire to many buildings, including a church and a university.&nbsp;

An enraged Duterte, who was in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, declared martial law shortly after the fighting erupted and cut short his trip to fly home and deal with the crisis.

&quot;It is brutality, cruelty,&quot; Duterte said on Wednesday after flying back to Manila.

&nbsp;

Rise of IS 
Duterte said martial law was required throughout the southern region of Mindanao, home to 20 million people, to stop the rising threat of hardline militants aligned to IS.

Muslim rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for an independent or autonomous homeland in Mindanao, with the conflict claiming more than 120,000 lives.

The main Muslim rebel groups are now involved in peace talks with the government.

But the Abu Sayyaf, Maute and other hardline groups want to set up an Islamic caliphate in the south for IS, according to Duterte and security analysts.

Duterte said Wednesday he may impose martial law throughout the rest of the country if he believed the terrorism threat was spreading.

The president, who has waged a controversial war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives, warned martial law would be &quot;harsh&quot; and similar to military rule imposed by dictator Ferdinand Marcos a generation ago.

(AFP)

The troops are battling militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and have allegedly killed at least 11 hostages

Philippine security forces bombed a southern city on Thursday as they battled Islamist militants who were holding hostages and reported to have murdered at least 11 civilians. An initial rampage by the gunmen, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, through the mainly Muslim city of Marawi on Tuesday prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose martial law across the southern third of the Philippines. Authorities said ending the crisis was proving extremely hard because, although there were only 30 to 40 remaining gunmen, the militants were moving nimbly through homes, had planted bombs in the streets and were holding hostages. Intense gunfighting could be heard constantly throughout the day, according to an AFP reporter in the city, and the military said it had dropped bombs on residential neighbourhoods. "We are using surgical airstrikes," local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera told reporters in Marawi shortly before big clouds of black smoke rose from a bombed area near the provincial government building. Most of Marawi's 200,000 residents had fled the city, which is about 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of Manila, but Herrera said those who remained had been warned to get out of the areas where there was bombing and fighting. "We are requesting our people in Marawi to go to safe places... and to stay indoors," he said. Five soldiers, two policemen and 13 militants have died in the three days of fighting, according to authorities. Herrera said two civilians had also been killed inside a hospital that the gunmen had occupied on Tuesday, and the military was investigating reports that nine people had been murdered at a checkpoint the militants had set up. Local GMA television network showed images of nine bullet-riddled bodies lying in a field with their hands tied together. Duterte said on Wednesday that one of the policemen killed was similarly caught at a checkpoint set up by the militants, then beheaded. The militants are also holding between 12 and 15 Catholic hostages abducted from a church, according to the local bishop, Edwin Dela Pena. Failed raid The fighting erupted on Tuesday after security forces raided a house where they believed Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the infamous Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom gang and Philippine head of IS, was hiding. The United States regards Hapilon as one of the world's most dangerous terrorists, offering a bounty of $5 million for his capture. The raid went spectacularly wrong as dozens of gunmen emerged to repel the security forces, then went on a rampage across the city while flying black IS flags. The gunmen belonged to the Maute group, which along with Hapilon's faction of the Abu Sayyaf, had pledged allegiance to IS, authorities said. The militants raided two jails, leading to the escape of more than 100 inmates, according to Mujiv Hataman, the governor of a Muslim self-rule area that includes Marawi. They also set fire to many buildings, including a church and a university. An enraged Duterte, who was in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, declared martial law shortly after the fighting erupted and cut short his trip to fly home and deal with the crisis. "It is brutality, cruelty," Duterte said on Wednesday after flying back to Manila. Rise of IS Duterte said martial law was required throughout the southern region of Mindanao, home to 20 million people, to stop the rising threat of hardline militants aligned to IS. Muslim rebels have been fighting since the 1970s for an independent or autonomous homeland in Mindanao, with the conflict claiming more than 120,000 lives. The main Muslim rebel groups are now involved in peace talks with the government. But the Abu Sayyaf, Maute and other hardline groups want to set up an Islamic caliphate in the south for IS, according to Duterte and security analysts. Duterte said Wednesday he may impose martial law throughout the rest of the country if he believed the terrorism threat was spreading. The president, who has waged a controversial war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives, warned martial law would be "harsh" and similar to military rule imposed by dictator Ferdinand Marcos a generation ago. (AFP)

Philippine troops bomb Islamist militants in residential neighbourhoods

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation&#39;s foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States.

The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in ties between the two nations since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling the Philippines&#39; decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying.

Duterte will on Thursday meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as his &quot;favourite hero&quot; and proclaimed a personal bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting.

Duterte said on Friday one of the top priorities of his trip was to secure Russian precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines.

&quot;If they can spare us with the precision guided (bombs),&quot; Duterte said when discussing the purpose of his trip.

&quot;We have so many smart bombs but not as accurate.&quot;

Duterte&#39;s seeking of weapons from Russia comes as he dials down cooperation with the United States, the Philippines&#39; former colonial ruler that has for decades been its most important military ally and protector.

He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the US, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, and called for the withdrawal of American troops from the Philippines.

The shift occurred as China has become more assertive in challenging US might in the region by expanding its presence in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety.

Despite China&#39;s expansionism extending into areas of the sea claimed by the Philippines, Duterte has been determined to pivot his nation&#39;s foreign policy away from the United States in favour of Beijing and Moscow.

This has partly been due to China and Russia supporting or at least not criticising his controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity.

Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war.

&#39;Ideological flow&#39;

On a state visit to China last year, Duterte announced the Philippines&#39; &quot;separation&quot; from the United States.

&quot;I&#39;ve realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world -- China, Philippines and Russia. It&#39;s the only way,&quot; he said in Beijing.

Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November.

&quot;Historically, I have been identified with the Western world. It was good until it lasted. And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations,&quot; Duterte told Putin then.

Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila.

&quot;The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid,&quot; Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy&#39;s guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month.

The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but, until Duterte took office, relations remained relatively low key.

This was partly due to the Philippines&#39; alliance with the United States.

Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just $226 million, according to government data. Philippine-US trade was worth more than $18 billion last year.

Relations remain at the &quot;nascent stage&quot;, but this will change, assistant Philippine foreign secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad told reporters in a briefing on Duterte&#39;s trip to Russia.

&quot;We consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines&#39; commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with non-traditional partners,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

Duterte visiting Moscow will be a &quot;propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia,&quot; Richard Javad Heydarian, a foreign policy analyst in Manila, told AFP.

&quot;It will be their way of poking the eye of America.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Duterte will on Thursday meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as his 'favourite hero'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flies to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation's foreign policy course further away from longtime ally the United States. The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in ties between the two nations since Duterte came to power last year and began unravelling the Philippines' decades-long alliances with the United States, which he accuses of hypocrisy and bullying. Duterte will on Thursday meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he has described as his "favourite hero" and proclaimed a personal bond because of mutual passions such as guns and hunting. Duterte said on Friday one of the top priorities of his trip was to secure Russian precision-guided bombs to use on Islamic militants in the southern Philippines. "If they can spare us with the precision guided (bombs)," Duterte said when discussing the purpose of his trip. "We have so many smart bombs but not as accurate." Duterte's seeking of weapons from Russia comes as he dials down cooperation with the United States, the Philippines' former colonial ruler that has for decades been its most important military ally and protector. He has scaled down the number and scope of annual military exercises with the US, barred Filipino forces from joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, and called for the withdrawal of American troops from the Philippines. The shift occurred as China has become more assertive in challenging US might in the region by expanding its presence in the South China Sea, which it claims almost in its entirety. Despite China's expansionism extending into areas of the sea claimed by the Philippines, Duterte has been determined to pivot his nation's foreign policy away from the United States in favour of Beijing and Moscow. This has partly been due to China and Russia supporting or at least not criticising his controversial war on drugs, which has left thousands of people dead and led to warnings by rights groups that Duterte may be orchestrating a crime against humanity. Duterte has railed against the United States, particularly when Barack Obama was president, for criticising the drug war. 'Ideological flow' On a state visit to China last year, Duterte announced the Philippines' "separation" from the United States. "I've realigned myself in your ideological flow and maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world -- China, Philippines and Russia. It's the only way," he said in Beijing. Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, and Putin first met on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru last November. "Historically, I have been identified with the Western world. It was good until it lasted. And of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations," Duterte told Putin then. Since then, two Russian Navy flotillas have visited Manila. "The Russians are with me, I shall not be afraid," Duterte said while touring the Russian Navy's guided missile cruiser Varyag during a port visit to Manila last month. The Philippines and Russia established diplomatic ties 41 years ago but, until Duterte took office, relations remained relatively low key. This was partly due to the Philippines' alliance with the United States. Philippine-Russian trade last year totalled just $226 million, according to government data. Philippine-US trade was worth more than $18 billion last year. Relations remain at the "nascent stage", but this will change, assistant Philippine foreign secretary Maria Cleofe Natividad told reporters in a briefing on Duterte's trip to Russia. "We consider this visit as a landmark that will send a strong message of the Philippines' commitment to seek new partnerships and strengthen relations with non-traditional partners," she said. Duterte visiting Moscow will be a "propaganda victory for Putin and a soft-power coup for Russia," Richard Javad Heydarian, a foreign policy analyst in Manila, told AFP. "It will be their way of poking the eye of America." (AFP)

Philippines' Duterte heads to Russia in blow to US

Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sulkhan Singh on Saturday said strict action will be taken against those indulging in vigilantism in the name of &quot;Gau Raksha&quot;.

Addressing his first press conference, the Uttar Pradesh top cop assured people that the state police would work with total impartiality and added that Chief Minsiter Yogi Adityanath had issued clear instructions that will not spare anyone involved in criminal activities.

&quot;We have zero tolerance towards corruption. Anybody indulging in criminal activities will not be spared, whether from ruling party or not. We have strict orders from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister YogI Adiyanath,&quot; Singh said.

Speaking about the anti-Romeo squads, the UP DGP said, &quot;Personnel will be in plain clothes, this does not include questioning people. The personnel on duty for anti-Romeo squads will act and take action only on people with objectionable behavior.&quot;

In a major reshuffle, the Uttar Pradesh Government yesterday, transferred 12 IPS officers including, state DGP Javeed Ahmed and seven IAS officers.

Other IPS officers include Surya Kumar, Jawahar Lal Tripathi, Alok Prasad, Aditya Mishra, Bhavesh Kumar Singh, Vijay Kumar, Daljeet Singh, Alok Singh, Sanjay Singhal and Navneet Sikera.&nbsp;

(ANI)

'I'm tied up I cannot make any definite promise...I'm supposed to go to Russia, Israel...,' Duterte said

Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sulkhan Singh on Saturday said strict action will be taken against those indulging in vigilantism in the name of "Gau Raksha". Addressing his first press conference, the Uttar Pradesh top cop assured people that the state police would work with total impartiality and added that Chief Minsiter Yogi Adityanath had issued clear instructions that will not spare anyone involved in criminal activities. "We have zero tolerance towards corruption. Anybody indulging in criminal activities will not be spared, whether from ruling party or not. We have strict orders from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister YogI Adiyanath," Singh said. Speaking about the anti-Romeo squads, the UP DGP said, "Personnel will be in plain clothes, this does not include questioning people. The personnel on duty for anti-Romeo squads will act and take action only on people with objectionable behavior." In a major reshuffle, the Uttar Pradesh Government yesterday, transferred 12 IPS officers including, state DGP Javeed Ahmed and seven IAS officers. Other IPS officers include Surya Kumar, Jawahar Lal Tripathi, Alok Prasad, Aditya Mishra, Bhavesh Kumar Singh, Vijay Kumar, Daljeet Singh, Alok Singh, Sanjay Singhal and Navneet Sikera. (ANI)

Duterte may or may not accept Trump's invite to White House

A Philippines lawyer filed a complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte and senior officials at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, accusing them of crimes against humanity in a nationwide anti-drugs crackdown.

Attorney Jude Sabio said in the 77-page complaint that Duterte &quot;repeatedly, unchangingly and continuously&quot; committed crimes against humanity and that under him, killing drug suspects and other criminals has become &quot;best practice&quot;.

Sabio is the lawyer for Edgar Matobato, a man who has testified in the Philippines Senate that he was part of a hit squad that operated on Duterte&#39;s orders.

It is the first publicly known communication to the ICC against Duterte and is based on the testimony of Matobato and retired policeman Arturo Lascanas, statements from rights groups and media reports, including a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/philippines-duterte/" target="_blank">Reuters </a>series on the killings.

The complaint alleges that Duterte and at least 11 senior government officials are liable for murder and calls for an investigation, arrest warrants and a trial.

Lawmakers found no proof of Matobato&#39;s Senate testimony, which the president&#39;s aides have dismissed as fabrication.

Almost 9,000 people have been killed since Duterte took office last summer. Police claim a third of those killings were in self-defence during legitimate police operations. Rights groups say many of the remaining two-thirds were committed by vigilantes cooperating with the police or by police disguised as vigilantes. Police deny this.

Duterte has persistently denied he is involved with any death squad and said that his orders to kill drug suspects come with the caveat that police should operate within the bounds of the law.

Ernesto Abella, a spokesman for Duterte, said last week authorities &quot;follow operational protocols&quot; and those who breached procedures were made to answer before the law.

He added that news reports about close to 9,000 people being killed in the drug war was &quot;false news&quot;.

Citing standard procedure, ICC spokesman Fadi el Abdallah declined comment on any possible communication filed. However, Reuters saw a copy of the complaint signed as received by the office of the ICC prosecutor.

Officials at Duterte&#39;s office said they were not immediately able to comment.

&nbsp;

FIRST STEP

Since it was set up in July 2002, the ICC has received over 12,0000 complaints or communications. Nine of these cases have gone to trial and six verdicts have been delivered.

The ICC has no powers of enforcement, and any non-compliance has to be referred to the United Nations or the court&#39;s own oversight and legislative body, the Assembly of States Parties.

The complaint is only a possible first step in what could be a long process at the ICC. The tribunal first has to decide whether it has jurisdiction, and then decide whether it should conduct a preliminary examination.

It can then ask a judge to open an official investigation, which could lead to a trial.

Duterte has said he welcomed the prospect of the ICC putting him on trial. He said last month he would not be intimidated and his campaign against drugs would be unrelenting and &quot;brutal&quot;.

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said last year her office was following developments in the Philippines &quot;with a view to assessing whether a preliminary examination needs to be opened&quot;.

&quot;I am deeply concerned about these alleged killings and the fact that public statements of high officials of the Republic of the Philippines seem to condone such killings and further seem to encourage state forces and civilians alike to continue targeting these individuals with lethal force,&quot; she said.

(Reuters)

The complaint alleges Duterte and at least 11 government officials are liable for murder and calls for an investigation, arrest and a trial

A Philippines lawyer filed a complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte and senior officials at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, accusing them of crimes against humanity in a nationwide anti-drugs crackdown. Attorney Jude Sabio said in the 77-page complaint that Duterte "repeatedly, unchangingly and continuously" committed crimes against humanity and that under him, killing drug suspects and other criminals has become "best practice". Sabio is the lawyer for Edgar Matobato, a man who has testified in the Philippines Senate that he was part of a hit squad that operated on Duterte's orders. It is the first publicly known communication to the ICC against Duterte and is based on the testimony of Matobato and retired policeman Arturo Lascanas, statements from rights groups and media reports, including a Reuters series on the killings. The complaint alleges that Duterte and at least 11 senior government officials are liable for murder and calls for an investigation, arrest warrants and a trial. Lawmakers found no proof of Matobato's Senate testimony, which the president's aides have dismissed as fabrication. Almost 9,000 people have been killed since Duterte took office last summer. Police claim a third of those killings were in self-defence during legitimate police operations. Rights groups say many of the remaining two-thirds were committed by vigilantes cooperating with the police or by police disguised as vigilantes. Police deny this. Duterte has persistently denied he is involved with any death squad and said that his orders to kill drug suspects come with the caveat that police should operate within the bounds of the law. Ernesto Abella, a spokesman for Duterte, said last week authorities "follow operational protocols" and those who breached procedures were made to answer before the law. He added that news reports about close to 9,000 people being killed in the drug war was "false news". Citing standard procedure, ICC spokesman Fadi el Abdallah declined comment on any possible communication filed. However, Reuters saw a copy of the complaint signed as received by the office of the ICC prosecutor. Officials at Duterte's office said they were not immediately able to comment. FIRST STEP Since it was set up in July 2002, the ICC has received over 12,0000 complaints or communications. Nine of these cases have gone to trial and six verdicts have been delivered. The ICC has no powers of enforcement, and any non-compliance has to be referred to the United Nations or the court's own oversight and legislative body, the Assembly of States Parties. The complaint is only a possible first step in what could be a long process at the ICC. The tribunal first has to decide whether it has jurisdiction, and then decide whether it should conduct a preliminary examination. It can then ask a judge to open an official investigation, which could lead to a trial. Duterte has said he welcomed the prospect of the ICC putting him on trial. He said last month he would not be intimidated and his campaign against drugs would be unrelenting and "brutal". ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said last year her office was following developments in the Philippines "with a view to assessing whether a preliminary examination needs to be opened". "I am deeply concerned about these alleged killings and the fact that public statements of high officials of the Republic of the Philippines seem to condone such killings and further seem to encourage state forces and civilians alike to continue targeting these individuals with lethal force," she said. (Reuters)

Lawyer for Philippines hit-man files complaint against Duterte at ICC

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he has ordered troops to deploy on unoccupied South China Sea islands and reefs claimed by Manila, in a move that could provoke rival claimants including Beijing.

&quot;It looks like everybody is making a grab for the islands there, so we better live on those that are still vacant,&quot; he told reporters during a visit to a military camp on the western island of Palawan, near the disputed Spratly group.

China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbors and has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

Duterte has previously sought to improve his nation&#39;s relations with China by adopting a non-confrontational approach over their competing claims in the strategically vital waters.

But the president appeared to alter his tone with his announcement Thursday, saying it was time to &quot;erect structures there and raise the Philippine flag&quot;.

&quot;I have ordered the armed forces to occupy all.

&quot;At least, let us get what is ours now and make a strong point there that it is ours,&quot; he said, adding Manila was claiming &quot;nine or 10&quot; Spratly islands, reefs or cays.

Duterte also said he &quot;may&quot; visit the Philippine-claimed areas on June 12 to mark Philippine Independence Day.

An official at the Chinese embassy in Manila seemed surprised when asked by AFP to comment on Duterte&#39;s declaration, but referred questions on the matter to the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing.

The Philippines under Duterte&#39;s predecessor Benigno Aquino had actively challenged China&#39;s claim to control most of the South China Sea, despite counter-claims by several other nations.

But the controversial Duterte, who took office last year on promises to kill thousands of people in a drug war, reversed that policy as he sought billions of dollars worth of investments and grants from Beijing.

The two neighbours are scheduled to hold talks in China in May to tackle issues related to the sea row.

The Philippine military currently has garrisons on Thitu, the largest of the Filipino-claimed islands.

After China occupied Mischief Reef in the mid-1990s, the Philippines marooned a derelict navy vessel atop nearby Second Thomas Shoal to assert Manila&#39;s territorial claim.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also sparred with Beijing over territory in the disputed waterway.

US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration so far has taken a tough stance on China&#39;s claims in the South China Sea, insisting it will defend international interests there.

Trump is set to sit down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later in the day to discuss a range of issues which will likely including tensions in the South China Sea. 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

The Philippine president's move could provoke rival claimants including China

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he has ordered troops to deploy on unoccupied South China Sea islands and reefs claimed by Manila, in a move that could provoke rival claimants including Beijing. "It looks like everybody is making a grab for the islands there, so we better live on those that are still vacant," he told reporters during a visit to a military camp on the western island of Palawan, near the disputed Spratly group. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea despite rival claims from Southeast Asian neighbors and has rapidly built reefs into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes. Duterte has previously sought to improve his nation's relations with China by adopting a non-confrontational approach over their competing claims in the strategically vital waters. But the president appeared to alter his tone with his announcement Thursday, saying it was time to "erect structures there and raise the Philippine flag". "I have ordered the armed forces to occupy all. "At least, let us get what is ours now and make a strong point there that it is ours," he said, adding Manila was claiming "nine or 10" Spratly islands, reefs or cays. Duterte also said he "may" visit the Philippine-claimed areas on June 12 to mark Philippine Independence Day. An official at the Chinese embassy in Manila seemed surprised when asked by AFP to comment on Duterte's declaration, but referred questions on the matter to the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing. The Philippines under Duterte's predecessor Benigno Aquino had actively challenged China's claim to control most of the South China Sea, despite counter-claims by several other nations. But the controversial Duterte, who took office last year on promises to kill thousands of people in a drug war, reversed that policy as he sought billions of dollars worth of investments and grants from Beijing. The two neighbours are scheduled to hold talks in China in May to tackle issues related to the sea row. The Philippine military currently has garrisons on Thitu, the largest of the Filipino-claimed islands. After China occupied Mischief Reef in the mid-1990s, the Philippines marooned a derelict navy vessel atop nearby Second Thomas Shoal to assert Manila's territorial claim. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have also sparred with Beijing over territory in the disputed waterway. US President Donald Trump's administration so far has taken a tough stance on China's claims in the South China Sea, insisting it will defend international interests there. Trump is set to sit down with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later in the day to discuss a range of issues which will likely including tensions in the South China Sea. (AFP)

Duterte orders Philippine troops to South China Sea reefs

Philippines&#39; President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out on Friday at European Union critics of his bloody anti-narcotics campaign, threatening to &quot;slap&quot; them.

It is the latest of the leader&#39;s near-daily diatribe against the United States, EU and the United Nations while heaping praise on China and Russia.

&quot;Come here and we will talk because I want to slap you,&quot; Duterte said in a speech during celebrations of Women&#39;s Day at the presidential palace late on Friday.

Duterte scoffed at the bloc for recommending the Philippines build &quot;clinics around like in other countries, and give shabu, cocaine and heroin like in Holland.&quot;

The Southeast Asian leader lashed out on the EU last week for hypocrisy and called the bloc &quot;sons of bitches&quot; for recommending a rehabilitation-centred solution to the drugs problem.

More than 8,000 people have been killed since Duterte took power on June 30 last year, with police taking responsibility for a third of those deaths, citing self-defence during anti-narcotics operations.

The government rejects local and international human rights groups&#39; allegations that police are involved in thousands of mysterious deaths.

Duterte castigated the EU for believing reports of non-government groups that tag the leader for the killings.

&quot;Even if it&#39;s just epilepsy, they count it against me,&quot; he said, to the laughter of the crowd.

Duterte boasted of his new-found friendship with China, which had been embroiled in a territorial spat with the Philippines before Duterte took office.

As for Russia, Duterte said he plans to make it the trade gateway for Eastern Europe.

(Reuters)

'Come here and we will talk because I want to slap you,' Duterte said in a speech during celebrations of Women's Day

Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte lashed out on Friday at European Union critics of his bloody anti-narcotics campaign, threatening to "slap" them. It is the latest of the leader's near-daily diatribe against the United States, EU and the United Nations while heaping praise on China and Russia. "Come here and we will talk because I want to slap you," Duterte said in a speech during celebrations of Women's Day at the presidential palace late on Friday. Duterte scoffed at the bloc for recommending the Philippines build "clinics around like in other countries, and give shabu, cocaine and heroin like in Holland." The Southeast Asian leader lashed out on the EU last week for hypocrisy and called the bloc "sons of bitches" for recommending a rehabilitation-centred solution to the drugs problem. More than 8,000 people have been killed since Duterte took power on June 30 last year, with police taking responsibility for a third of those deaths, citing self-defence during anti-narcotics operations. The government rejects local and international human rights groups' allegations that police are involved in thousands of mysterious deaths. Duterte castigated the EU for believing reports of non-government groups that tag the leader for the killings. "Even if it's just epilepsy, they count it against me," he said, to the laughter of the crowd. Duterte boasted of his new-found friendship with China, which had been embroiled in a territorial spat with the Philippines before Duterte took office. As for Russia, Duterte said he plans to make it the trade gateway for Eastern Europe. (Reuters)

Philippines' Duterte invites EU critics, wants to 'slap them'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday welcomed the prospect of the International Criminal Court (ICC) putting him on trial over his bloody war on drugs, saying he would not be intimidated and his campaign would be unrelenting and &quot;brutal&quot;.

A self-confessed assassin who testified to being in a &quot;death squad&quot; under Duterte is expected to file a case at the ICC this month or in April, accusing the president of crimes against humanity, his lawyer said recently.

But Duterte has said he is on the right track regarding human rights and has never instructed security forces to kill suspects who were not resisting arrest. More than 8,000 people have died since he took office last year and began his anti-drugs campaign, a third in raids and sting operations by police who say they acted in self-defence.

&quot;I will not be intimidated and I shall not be stopped just by what? International Criminal Court? Impeachment? If that is part of my destiny, it is my destiny to go,&quot; Duterte told reporters shortly before leaving for Myanmar.

&quot;The drive against corruption, criminality and drugs will resume and it will continue and it will be brutal.&quot;

Rights groups say many of the deaths were assassinations of drugs users with police complicity. The authorities reject that and blame vigilantes and drugs gangs.

Duterte said he would never &quot;condone the killing of a criminal person arrested with outstretched arms, begging for his life, or what is popularly known as extrajudicial killings&quot;.

&quot;Follow the law and we are alright. Drop shabu and nobody will die tomorrow,&quot; Duterte said. Shabu is the street name for the highly addictive crystal methamphetamine that the government blames for most of the serious crimes in the Philippines.

But Duterte warned: &quot;If you place the guys lives in jeopardy...my order is to shoot you.&quot;

He said he would rather see &quot;thousands or millions of criminals go first&quot;, than see security forces killed in the anti-narcotics war.

Two men, including the one who is expected to file the ICC case, have testified before the Philippine Senate saying they were part of an alleged &quot;death squad&quot; in Davao that killed at Duterte&#39;s behest. But legislators found no proof of extra-judicial killings and death squads.

The &quot;death squad&quot; and allegations of drugs-related extrajudicial killings were among the reasons for an impeachment complaint filed by an opposition lawmaker in Congress against Duterte on Thursday.

Duterte said he was not ruling out the possibility that &quot;scalawags in government who are trying to silence guys dealing with them&quot; were behind these extrajudicial executions.

(Reuters)

A self-confessed assassin who testified to being in a 'death squad' under Duterte is expected to file a case at the ICC this month

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday welcomed the prospect of the International Criminal Court (ICC) putting him on trial over his bloody war on drugs, saying he would not be intimidated and his campaign would be unrelenting and "brutal". A self-confessed assassin who testified to being in a "death squad" under Duterte is expected to file a case at the ICC this month or in April, accusing the president of crimes against humanity, his lawyer said recently. But Duterte has said he is on the right track regarding human rights and has never instructed security forces to kill suspects who were not resisting arrest. More than 8,000 people have died since he took office last year and began his anti-drugs campaign, a third in raids and sting operations by police who say they acted in self-defence. "I will not be intimidated and I shall not be stopped just by what? International Criminal Court? Impeachment? If that is part of my destiny, it is my destiny to go," Duterte told reporters shortly before leaving for Myanmar. "The drive against corruption, criminality and drugs will resume and it will continue and it will be brutal." Rights groups say many of the deaths were assassinations of drugs users with police complicity. The authorities reject that and blame vigilantes and drugs gangs. Duterte said he would never "condone the killing of a criminal person arrested with outstretched arms, begging for his life, or what is popularly known as extrajudicial killings". "Follow the law and we are alright. Drop shabu and nobody will die tomorrow," Duterte said. Shabu is the street name for the highly addictive crystal methamphetamine that the government blames for most of the serious crimes in the Philippines. But Duterte warned: "If you place the guys lives in jeopardy...my order is to shoot you." He said he would rather see "thousands or millions of criminals go first", than see security forces killed in the anti-narcotics war. Two men, including the one who is expected to file the ICC case, have testified before the Philippine Senate saying they were part of an alleged "death squad" in Davao that killed at Duterte's behest. But legislators found no proof of extra-judicial killings and death squads. The "death squad" and allegations of drugs-related extrajudicial killings were among the reasons for an impeachment complaint filed by an opposition lawmaker in Congress against Duterte on Thursday. Duterte said he was not ruling out the possibility that "scalawags in government who are trying to silence guys dealing with them" were behind these extrajudicial executions. (Reuters)

Philippines' Duterte welcomes prospect of ICC case, says 'brutal' war on drugs to go on

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday accused some miners of funding efforts to destabilise his government as he talked about a possible plan to impose a ban on mining given the environmental damage producers have caused.

&quot;I know that some of you are giving funding to the other side to destabilise me,&quot; Duterte told a media briefing, referring to companies in the mining sector he did not name.

Duterte, who has previously said the Southeast Asian nation can survive without a mining sector, added at the Monday briefing that it may be &quot;worthwhile&quot; for Environment Secretary Regina Lopez to implement a ban on mining.

Duterte said he&#39;s looking at a total mining ban &quot;and then we&#39;ll talk&quot;.

There is currently no ban on mining in the Philippines, the world&#39;s top nickel ore supplier.

Lopez last month ordered the closure of 23 of the country&#39;s 41 mines to protect watersheds. She also suspended another five for environmental infringements.

Duterte said he wants to meet with local miners so they can explain to him what led to the destruction of the environment in areas where they operate.

The firebrand leader has said the government can live without an estimated 70 billion Philippine pesos ($1.39 billion) a year in revenue from the mining sector.

&quot;You think you can live with it (environmental degradation) because of the 70 billion (pesos) or because they contributed to campaign funds? Not me,&quot; Duterte said, while showing pictures of the environmental harm mining has caused.

($1 = 50.2960 Philippine pesos)

(Reuters)

'I know that some of you are giving funding to the other side to destabilise me,' he said, referring to mining companies he did not name

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday accused some miners of funding efforts to destabilise his government as he talked about a possible plan to impose a ban on mining given the environmental damage producers have caused. "I know that some of you are giving funding to the other side to destabilise me," Duterte told a media briefing, referring to companies in the mining sector he did not name. Duterte, who has previously said the Southeast Asian nation can survive without a mining sector, added at the Monday briefing that it may be "worthwhile" for Environment Secretary Regina Lopez to implement a ban on mining. Duterte said he's looking at a total mining ban "and then we'll talk". There is currently no ban on mining in the Philippines, the world's top nickel ore supplier. Lopez last month ordered the closure of 23 of the country's 41 mines to protect watersheds. She also suspended another five for environmental infringements. Duterte said he wants to meet with local miners so they can explain to him what led to the destruction of the environment in areas where they operate. The firebrand leader has said the government can live without an estimated 70 billion Philippine pesos ($1.39 billion) a year in revenue from the mining sector. "You think you can live with it (environmental degradation) because of the 70 billion (pesos) or because they contributed to campaign funds? Not me," Duterte said, while showing pictures of the environmental harm mining has caused. ($1 = 50.2960 Philippine pesos) (Reuters)

Philippines' Duterte links miners to destabilisation plot, wants mining ban

Ex-Philippine leader Benigno Aquino joined thousands of people on the streets of Manila Saturday as protests broke out against President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s brutal war on drugs.

Demonstrators amassed near the national police headquarters, with some warning the Duterte crackdown foreshadowed a repeat of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship, which was toppled in a bloodless &quot;People Power&quot; revolution 31 years ago.

&quot;We are taking the matter seriously. We are warning our people about the threat of rising fascism,&quot; protest leader Bonifacio Ilagan told AFP after leading more than 1,000 protesters at a morning rally.

Ilagan, a playwright who was tortured over two years in a police prison under Marcos&#39; martial rule in the 1970s, cited the &quot;culture of impunity&quot; arising from Duterte&#39;s crackdown.

Duterte, 71, won the presidential election last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people.

He launched the crackdown after taking office in June and police have reported killing 2,555 drug suspects since then, with about 4,000 other people murdered in unexplained circumstances.

He has not ruled out using martial law to prevent what he describes as the country&#39;s slide to narco-state status.

Duterte, who ranks Marcos as one of the country&#39;s best-ever presidents, last year allowed the Marcos family to bury the former leader&#39;s remains at Manila&#39;s Cemetery for Heroes, leading to large street protests.

Wearing a black shirt Duterte&#39;s predecessor Aquino marched alongside political allies and around 2,000 other protesters.

Aquino denounced the government&#39;s treatment of Senator Leila de Lima, the top critic of the Duterte drug war, who was arrested on Friday and faces life in prison if convicted of drugs charges.

De Lima, Aquino&#39;s former justice minister, said the arrest was an act of revenge for her decade-long efforts to expose Duterte as the leader of death squads during his time as mayor of the southern city of Davao.

&#39;Yes to peace&#39;&nbsp;

Aquino on Saturday also rejected allegations by Duterte spokesmen that people associated with the previous government were plotting to destabilise the new administration.

&quot;How can we be causing destabilisation when we are actually offering to help,&quot; Aquino said.

At one point, tempers rose as several protesters confronted a dozen young people who raised clenched fists while holding up a pro-Duterte banner nearby.

&quot;Why did you sell your soul?&quot; a white-haired man in a black shirt said, jabbing his finger at one of the Duterte supporters and telling him the president was &quot;responsible&quot; for drug-related murders.

&quot;They (deaths) are still being investigated,&quot; the young man replied calmly.

Television footage showed police hosing down a group of at least 100 people protesting the drug killings, though no one was seriously injured.

In a separate demonstration Saturday, around 150 anti-Marcos protesters chanting &quot;Exhume him&quot; marched on the cemetery where he is buried, but riot police stopped them near the gate, an AFP photographer saw.

Hundreds of Duterte supporters began gathering at a park across the city on Saturday for a planned overnight vigil to demonstrate public backing for Duterte&#39;s drug crackdown.

&quot;Yes to peace, no to destabilisation,&quot; one of their banners read.

Another banner identified its owners as &quot;Friends of Bongbong Marcos&quot;, the dictator&#39;s son Ferdinand Jnr.

(AFP)

Thousands amassed near the national police headquarters, with demonstrators warning against Duterte's 'rising fascism'

Ex-Philippine leader Benigno Aquino joined thousands of people on the streets of Manila Saturday as protests broke out against President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs. Demonstrators amassed near the national police headquarters, with some warning the Duterte crackdown foreshadowed a repeat of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship, which was toppled in a bloodless "People Power" revolution 31 years ago. "We are taking the matter seriously. We are warning our people about the threat of rising fascism," protest leader Bonifacio Ilagan told AFP after leading more than 1,000 protesters at a morning rally. Ilagan, a playwright who was tortured over two years in a police prison under Marcos' martial rule in the 1970s, cited the "culture of impunity" arising from Duterte's crackdown. Duterte, 71, won the presidential election last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people. He launched the crackdown after taking office in June and police have reported killing 2,555 drug suspects since then, with about 4,000 other people murdered in unexplained circumstances. He has not ruled out using martial law to prevent what he describes as the country's slide to narco-state status. Duterte, who ranks Marcos as one of the country's best-ever presidents, last year allowed the Marcos family to bury the former leader's remains at Manila's Cemetery for Heroes, leading to large street protests. Wearing a black shirt Duterte's predecessor Aquino marched alongside political allies and around 2,000 other protesters. Aquino denounced the government's treatment of Senator Leila de Lima, the top critic of the Duterte drug war, who was arrested on Friday and faces life in prison if convicted of drugs charges. De Lima, Aquino's former justice minister, said the arrest was an act of revenge for her decade-long efforts to expose Duterte as the leader of death squads during his time as mayor of the southern city of Davao. 'Yes to peace' Aquino on Saturday also rejected allegations by Duterte spokesmen that people associated with the previous government were plotting to destabilise the new administration. "How can we be causing destabilisation when we are actually offering to help," Aquino said. At one point, tempers rose as several protesters confronted a dozen young people who raised clenched fists while holding up a pro-Duterte banner nearby. "Why did you sell your soul?" a white-haired man in a black shirt said, jabbing his finger at one of the Duterte supporters and telling him the president was "responsible" for drug-related murders. "They (deaths) are still being investigated," the young man replied calmly. Television footage showed police hosing down a group of at least 100 people protesting the drug killings, though no one was seriously injured. In a separate demonstration Saturday, around 150 anti-Marcos protesters chanting "Exhume him" marched on the cemetery where he is buried, but riot police stopped them near the gate, an AFP photographer saw. Hundreds of Duterte supporters began gathering at a park across the city on Saturday for a planned overnight vigil to demonstrate public backing for Duterte's drug crackdown. "Yes to peace, no to destabilisation," one of their banners read. Another banner identified its owners as "Friends of Bongbong Marcos", the dictator's son Ferdinand Jnr. (AFP)

Mass protests against Duterte's ruthless war on drugs

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ran a death squad that killed many people, including a journalist and a pregnant woman, when he was mayor of a southern city, a retired policeman who claimed to be part of the group said Monday.

Arthur Lascanas, sitting alongside three prominent human rights lawyers, broke down in tears as he listed a series of murders in Davao city that he alleged Duterte ordered either to eliminate critics or fight crime.

Lascanas said he even killed his two brothers, who were involved in drug trafficking, due to &quot;blind loyalty&quot; to Duterte as well as cash rewards.

&quot;Whether we buried them (bodies) or dumped them at sea, we were always paid by Mayor Rody Duterte,&quot; Lascanas said.

Duterte has been repeatedly accused of running death squads during his more than two decades as Davao mayor, and expanding on those tactics as president in waging a war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives.

Duterte has over the years variously denied and confirmed the existence of a Davao death squad, and claimed to have personally killed people to set an example for police.

However presidential spokesman Martin Anadanar on Monday rejected all of Lascanas&#39;s claims.

&quot;The press conference of self-confessed hitman Arthur Lascanas is part of a protracted political drama aimed to destroy the president and to topple his administration,&quot; Andanar said in a statement.

In one of the most chilling accounts, Lascanas said he and other policemen abducted a suspected kidnapper but also took his seven-month pregnant wife, his four or five-year-old son, his son-in-law and two house helpers.

&quot;Mayor Rody Duterte gave us the signal: &quot;go ahead, clean them up,&quot; he said.

&quot;In this case, evil prevailed. They killed the entire family in front of me, using a calibre .22 with silencer.&quot;

He said Duterte also paid him and other policemen three million pesos ($60,000) for killing in 2003 prominent radio broadcaster Jun Pala, a critic of the then-mayor.

A self-confessed hitman last year told a Senate inquiry that Lascanas was a leader of the Davao death squad that killed more than 1,000 people.

Lascanas, when he was still a policeman, initially denied to the Senate inquiry that he was involved.

But, after retiring from the police force in December, Lascanas said his conscience dictated he should now tell the truth and confess to being part of the death squads.

Duterte, 71, won presidential elections last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people.

He immediately launched the drug war after taking office on June 30, and more than 6,500 people have died in the crackdown in what Amnesty International has said may amount to crimes against humanity.

(AFP)

Arthur Lascanas even admits to killing his own brothers due to 'blind loyalty' to Duterte as well as cash rewards

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ran a death squad that killed many people, including a journalist and a pregnant woman, when he was mayor of a southern city, a retired policeman who claimed to be part of the group said Monday. Arthur Lascanas, sitting alongside three prominent human rights lawyers, broke down in tears as he listed a series of murders in Davao city that he alleged Duterte ordered either to eliminate critics or fight crime. Lascanas said he even killed his two brothers, who were involved in drug trafficking, due to "blind loyalty" to Duterte as well as cash rewards. "Whether we buried them (bodies) or dumped them at sea, we were always paid by Mayor Rody Duterte," Lascanas said. Duterte has been repeatedly accused of running death squads during his more than two decades as Davao mayor, and expanding on those tactics as president in waging a war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives. Duterte has over the years variously denied and confirmed the existence of a Davao death squad, and claimed to have personally killed people to set an example for police. However presidential spokesman Martin Anadanar on Monday rejected all of Lascanas's claims. "The press conference of self-confessed hitman Arthur Lascanas is part of a protracted political drama aimed to destroy the president and to topple his administration," Andanar said in a statement. In one of the most chilling accounts, Lascanas said he and other policemen abducted a suspected kidnapper but also took his seven-month pregnant wife, his four or five-year-old son, his son-in-law and two house helpers. "Mayor Rody Duterte gave us the signal: "go ahead, clean them up," he said. "In this case, evil prevailed. They killed the entire family in front of me, using a calibre .22 with silencer." He said Duterte also paid him and other policemen three million pesos ($60,000) for killing in 2003 prominent radio broadcaster Jun Pala, a critic of the then-mayor. A self-confessed hitman last year told a Senate inquiry that Lascanas was a leader of the Davao death squad that killed more than 1,000 people. Lascanas, when he was still a policeman, initially denied to the Senate inquiry that he was involved. But, after retiring from the police force in December, Lascanas said his conscience dictated he should now tell the truth and confess to being part of the death squads. Duterte, 71, won presidential elections last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people. He immediately launched the drug war after taking office on June 30, and more than 6,500 people have died in the crackdown in what Amnesty International has said may amount to crimes against humanity. (AFP)

Philippines: Retired policeman says worked for 'death squad' under Duterte

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has scrapped peace talks with communist insurgents after both the government and the rebels called off unilateral ceasefires aimed at ending a decades-long conflict.

Duterte, a self-described socialist who had previously freed top communist leaders to jump-start the peace talks, angrily condemned the insurgents for resuming hostilities, saying he was ready for a prolonged conflict. &quot;I told the soldiers to prepare for a long war. I said (peace) will not come during our generation,&quot; he said late Saturday.

The two sides separately declared ceasefires in August, and the informal arrangement largely held as they continued discussions in Rome. The president said he was now ordering government negotiators to &quot;fold their tents and return home from overseas talks with the rebel leaders&quot;.

&quot;I am not interested in talking to them (the rebel leaders). I will refuse to talk about it anymore,&quot; he told reporters. &quot;We have been fighting for 50 years. If you want to extend it for another 50 years, so be it, we will be happy to accommodate you.&quot;&nbsp;

His order came after the rebels announced an end to their five-month-old ceasefire last week, accusing Duterte&#39;s government of treachery and human rights abuses. The government responded by calling off its own unilateral ceasefire with the rebels.

Duterte also denounced the 4,000-strong communist New People&#39;s Army for killing four soldiers in attacks last week, saying one of the victims had been riddled with 76 bullets.

The communist insurgency in the poverty-stricken country, that began in 1968, is one of the longest running in the world and has claimed an estimated 30,000 lives, according to the military.

(AFP)

His order came after the rebels announced an end to their five-month-old ceasefire last week

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has scrapped peace talks with communist insurgents after both the government and the rebels called off unilateral ceasefires aimed at ending a decades-long conflict. Duterte, a self-described socialist who had previously freed top communist leaders to jump-start the peace talks, angrily condemned the insurgents for resuming hostilities, saying he was ready for a prolonged conflict. "I told the soldiers to prepare for a long war. I said (peace) will not come during our generation," he said late Saturday. The two sides separately declared ceasefires in August, and the informal arrangement largely held as they continued discussions in Rome. The president said he was now ordering government negotiators to "fold their tents and return home from overseas talks with the rebel leaders". "I am not interested in talking to them (the rebel leaders). I will refuse to talk about it anymore," he told reporters. "We have been fighting for 50 years. If you want to extend it for another 50 years, so be it, we will be happy to accommodate you." His order came after the rebels announced an end to their five-month-old ceasefire last week, accusing Duterte's government of treachery and human rights abuses. The government responded by calling off its own unilateral ceasefire with the rebels. Duterte also denounced the 4,000-strong communist New People's Army for killing four soldiers in attacks last week, saying one of the victims had been riddled with 76 bullets. The communist insurgency in the poverty-stricken country, that began in 1968, is one of the longest running in the world and has claimed an estimated 30,000 lives, according to the military. (AFP)

Philippines' Duterte ends peace talks with Maoist rebels

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has stood by his police chief after calls for him to resign over the alleged killing of a South Korean businessman by police officers at the national police headquarters.

Ronald Dela Rosa, a top figure in Duterte&#39;s deadly war on drugs, has the president&#39;s full support, the president&#39;s top aide, Christopher Go, told Reuters on Sunday.

A number of lawmakers, including Duterte&#39;s ally, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, have called on Dela Rosa to step down after several officers were charged with kidnapping and killing Jee Ick-joo inside the headquarters in October.

Dela Rosa said on Thursday he was &quot;very angry&quot; and &quot;very offended&quot; about the case.

Rights groups say abuses of police power are rampant and accuse police of killing suspected drug dealers as part of Duterte&#39;s narcotics crackdown.

&quot;A genuine recognition of the root of the problem should go beyond blaming Dela Rosa, and instead condemn the drug war policy that has produced human rights violators and criminals out of the men and women of the PNP (Philippine National Police),&quot; Senator Leila De Lima said in statement over the weekend.

Police figures show more than 7,000 people have been killed during Duterte&#39;s campaign.

Police deny deliberately carrying out extrajudicial killings and say deaths caused in the course of the anti-drugs campaign have been in self-defence.

(Reuters)

Ronald Dela Rosa has been asked to resign over the alleged killing of a South Korean businessman by police officers

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has stood by his police chief after calls for him to resign over the alleged killing of a South Korean businessman by police officers at the national police headquarters. Ronald Dela Rosa, a top figure in Duterte's deadly war on drugs, has the president's full support, the president's top aide, Christopher Go, told Reuters on Sunday. A number of lawmakers, including Duterte's ally, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, have called on Dela Rosa to step down after several officers were charged with kidnapping and killing Jee Ick-joo inside the headquarters in October. Dela Rosa said on Thursday he was "very angry" and "very offended" about the case. Rights groups say abuses of police power are rampant and accuse police of killing suspected drug dealers as part of Duterte's narcotics crackdown. "A genuine recognition of the root of the problem should go beyond blaming Dela Rosa, and instead condemn the drug war policy that has produced human rights violators and criminals out of the men and women of the PNP (Philippine National Police)," Senator Leila De Lima said in statement over the weekend. Police figures show more than 7,000 people have been killed during Duterte's campaign. Police deny deliberately carrying out extrajudicial killings and say deaths caused in the course of the anti-drugs campaign have been in self-defence. (Reuters)

Philippines: Duterte stands by his police chief amid resignation calls

People going to mass at one of the most famous churches in the Philippine capital over Christmas were met by a disturbing sight: poster-size pictures of Filipinos dying in pools of blood.

The shock Baclaran church exhibit was part of a campaign by one of the nation&#39;s oldest and most powerful institutions to stop the killings under President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s war against drugs, which has claimed about 6,000 thousand lives.

&quot;The Church right now is asserting its influence, that&#39;s why in the coming months the Church will be at the forefront in leading against extrajudicial killings,&quot; Jerome Secillano, public affairs chief for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, told AFP.

The Catholic Church, counting eight out of every 10 Filipinos among its flock, wants the Duterte presidency to succeed, but would be remiss in its moral obligation to protect life by keeping quiet, according to Secillano.

&quot;(The drug war) is not any more in accord with the legal processes, and the moral norms are being violated and so now is the time for the Church to speak up,&quot; he said.

Duterte was elected in a landslide last year, after vowing on the campaign trail to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people.

Police have reported killing 2,250 drug suspects since Duterte assumed office, with 3,710 others murdered by unknown suspects who at times have left signs at the crime scenes accusing their victims of being drug dealers or addicts.

Duterte has made no apologies for the killings, saying he would be happy to &quot;slaughter&quot; three million drug addicts to stop the Philippines from descending into a Latin American-style narco state.

Popular crackdown

While Duterte&#39;s crackdown has been condemned by human rights activists and some Western governments for allegedly unleashing a wave of extrajudicial killings, the president has retained huge support from Filipinos hoping his strongman style will fix crime, corruption and other intractable problems.

With such support and also because of various intimidation tactics, few politicians or other influential people have spoken out. &nbsp;

For months the Church, which played a leading role in the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and corrupt president Joseph Estrada, also held its tongue.

Church leaders said they wanted to give Duterte, who won the May elections by 6.6 million votes, a chance to implement his programmes and make the Philippines a safer place.

They had also hoped to influence him quietly, holding a series of private meetings with Duterte and one of his top aides, according to Manila priest Atilano Fajardo, who is now helping to lead the Church&#39;s campaign against the killings.

Meanwhile, some priests and bishops, like ordinary people, were too scared to speak out, according to Secillano.

&quot;Not too many churches and people are actually keen on speaking up against these killings because of fear,&quot; he said.

Campaign begins

To start the pushback, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the bishops conference, issued a pastoral letter to his flock in October.

&quot;I am ashamed of the things I read about the Philippines in the international media and more ashamed of what I hear from our leaders,&quot; Villegas said then.

&quot;I can no longer give a word of condolence to the bereaved families because I also need to be assured even a bit that things will get better and not become worse.&quot;

In a Christmas message, Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, the country&#39;s highest-ranking Church official, lamented Filipinos losing their sense of &quot;hospitality&quot;, in what was seen as a criticism of the killings.

&quot;Why is there room for destroying lives but minute space for saving them?&quot; Tagle said.

Some churches around the Philippines have since put up banners denouncing extrajudicial killings, while priests have helped to organise relatives of the slain into a watchdog group called Network Against Killings in the Philippines.

Over the coming weeks, the Church also plans to train widows and other female relatives of men killed in mainly slum communities to document the deaths so they can bring &nbsp;criminal charges against police.

Church leaders take pains to emphasise they have not given up on Duterte and they are not campaigning against his rule, just the killings.

&quot;Prayer can move mountains. We believe that Duterte can still change his position, so we need to pray,&quot; Fajardo said.

What impact the Church campaign against the killings will have on government policy remains uncertain.

But it is taking heart from a fresh survey showing eight in 10 Filipinos now fear they or their friends could be next to be killed.

&quot;When you speak to people on the ground, there is a lot of fear... many people, especially the urban poor, feel that anybody can be tagged and killed,&quot; Manila bishop Broderick Pabillo told AFP.

Visitors at the Baclaran photo exhibit who agreed to speak to AFP were generally hesitant to criticise the government but said they had seen enough.

&quot;What is happening is horrible. They should not be killing defenceless people,&quot; said churchgoer Gina Loranza, 48.

(AFP)

The country's oldest church has launched a campaign to stop the killings under Duterte's war against drugs which has left about 6,000 lives

People going to mass at one of the most famous churches in the Philippine capital over Christmas were met by a disturbing sight: poster-size pictures of Filipinos dying in pools of blood. The shock Baclaran church exhibit was part of a campaign by one of the nation's oldest and most powerful institutions to stop the killings under President Rodrigo Duterte's war against drugs, which has claimed about 6,000 thousand lives. "The Church right now is asserting its influence, that's why in the coming months the Church will be at the forefront in leading against extrajudicial killings," Jerome Secillano, public affairs chief for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, told AFP. The Catholic Church, counting eight out of every 10 Filipinos among its flock, wants the Duterte presidency to succeed, but would be remiss in its moral obligation to protect life by keeping quiet, according to Secillano. "(The drug war) is not any more in accord with the legal processes, and the moral norms are being violated and so now is the time for the Church to speak up," he said. Duterte was elected in a landslide last year, after vowing on the campaign trail to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing tens of thousands of people. Police have reported killing 2,250 drug suspects since Duterte assumed office, with 3,710 others murdered by unknown suspects who at times have left signs at the crime scenes accusing their victims of being drug dealers or addicts. Duterte has made no apologies for the killings, saying he would be happy to "slaughter" three million drug addicts to stop the Philippines from descending into a Latin American-style narco state. Popular crackdown While Duterte's crackdown has been condemned by human rights activists and some Western governments for allegedly unleashing a wave of extrajudicial killings, the president has retained huge support from Filipinos hoping his strongman style will fix crime, corruption and other intractable problems. With such support and also because of various intimidation tactics, few politicians or other influential people have spoken out. For months the Church, which played a leading role in the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and corrupt president Joseph Estrada, also held its tongue. Church leaders said they wanted to give Duterte, who won the May elections by 6.6 million votes, a chance to implement his programmes and make the Philippines a safer place. They had also hoped to influence him quietly, holding a series of private meetings with Duterte and one of his top aides, according to Manila priest Atilano Fajardo, who is now helping to lead the Church's campaign against the killings. Meanwhile, some priests and bishops, like ordinary people, were too scared to speak out, according to Secillano. "Not too many churches and people are actually keen on speaking up against these killings because of fear," he said. Campaign begins To start the pushback, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the bishops conference, issued a pastoral letter to his flock in October. "I am ashamed of the things I read about the Philippines in the international media and more ashamed of what I hear from our leaders," Villegas said then. "I can no longer give a word of condolence to the bereaved families because I also need to be assured even a bit that things will get better and not become worse." In a Christmas message, Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, the country's highest-ranking Church official, lamented Filipinos losing their sense of "hospitality", in what was seen as a criticism of the killings. "Why is there room for destroying lives but minute space for saving them?" Tagle said. Some churches around the Philippines have since put up banners denouncing extrajudicial killings, while priests have helped to organise relatives of the slain into a watchdog group called Network Against Killings in the Philippines. Over the coming weeks, the Church also plans to train widows and other female relatives of men killed in mainly slum communities to document the deaths so they can bring criminal charges against police. Church leaders take pains to emphasise they have not given up on Duterte and they are not campaigning against his rule, just the killings. "Prayer can move mountains. We believe that Duterte can still change his position, so we need to pray," Fajardo said. What impact the Church campaign against the killings will have on government policy remains uncertain. But it is taking heart from a fresh survey showing eight in 10 Filipinos now fear they or their friends could be next to be killed. "When you speak to people on the ground, there is a lot of fear... many people, especially the urban poor, feel that anybody can be tagged and killed," Manila bishop Broderick Pabillo told AFP. Visitors at the Baclaran photo exhibit who agreed to speak to AFP were generally hesitant to criticise the government but said they had seen enough. "What is happening is horrible. They should not be killing defenceless people," said churchgoer Gina Loranza, 48. (AFP)

Philippines: Church speaks out on drug killings

Russia is ready to become a &quot;new reliable partner&quot; of the Philippines to supply the traditional US&nbsp;ally with sophisticated weapons, Russia&#39;s ambassador said on Wednesday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has thrown the future of Philippine-US&nbsp;relations into question with angry outbursts against the former colonial power and some scaling back of military ties while taking steps to boost ties with China and Russia.

Illustrating the transformation of Philippine foreign relations since Duterte took office in June, two Russian warships are on four-day visit to Manila this week, the first official navy-to-navy contact between the two countries.

Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev took the opportunity to hold a news conference on board the anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs. He said he understood that the Philippines was intent on diversifying its foreign partners.

&quot;It&#39;s not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones,&quot; he said.

&quot;We don&#39;t interfere with your relations with your traditional partners, and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia.&quot;

The Russian navy visit comes less than a month after Duterte sent his foreign and defence ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals after a US&nbsp;senator said he would block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, due to concern about a rising death toll in a &quot;war on drugs&quot; launched by Duterte.

Khovaev said Russia had a range of weapons to offer.

&quot;We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones,&quot; Khovaev said.

He said it was too early to talk about the scope of military cooperation but, in a clear reference to the United States, said old allies should not worry.

Earlier, a US Senator said Washington will stop selling the Philippines guns as Duterte's 'drug war' that has killed thousands continues

Russia is ready to become a "new reliable partner" of the Philippines to supply the traditional US ally with sophisticated weapons, Russia's ambassador said on Wednesday. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has thrown the future of Philippine-US relations into question with angry outbursts against the former colonial power and some scaling back of military ties while taking steps to boost ties with China and Russia. Illustrating the transformation of Philippine foreign relations since Duterte took office in June, two Russian warships are on four-day visit to Manila this week, the first official navy-to-navy contact between the two countries. Russian Ambassador Igor Anatolyevich Khovaev took the opportunity to hold a news conference on board the anti-submarine vessel Admiral Tributs. He said he understood that the Philippines was intent on diversifying its foreign partners. "It's not a choice between these partners and those ones. Diversification means preserving and keeping old traditional partners and getting new ones," he said. "We don't interfere with your relations with your traditional partners, and your traditional partners should respect the interest of the Philippines and Russia." The Russian navy visit comes less than a month after Duterte sent his foreign and defence ministers to Moscow to discuss arms deals after a US senator said he would block the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, due to concern about a rising death toll in a "war on drugs" launched by Duterte. Khovaev said Russia had a range of weapons to offer. "We are ready to supply small arms and light weapons, some aeroplanes, helicopters, submarines and many, many other weapons. Sophisticated weapons. Not the second-hand ones," Khovaev said. He said it was too early to talk about the scope of military cooperation but, in a clear reference to the United States, said old allies should not worry.

Putin offers Duterte arms and close friendship

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has put the onus of stopping the rapid construction of man-made islands and increasing militarisation in the South China Sea on the US. &nbsp;

According to news agency Reuters, Duterte suggested that the failure by US to stop China from continuing building islands in the South China Sea showed there was no serious concern about the issue. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In July this year, the Permanent Cout of Arbitration in The Hague had ruled in favour of Philippines in an arbitration case against China over territorial rights in the South China Sea contained within an area that China calls the &quot;Nine-Dash Line&quot;.

China refused to acknowledge the verdict.

During Duterte&#39;s presidency, Philippines has gravitated towards China. He has expressed his willingness to mend ties with Beijing to benefit from improved economic relations between the two countries.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
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The Permanent Court of Arbitration had ruled in favour of Philippines in the arbitration case against China

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has put the onus of stopping the rapid construction of man-made islands and increasing militarisation in the South China Sea on the US. According to news agency Reuters, Duterte suggested that the failure by US to stop China from continuing building islands in the South China Sea showed there was no serious concern about the issue. In July this year, the Permanent Cout of Arbitration in The Hague had ruled in favour of Philippines in an arbitration case against China over territorial rights in the South China Sea contained within an area that China calls the "Nine-Dash Line". China refused to acknowledge the verdict. During Duterte's presidency, Philippines has gravitated towards China. He has expressed his willingness to mend ties with Beijing to benefit from improved economic relations between the two countries. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Philippine President Duterte sweeps China's militarisation, man-made island issue under rug

A Philippine provincial newspaper publisher has been shot dead after writing a column alleging official negligence over a recently discovered methamphetamine laboratory, in the first killing of a journalist during the country&rsquo;s war on drugs.

The NUJP said Que had run Catanduanes News Now, a new publication, for only two weeks before he was shot in the head outside his workplace. He also owned an insurance firm and previously ran for local office.

His article, according to NUJP, suggested local officials were negligent when a laboratory was illegally set up to make &ldquo;shabu&rdquo;, a methamphetamine that Duterte has vowed to wipe out, along with anyone selling it.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned Monday&rsquo;s murder of Larry Que, publisher of a news site on the island of Catanduanes, and said it &ldquo;challenged&rdquo; President Rodrigo Duterte to find the perpetrators and utilise a special task force he set up to protect media.

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The Philippines enjoys one of Asia&rsquo;s most liberal media environments, and one of the most dangerous for journalists. Scores have been killed in the past three decades, with radio broadcasters who cover provincial politics among the most common victims. Investigations of killings have often been inconclusive.

Duterte signed an administrative order in October to create a task force of ministers, police, defence and justice officials to protect media, investigate attacks on media workers and create an oversight body to scrutinise probes.

The NUJP said the presidential panel should be put to work to find Que&rsquo;s killers. It criticised the government for its approach towards media and for what it said was a tendency to accuse journalists of distorting the president&rsquo;s words.

&ldquo;We call on this administration to walk the talk and prove its professed respect for press freedom, not only by quickly solving these brazen assaults on press freedom but, just as importantly, by ending its penchant of falsely blaming media for deliberately misinterpreting its often inconsistent and incoherent messages,&rdquo; the NUJP said.

Duterte&rsquo;s office has often issued statements that contradict the mercurial president&rsquo;s public remarks. After some of his most controversial comments, his communications team has said his words should be taken seriously, but not literally.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the government condemned violence against journalists and called for a thorough investigation into Que&rsquo;s death.

(Reuters)

This is the first journalist to die since Duterte pledged to kill drug dealers and users

A Philippine provincial newspaper publisher has been shot dead after writing a column alleging official negligence over a recently discovered methamphetamine laboratory, in the first killing of a journalist during the country’s war on drugs. The NUJP said Que had run Catanduanes News Now, a new publication, for only two weeks before he was shot in the head outside his workplace. He also owned an insurance firm and previously ran for local office. His article, according to NUJP, suggested local officials were negligent when a laboratory was illegally set up to make “shabu”, a methamphetamine that Duterte has vowed to wipe out, along with anyone selling it. The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) condemned Monday’s murder of Larry Que, publisher of a news site on the island of Catanduanes, and said it “challenged” President Rodrigo Duterte to find the perpetrators and utilise a special task force he set up to protect media. The Philippines enjoys one of Asia’s most liberal media environments, and one of the most dangerous for journalists. Scores have been killed in the past three decades, with radio broadcasters who cover provincial politics among the most common victims. Investigations of killings have often been inconclusive. Duterte signed an administrative order in October to create a task force of ministers, police, defence and justice officials to protect media, investigate attacks on media workers and create an oversight body to scrutinise probes. The NUJP said the presidential panel should be put to work to find Que’s killers. It criticised the government for its approach towards media and for what it said was a tendency to accuse journalists of distorting the president’s words. “We call on this administration to walk the talk and prove its professed respect for press freedom, not only by quickly solving these brazen assaults on press freedom but, just as importantly, by ending its penchant of falsely blaming media for deliberately misinterpreting its often inconsistent and incoherent messages,” the NUJP said. Duterte’s office has often issued statements that contradict the mercurial president’s public remarks. After some of his most controversial comments, his communications team has said his words should be taken seriously, but not literally. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the government condemned violence against journalists and called for a thorough investigation into Que’s death. (Reuters)

Philippines: Journalist murdered after criticising officials over illegal drug lab

The UN rights chief urged the Philippines&nbsp;Tuesday&nbsp;to investigate President Rodrigo Duterte for murder, after he boasted that he had in the past personally killed suspected criminals.&nbsp;

Duterte said in a speech last week that when he was mayor of the southern city of Davao, where he served three terms between 1988 and 2016, he personally killed people to set an example for police.

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<h5>Duterte told the BBC&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;that he had personally killed &#39;about three people&#39; during his term as mayor</h5>
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He made the comments in a speech to businessmen as he discussed his campaign to eradicate illegal drugs, which has seen police and unknown assailants kill thousands of people since he became president on&nbsp;June 30.

&quot;The Philippines judicial authorities must demonstrate their commitment to upholding the rule of law and their independence from the executive by launching a murder investigation,&quot; UN rights chief Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said in a statement.

&quot;The killings committed by Mr. Duterte, by his own admission, at a time when he was a mayor, clearly constitute murder,&quot; he said.

&quot;It should be unthinkable for any functioning judicial system not to launch investigative and judicial proceedings when someone has openly admitted being a killer,&quot; he insisted.

Duterte has said that as newly elected mayor of Davao, he and several local policemen ambushed a group of suspected kidnappers shortly after the gang collected ransom from the parents of the released hostage, a local teenage girl.&nbsp;

&quot;Maybe my bullets killed them, maybe not, but after the (firefight) they were all dead,&quot; he said.

He meanwhile told the BBC&nbsp;on Friday&nbsp;that he had personally killed &quot;about three people&quot; during his term as mayor.

Philippine Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre insisted that the president had not violated any law.&nbsp;

&quot;If the suspect fought back, he must have been forced to kill him,&quot; Aguirre told reporters last week.

But Zeid was adamant, warning that the acts clearly violated the Philippine constitution.&nbsp;

&quot;The killings described by President Duterte also violate international law, including the right to life ... and innocence until proven guilty,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The UN rights chief&#39;s statement also decried the &quot;environment of alarming impunity and violence&quot; created by Duterte&#39;s deadly campaign to eradicate illegal drugs.

According to the UN, nearly 6,100 people had been killed since Duterte took office in late June.

(AFP)

Duterte said in a speech last week that he had personally killed suspected criminals while he was mayor of Davao

The UN rights chief urged the Philippines Tuesday to investigate President Rodrigo Duterte for murder, after he boasted that he had in the past personally killed suspected criminals. Duterte said in a speech last week that when he was mayor of the southern city of Davao, where he served three terms between 1988 and 2016, he personally killed people to set an example for police. Duterte told the BBC on Friday that he had personally killed 'about three people' during his term as mayor × He made the comments in a speech to businessmen as he discussed his campaign to eradicate illegal drugs, which has seen police and unknown assailants kill thousands of people since he became president on June 30. "The Philippines judicial authorities must demonstrate their commitment to upholding the rule of law and their independence from the executive by launching a murder investigation," UN rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a statement. "The killings committed by Mr. Duterte, by his own admission, at a time when he was a mayor, clearly constitute murder," he said. "It should be unthinkable for any functioning judicial system not to launch investigative and judicial proceedings when someone has openly admitted being a killer," he insisted. Duterte has said that as newly elected mayor of Davao, he and several local policemen ambushed a group of suspected kidnappers shortly after the gang collected ransom from the parents of the released hostage, a local teenage girl. "Maybe my bullets killed them, maybe not, but after the (firefight) they were all dead," he said. He meanwhile told the BBC on Friday that he had personally killed "about three people" during his term as mayor. Philippine Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre insisted that the president had not violated any law. "If the suspect fought back, he must have been forced to kill him," Aguirre told reporters last week. But Zeid was adamant, warning that the acts clearly violated the Philippine constitution. "The killings described by President Duterte also violate international law, including the right to life ... and innocence until proven guilty," he said. The UN rights chief's statement also decried the "environment of alarming impunity and violence" created by Duterte's deadly campaign to eradicate illegal drugs. According to the UN, nearly 6,100 people had been killed since Duterte took office in late June. (AFP)

UN rights chief calls on Philippines to probe President Duterte for murder

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he personally killed suspected criminals while he was the mayor of a southern city in order to set an example for police.&nbsp;

Duterte made the revelation in a speech late on Monday night to businessmen while discussing his campaign to eradicate illegal drugs.

Duterte&rsquo;s &ldquo;war on drugs&rdquo; has seen police and unknown assailants kill thousands since he came to power in June.

After speaking about policing killing suspected criminal in the ongoing crime war, Duterte said he led similar efforts when he was the mayor of Davao.

&quot;In Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys (police) that if I can do it why can&#39;t you,&quot; Duterte said in his speech at the presidential palace, news agency AFP reported.

&quot;And I&#39;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.&quot;

Responding to criticism from human rights groups and US President Barack Obama about his brutal tactics and vowing to continue his crackdown,

Duterte said,&quot;If they say that I am afraid to stop (the campaign) because of the human rights and guys from including Obama: Sorry, I am not about to do that,&quot; he said in English.

Rights groups had earlier accused Duterte of running vigilante death squads in Davao that killed more than 1,000 suspected criminals.

Duterte has denied and acknowledged his involvement in the death squads variously.

As president, Duterte has called on ordinary citizens &nbsp;as well as security forces to kill drug users and traffickers. But he has also added that he and his security forces would not break the law.

Police have reported killing 2,086 people in anti-drug operations since Duterte became president.&nbsp;

According to official figures, more than 3,000 others have been killed in unexplained circumstances.

 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

 
&nbsp;

The Philippines President said he killed suspected criminals to set an example for police

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he personally killed suspected criminals while he was the mayor of a southern city in order to set an example for police. Duterte made the revelation in a speech late on Monday night to businessmen while discussing his campaign to eradicate illegal drugs. Duterte’s “war on drugs” has seen police and unknown assailants kill thousands since he came to power in June. After speaking about policing killing suspected criminal in the ongoing crime war, Duterte said he led similar efforts when he was the mayor of Davao. "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," Duterte said in his speech at the presidential palace, news agency AFP reported. "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." Responding to criticism from human rights groups and US President Barack Obama about his brutal tactics and vowing to continue his crackdown, Duterte said,"If they say that I am afraid to stop (the campaign) because of the human rights and guys from including Obama: Sorry, I am not about to do that," he said in English. Rights groups had earlier accused Duterte of running vigilante death squads in Davao that killed more than 1,000 suspected criminals. Duterte has denied and acknowledged his involvement in the death squads variously. As president, Duterte has called on ordinary citizens as well as security forces to kill drug users and traffickers. But he has also added that he and his security forces would not break the law. Police have reported killing 2,086 people in anti-drug operations since Duterte became president. According to official figures, more than 3,000 others have been killed in unexplained circumstances. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Philippines' Duterte says he personally killed people

Philippine police conducted a controlled detonation of a home-made bomb found in a trash bin near the US&nbsp;embassy in Manila on Monday and said militants sympathetic to Islamic State could have been responsible.

National police chief Ronald dela Rosa said components of the improvised explosive device suggested it could have been planted by the Maute, a Muslim rebel group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Maute&#39;s fighters were locked in a standoff with the military for a third day in the country&#39;s south. More rebels were reported killed on Monday, taking the number of dead to 19.

&quot;We could theorise that they could use this as a diversion,&quot; dela Rosa told a news conference. The embassy had no immediate comment on the discovery of the bomb, which was left about 200 metres from the compound. Business there continued as normal, with dozens of Filipinos queuing outside for visa applications.

An 81 millimetre&nbsp;mortar round was used as an explosive device and that was a signature of the group, Dela Rosa said. Similar components were used in a September&nbsp;2 bombing in Davao, which killed 15 people died and wounded about 70. Maute were blamed for that attack and four of its members were arrested and found with video clips of them pledging allegiance. Dela Rosa said intelligence operations would be stepped up and checkpoints would be set up around the capital.

Since the Davao bombing, the Philippines has been under what is termed a &quot;state of lawlessness&quot;, allowing the military to support the police, if required by the president. That has led to frequent speculation that martial law could be declared to support President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s deadly drugs war, something his office has repeatedly dismissed.

&quot;For God&#39;s sake, the government will not use an incident that will cause panic, fear and undue harm to declare martial law,&quot; he said.

In Lanao, a restive southern province, soldiers battled the Maute group to re-take an old town hall building, sending hundreds of residents fleeing. Army spokesman Major Filemon Tan said about a dozen soldiers had been wounded in an air-and-ground assault.

(WION)

Police say the bomb, which was found in a garbage can, could have been planted by a Muslim rebel group sympathetic to the Islamic State

Philippine police conducted a controlled detonation of a home-made bomb found in a trash bin near the US embassy in Manila on Monday and said militants sympathetic to Islamic State could have been responsible. National police chief Ronald dela Rosa said components of the improvised explosive device suggested it could have been planted by the Maute, a Muslim rebel group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. Maute's fighters were locked in a standoff with the military for a third day in the country's south. More rebels were reported killed on Monday, taking the number of dead to 19. "We could theorise that they could use this as a diversion," dela Rosa told a news conference. The embassy had no immediate comment on the discovery of the bomb, which was left about 200 metres from the compound. Business there continued as normal, with dozens of Filipinos queuing outside for visa applications. An 81 millimetre mortar round was used as an explosive device and that was a signature of the group, Dela Rosa said. Similar components were used in a September 2 bombing in Davao, which killed 15 people died and wounded about 70. Maute were blamed for that attack and four of its members were arrested and found with video clips of them pledging allegiance. Dela Rosa said intelligence operations would be stepped up and checkpoints would be set up around the capital. Since the Davao bombing, the Philippines has been under what is termed a "state of lawlessness", allowing the military to support the police, if required by the president. That has led to frequent speculation that martial law could be declared to support President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drugs war, something his office has repeatedly dismissed. "For God's sake, the government will not use an incident that will cause panic, fear and undue harm to declare martial law," he said. In Lanao, a restive southern province, soldiers battled the Maute group to re-take an old town hall building, sending hundreds of residents fleeing. Army spokesman Major Filemon Tan said about a dozen soldiers had been wounded in an air-and-ground assault. (WION)

Bomb defused near US embassy in Philippines: Police

Win or lose, Donald Trump&#39;s campaign has changed the way countries in Asia view their relationships with Washington.

Final opinion polls suggested the most likely outcome is a victory for Hillary Clinton. But even Clinton, an architect of the US strategic pivot to Asia, has some work ahead of her in rebuilding trust, analysts and former officials in Asia said.

&quot;With or without Trump, this marks the end of US leadership, in particular, moral leadership,&quot; said a former Japanese diplomat, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s a question of Trump as an individual, but a question of the US society that produced this man as the Republican candidate.&quot;

Trump upended US democratic traditions during his White House campaign, drawing enthusiastic crowds where people cheered his often provocative and outrageous remarks.&nbsp;

He described a dark America, knocked to its knees by China, Mexico and the Islamic state.

Trump&#39;s harnessing of a populist backlash against immigration and global trade has challenged the ideal of benevolent American power that helped shape the global economy - and the forces of globalisation - since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s.

Now the United States faces a rising China, long an economic force and now becoming more assertive in geopolitics - building its military capability and ignoring an international tribunal&#39;s ruling against its claims to most of the South China Sea.

Trans-Pacific partnership

Asia is most worried about trade protectionism - exports make up a quarter of Asia&#39;s GDP and a fifth of them go to the United States.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, championed by President Barack Obama in part to increase US influence in Asia, was to be an essential feature of Washington&#39;s strategic pivot to Asia - an &quot;economic NATO&quot;.

It now looks dead in the water. Both Clinton and Trump oppose the deal, which would set up a free trade zone among 12 countries that excludes China.

With US allies such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore among the biggest winners of an open trade regime, a more isolationist and protectionist stance will cost Washington influence in Asia.

Ironically, it would be China, the subject of many of Trump&#39;s tirades, that could emerge the big winner as uncertainty over Washington&#39;s future commitment to Asia pushes countries into dealing more closely with Beijing.

&quot;If the US pulls out of TPP, that will certainly increase China&#39;s influence in Asia,&quot; said Kanti Bajpai, Professor of Asian Studies at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

&quot;Already, US criticism of domestic issues in Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia has alienated those countries and caused them to lean towards Beijing. Pulling out of the TPP will help China geopolitically.&quot;

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been particularly hostile towards Washington over its criticism of his lethal anti-drugs campaign, announcing a &quot;separation&quot; from the United States during last month&#39;s visit to China. 
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak came back from a visit to China last week with $34 billion worth of deals and an agreement to buy four Chinese naval vessels.

Security concerns

China has long been in Trump&#39;s sights, with promises to declare it a currency manipulator and impose punitive tariffs on imports. But any such moves could also hurt Asian exporters who ship components there for assembly and export to the United States, at a time when global trade is already weakening.

Gareth Leather, senior Asia economist at Capital Economics, said the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea were the emerging Asia economies most vulnerable to a Trump presidency.

&quot;Perhaps the biggest risk to the region&#39;s economies, however, stems not from Trump&#39;s trade policies, but from his foreign policy,&quot; Leather said.

Trump has created doubts over his commitment to security alliances, suggesting Japan and South Korea need to pay more for a US military presence and that they should even develop their own nuclear capability to counter China and North Korea.

Clinton, who was secretary of state when the Obama administration launched its Asia pivot, is expected to maintain Obama&#39;s foreign policy, with some seeing her as being more hawkish.

The divisive US presidential campaign has already done a lot of damage to the reputation of the United States in Asia, regardless of the election outcome, according to some analysts.

&quot;The broader question is whether the United States can assert global leadership,&quot; said Jesper Koll, CEO at fund manager WisdomTree Japan.

&quot;All my Chinese friends say, &#39;We thought we would run the world in 20 years. Now it&#39;s going to be in January&#39;. This is not a joke. It&#39;s the natural state of development,&quot; Koll said

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The divisive election campaign has caused severe damage to the reputation of the US in Asia, creating doubts over economic & security ties

Win or lose, Donald Trump's campaign has changed the way countries in Asia view their relationships with Washington. Final opinion polls suggested the most likely outcome is a victory for Hillary Clinton. But even Clinton, an architect of the US strategic pivot to Asia, has some work ahead of her in rebuilding trust, analysts and former officials in Asia said. "With or without Trump, this marks the end of US leadership, in particular, moral leadership," said a former Japanese diplomat, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic. "I don't think it's a question of Trump as an individual, but a question of the US society that produced this man as the Republican candidate." Trump upended US democratic traditions during his White House campaign, drawing enthusiastic crowds where people cheered his often provocative and outrageous remarks. He described a dark America, knocked to its knees by China, Mexico and the Islamic state. Trump's harnessing of a populist backlash against immigration and global trade has challenged the ideal of benevolent American power that helped shape the global economy - and the forces of globalisation - since the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Now the United States faces a rising China, long an economic force and now becoming more assertive in geopolitics - building its military capability and ignoring an international tribunal's ruling against its claims to most of the South China Sea. Trans-Pacific partnership Asia is most worried about trade protectionism - exports make up a quarter of Asia's GDP and a fifth of them go to the United States. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, championed by President Barack Obama in part to increase US influence in Asia, was to be an essential feature of Washington's strategic pivot to Asia - an "economic NATO". It now looks dead in the water. Both Clinton and Trump oppose the deal, which would set up a free trade zone among 12 countries that excludes China. With US allies such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore among the biggest winners of an open trade regime, a more isolationist and protectionist stance will cost Washington influence in Asia. Ironically, it would be China, the subject of many of Trump's tirades, that could emerge the big winner as uncertainty over Washington's future commitment to Asia pushes countries into dealing more closely with Beijing. "If the US pulls out of TPP, that will certainly increase China's influence in Asia," said Kanti Bajpai, Professor of Asian Studies at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. "Already, US criticism of domestic issues in Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia has alienated those countries and caused them to lean towards Beijing. Pulling out of the TPP will help China geopolitically." Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been particularly hostile towards Washington over its criticism of his lethal anti-drugs campaign, announcing a "separation" from the United States during last month's visit to China. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak came back from a visit to China last week with $34 billion worth of deals and an agreement to buy four Chinese naval vessels. Security concerns China has long been in Trump's sights, with promises to declare it a currency manipulator and impose punitive tariffs on imports. But any such moves could also hurt Asian exporters who ship components there for assembly and export to the United States, at a time when global trade is already weakening. Gareth Leather, senior Asia economist at Capital Economics, said the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea were the emerging Asia economies most vulnerable to a Trump presidency. "Perhaps the biggest risk to the region's economies, however, stems not from Trump's trade policies, but from his foreign policy," Leather said. Trump has created doubts over his commitment to security alliances, suggesting Japan and South Korea need to pay more for a US military presence and that they should even develop their own nuclear capability to counter China and North Korea. Clinton, who was secretary of state when the Obama administration launched its Asia pivot, is expected to maintain Obama's foreign policy, with some seeing her as being more hawkish. The divisive US presidential campaign has already done a lot of damage to the reputation of the United States in Asia, regardless of the election outcome, according to some analysts. "The broader question is whether the United States can assert global leadership," said Jesper Koll, CEO at fund manager WisdomTree Japan. "All my Chinese friends say, 'We thought we would run the world in 20 years. Now it's going to be in January'. This is not a joke. It's the natural state of development," Koll said (Reuters)

Asia sees changed US relationship, whoever wins

A Philippine mayor detained for involvement in the country&#39;s illegal drug trade was killed along with another inmate in a shootout in prison on Saturday, police told.&nbsp;

Rolando Espinosa, the mayor of Albuera town in the central island of Leyte, had surrendered to the national police chief in August, saying he feared for his life. President Rodrigo Duterte had given orders to &quot;shoot on sight&quot; if the mayor and his son, accused of drug trafficking, resisted arrest.&nbsp;

But early on Saturday, police said Espinosa was killed in his cell in the provincial jail after he shot at officers during a search for illegal firearms. &quot;He fired on the raiding team. The raiding team fired back and this led to the mayor&#39;s death,&quot; chief inspector Leo Laraga of the regional police told AFP.&nbsp;

He is the second local official on Duterte&#39;s so-called &quot;narco-list&quot; to be killed in two weeks, as a bloody crackdown on illegal drug trade continues in the Southeast Asian country.&nbsp;

Police said they recovered a .45 caliber pistol and a .38 Super pistol from the cells Espinosa and the other inamte Yap. A small sachet containing suspected methamphetamine and assorted drug paraphernalia were also found inside Espinosa&#39;s cell, police said.

Earlier, Espinosa had publicly denied any part in the drug rade but said his son was peddling &quot;shabu&quot; (methamphetamine), which he gets from a jailed Chinese drug trader.

The presidential palace described his death as &quot;unfortunate&quot; and the national police said it was investigating the circumstances around his death as well as possible collusion between guards and inmates to get guns and drugs into the jail.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Albuera mayor, Espinosa was killed in his cell after he allegedly shot at police officers during a search for illegal firearms

A Philippine mayor detained for involvement in the country's illegal drug trade was killed along with another inmate in a shootout in prison on Saturday, police told. Rolando Espinosa, the mayor of Albuera town in the central island of Leyte, had surrendered to the national police chief in August, saying he feared for his life. President Rodrigo Duterte had given orders to "shoot on sight" if the mayor and his son, accused of drug trafficking, resisted arrest. But early on Saturday, police said Espinosa was killed in his cell in the provincial jail after he shot at officers during a search for illegal firearms. "He fired on the raiding team. The raiding team fired back and this led to the mayor's death," chief inspector Leo Laraga of the regional police told AFP. He is the second local official on Duterte's so-called "narco-list" to be killed in two weeks, as a bloody crackdown on illegal drug trade continues in the Southeast Asian country. Police said they recovered a .45 caliber pistol and a .38 Super pistol from the cells Espinosa and the other inamte Yap. A small sachet containing suspected methamphetamine and assorted drug paraphernalia were also found inside Espinosa's cell, police said. Earlier, Espinosa had publicly denied any part in the drug rade but said his son was peddling "shabu" (methamphetamine), which he gets from a jailed Chinese drug trader. The presidential palace described his death as "unfortunate" and the national police said it was investigating the circumstances around his death as well as possible collusion between guards and inmates to get guns and drugs into the jail. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Philippine mayor on Duterte's drug list killed in prison shootout

A mayor on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s wanted list for alleged drugs links was killed along with nine of his guards in a shootout on Friday, police said, as a new phase of a bloody narcotics crackdown zeroed-in on high profile targets.

The 10 men succumbed to their wounds en route to hospital, police said, having opened fire on officers who tried to stop their two vehicles at a checkpoint in Duterte&#39;s troubled home province of Mindanao before dawn.

&quot;It was a legitimate police operation,&quot; said Bernard Tayong of the North Cotabato police office, adding that no officers were hurt but a police vehicle was riddled with bullets.

&quot;We have information the mayor and his men were transporting drugs so we tried to intercept them but they chose to shoot it out,&quot; he told reporters.

The killing of Samsudin Dimaukom, a powerful mayor, took place far from his predominantly Muslim town of Datu Saudi Ampatuan.

It came as police shift tactics in the controversial war on drugs by focusing on politicians, government officials, celebrities and high-ranking army and police suspected of involvement in the trade.

The new plan, called &quot;Project Double Barrel Alpha&quot;, was reported exclusively by Reuters on Monday and aims to increase arrests and reduce the bloodshed in a campaign that has claimed more than 2,300 lives since Duterte took office on June 30.

Duterte won a May election on the promises of killing criminals and campaigned under the logo of a clenched fist.&nbsp;

Duterte returned from a visit to Japan late on Thursday and during a news conference waved a thick book he said contained names of officials suspected of drug links. The book contains about 3,000 names.&nbsp;

&quot;I do not want to make this public because it will just make the Filipino cry,&quot; he said.

Of those killed in the anti-drugs campaign, more than 1,600 died during police operations, a toll that has drawn international concern about extrajudicial killings.

Shifting Focus

Duterte has fiercely defended the campaign and has repeatedly lashed out at his critics.

A recent poll showed public unease over the crackdown, with 94 percent of respondents saying it was important that police take suspects alive. 
Police investigators said seven guns, including an Armalite rifle and 13 small packs of suspected methamphetamines were recovered from the mayor`s vehicle after Friday&#39;s firefight.

The mayor&#39;s wife, who is also the town`s vice mayor, is also on Duterte`s wanted list.

National police spokesman Dionardo Carlos told Reuters on Thursday the drugs war had been expanded to go beyond poorer areas where low-level peddlers operate.

New targets were transport networks, show business circles, nightclubs and wealthier neighbourhoods to root out drugs like cocaine and ecstasy.

Carlos denied there was a deliberate sanctioning of extrajudicial killings. He said fatalities occurred when suspects refused to surrender and police were keen to avoid violence.

&quot;That`s why we are shifting to Alpha,&quot; he added.

Since late June, 750,000 drug users had surrendered, some 30,000 suspects were arrested. Of the &quot;high value&quot; targets, 201 had surrendered, 66 were arrested and 14 were killed.&nbsp;

He said 150,000 police had been drug tested and 164 gave positive results and would be dismissed.

Police would soon receive a large consignment of body armour, Carlos said, adding instructions were being given &quot;to make sure you are not giving (drug suspects) the chance to put your lives in danger&quot;.

(Reuters)

Local police recently shifted tactics in Duterte's controversial war on drugs by focusing on influential people

A mayor on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's wanted list for alleged drugs links was killed along with nine of his guards in a shootout on Friday, police said, as a new phase of a bloody narcotics crackdown zeroed-in on high profile targets. The 10 men succumbed to their wounds en route to hospital, police said, having opened fire on officers who tried to stop their two vehicles at a checkpoint in Duterte's troubled home province of Mindanao before dawn. "It was a legitimate police operation," said Bernard Tayong of the North Cotabato police office, adding that no officers were hurt but a police vehicle was riddled with bullets. "We have information the mayor and his men were transporting drugs so we tried to intercept them but they chose to shoot it out," he told reporters. The killing of Samsudin Dimaukom, a powerful mayor, took place far from his predominantly Muslim town of Datu Saudi Ampatuan. It came as police shift tactics in the controversial war on drugs by focusing on politicians, government officials, celebrities and high-ranking army and police suspected of involvement in the trade. The new plan, called "Project Double Barrel Alpha", was reported exclusively by Reuters on Monday and aims to increase arrests and reduce the bloodshed in a campaign that has claimed more than 2,300 lives since Duterte took office on June 30. Duterte won a May election on the promises of killing criminals and campaigned under the logo of a clenched fist. Duterte returned from a visit to Japan late on Thursday and during a news conference waved a thick book he said contained names of officials suspected of drug links. The book contains about 3,000 names. "I do not want to make this public because it will just make the Filipino cry," he said. Of those killed in the anti-drugs campaign, more than 1,600 died during police operations, a toll that has drawn international concern about extrajudicial killings. Shifting Focus Duterte has fiercely defended the campaign and has repeatedly lashed out at his critics. A recent poll showed public unease over the crackdown, with 94 percent of respondents saying it was important that police take suspects alive. Police investigators said seven guns, including an Armalite rifle and 13 small packs of suspected methamphetamines were recovered from the mayor`s vehicle after Friday's firefight. The mayor's wife, who is also the town`s vice mayor, is also on Duterte`s wanted list. National police spokesman Dionardo Carlos told Reuters on Thursday the drugs war had been expanded to go beyond poorer areas where low-level peddlers operate. New targets were transport networks, show business circles, nightclubs and wealthier neighbourhoods to root out drugs like cocaine and ecstasy. Carlos denied there was a deliberate sanctioning of extrajudicial killings. He said fatalities occurred when suspects refused to surrender and police were keen to avoid violence. "That`s why we are shifting to Alpha," he added. Since late June, 750,000 drug users had surrendered, some 30,000 suspects were arrested. Of the "high value" targets, 201 had surrendered, 66 were arrested and 14 were killed. He said 150,000 police had been drug tested and 164 gave positive results and would be dismissed. Police would soon receive a large consignment of body armour, Carlos said, adding instructions were being given "to make sure you are not giving (drug suspects) the chance to put your lives in danger". (Reuters)

Philippine mayor among 10 killed in shootout as drug war enters new phase

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he wants US troops out of his country in the next two years and is willing to scrap defence pacts with longtime ally Washington if necessary.

The comments follow a series of anti-American tirades by the firebrand leader, who has repeatedly attacked the US while cosying up to Beijing, upending his nation&#39;s foreign policy in comments that have sometimes been quickly retracted.

&quot;I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops,&quot; Duterte told an economic forum in Tokyo, in a clear reference to US forces.

&quot;I want them out and if I have to revise or abrogate agreements, executive agreements, I will,&quot; he added.

The US, which once operated sprawling bases in the country, now has a small number of Special Forces on the southern island of Mindanao to aid in counter-terrorism operations.

Duterte has previously said he wants US troops out of Mindanao because their presence stokes tensions on the island where Islamic militants have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency.

The acid-tongued leader arrived in Tokyo Tuesday on his first visit to Japan since taking office June 30, looking to persuade executives his country is &quot;open for business&quot;, after overturning Manila&#39;s traditional diplomatic alliances.

The 71-year-old has also slammed Washington for questioning his violent crime crackdown, which has claimed some 3,700 lives and attracted widespread international criticism.

Duterte has also insulted President Barack Obama, calling him a &quot;son of a whore&quot; and announcing a &quot;separation&quot; from the US during a visit to Beijing last week.

Although he quickly walked back from his comments, saying that &quot;separation&quot; did not mean he would &quot;sever&quot; ties, he reiterated his calls on Wednesday for an end to all joint war games with the US.

&quot;This will be the last manoeuvre war games between the United States and the Philippines` military,&quot; he said of an event hosted in recent weeks by the Philippines.Duterte is set to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later on Wednesday and will also meet with Emperor Akihito during the trip.

Although his Japanese hosts depend on the US for security, Tokyo has so far not responded to Duterte`s diatribes, while Washington has taken a calm approach.

&quot;We&#39;re going to take the long view,&quot; State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

&quot;We&#39;re not going to react and respond to every bit of rhetoric,&quot; he added.

Abe had worked to improve bilateral relations with Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, providing patrol boats to support Manila in its territorial row with Beijing over rival claims to the South China Sea.

The Philippines took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive claims in the region and won a resounding victory in July.

But Duterte has not pressed the issue with Beijing, instead working to improve ties and attract billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investments.

Duterte also attempted to calm worries in Japan over his trip to China, assuring his audience that he was not seeking military ties with Beijing, just a closer economic relationship.

&quot;We did not talk about arms, we did not talk about stationing of troops,&quot; he said. &quot;We avoided talking about alliances, military or otherwise.&quot;

(AFP)

He also slammed Washington for questioning his violent crime crackdown that has attracted widespread international criticism

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he wants US troops out of his country in the next two years and is willing to scrap defence pacts with longtime ally Washington if necessary. The comments follow a series of anti-American tirades by the firebrand leader, who has repeatedly attacked the US while cosying up to Beijing, upending his nation's foreign policy in comments that have sometimes been quickly retracted. "I want, maybe in the next two years, my country free of the presence of foreign military troops," Duterte told an economic forum in Tokyo, in a clear reference to US forces. "I want them out and if I have to revise or abrogate agreements, executive agreements, I will," he added. The US, which once operated sprawling bases in the country, now has a small number of Special Forces on the southern island of Mindanao to aid in counter-terrorism operations. Duterte has previously said he wants US troops out of Mindanao because their presence stokes tensions on the island where Islamic militants have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency. The acid-tongued leader arrived in Tokyo Tuesday on his first visit to Japan since taking office June 30, looking to persuade executives his country is "open for business", after overturning Manila's traditional diplomatic alliances. The 71-year-old has also slammed Washington for questioning his violent crime crackdown, which has claimed some 3,700 lives and attracted widespread international criticism. Duterte has also insulted President Barack Obama, calling him a "son of a whore" and announcing a "separation" from the US during a visit to Beijing last week. Although he quickly walked back from his comments, saying that "separation" did not mean he would "sever" ties, he reiterated his calls on Wednesday for an end to all joint war games with the US. "This will be the last manoeuvre war games between the United States and the Philippines` military," he said of an event hosted in recent weeks by the Philippines.Duterte is set to hold a summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe later on Wednesday and will also meet with Emperor Akihito during the trip. Although his Japanese hosts depend on the US for security, Tokyo has so far not responded to Duterte`s diatribes, while Washington has taken a calm approach. "We're going to take the long view," State Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday. "We're not going to react and respond to every bit of rhetoric," he added. Abe had worked to improve bilateral relations with Duterte`s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, providing patrol boats to support Manila in its territorial row with Beijing over rival claims to the South China Sea. The Philippines took Beijing to an international tribunal over its extensive claims in the region and won a resounding victory in July. But Duterte has not pressed the issue with Beijing, instead working to improve ties and attract billions of dollars in Chinese loans and investments. Duterte also attempted to calm worries in Japan over his trip to China, assuring his audience that he was not seeking military ties with Beijing, just a closer economic relationship. "We did not talk about arms, we did not talk about stationing of troops," he said. "We avoided talking about alliances, military or otherwise." (AFP)

Philippines' Duterte wants US troops out in two years

&nbsp;Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte softened his remarks about a &quot;separation&quot; from long-time ally the United States on the eve of a visit to Japan, a country worried about Manila`s apparent pivot away from Washington and towards China.

&quot;The alliances are alive,&quot; Duterte told Japanese media in Manila on Monday, Kyodo News reported. &quot;There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations.&quot;

 
The remarks will be welcomed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants to keep ties with the Philippines tight during Duterte`s visit to Japan, starting on Tuesday.

 
Duterte jolted the region last week on a trip to China when he announced a realignment towards Beijing, the latest in a series of outbursts against the United States.

 
Duterte and his aides later tried to clarify that he did not mean he was cutting ties with the United States and his remarks on Monday were the most conciliatory yet.

Duterte told Japanese media he had been expressing a personal opinion, not speaking for the government when he mentioned separating from Washington, the Nikkei newspaper said.&nbsp;

He said he only plans to have an &quot;alliance of trade and commerce&quot; with China, Kyodo reported.

The Yomiuri newspaper, however, said Duterte had repeated he wants to halt joint military exercises with the United States and end a military cooperation pact seen as crucial to projecting US power in Asia in the face of a fast-rising China.

 
Worried Japan 
Abe has sought to strengthen ties with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries as a counter-balance to Beijing.

 
&quot;It&#39;s certainly unfortunate and we are worried, but such things will not change Japan&#39;s commitment to the Philippines,&quot; said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and former defence official, referring to Duterte&#39;s comments.

 
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry, after talking to his Philippine counterpart on Sunday, is confident the two countries can &quot;work through&quot; a period of confusion caused by Duterte`s remarks the State Department said.&nbsp;

 
Duterte has railed against U.S. expressions of concerns about the high loss of life in his campaign against drugs and Washington&#39;s calls for due process.

 
Japanese officials said Abe would not overtly try to mediate between Tokyo and Washington but would probably explain the importance of the U.S. role in the region.

 
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet Duterte on Tuesday for a low-key dinner, and Abe will hold rare one-on-one talks with Duterte at his residence in Tokyo the next evening following a larger, more formal meeting with senior officials.

 
&quot;I believe ties between Japan and the Philippines are very important and that seeking to stabilise bilateral ties will lead straight to peace, stability and prosperity of the region as well as of the international community,&quot; Kishida told reporters.

 
He added he wanted to listen carefully to Duterte&#39;s views.

 
Duterte&#39;s predecessor Benigno Aquino angered China by lodging a case with an arbitration court in the Hague challenging the legitimacy of Beijing&#39;s maritime claims in the resource-rich South China Sea.

 
A ruling earlier this year emphatically favoured Manila but was rejected by China, which has repeatedly warned the United States and Japan to stay out of the dispute.

 
Duterte said the two countries had agreed not to discuss the international court`s ruling on his initial visit, but would have to talk about it at some point, the Nikkei reported.&nbsp;

 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

Duterte jolted the region last week on a trip to China when he announced a realignment towards Beijing

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte softened his remarks about a "separation" from long-time ally the United States on the eve of a visit to Japan, a country worried about Manila`s apparent pivot away from Washington and towards China. "The alliances are alive," Duterte told Japanese media in Manila on Monday, Kyodo News reported. "There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations." The remarks will be welcomed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wants to keep ties with the Philippines tight during Duterte`s visit to Japan, starting on Tuesday. Duterte jolted the region last week on a trip to China when he announced a realignment towards Beijing, the latest in a series of outbursts against the United States. Duterte and his aides later tried to clarify that he did not mean he was cutting ties with the United States and his remarks on Monday were the most conciliatory yet. Duterte told Japanese media he had been expressing a personal opinion, not speaking for the government when he mentioned separating from Washington, the Nikkei newspaper said. He said he only plans to have an "alliance of trade and commerce" with China, Kyodo reported. The Yomiuri newspaper, however, said Duterte had repeated he wants to halt joint military exercises with the United States and end a military cooperation pact seen as crucial to projecting US power in Asia in the face of a fast-rising China. Worried Japan Abe has sought to strengthen ties with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries as a counter-balance to Beijing. "It's certainly unfortunate and we are worried, but such things will not change Japan's commitment to the Philippines," said Narushige Michishita, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies and former defence official, referring to Duterte's comments. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry, after talking to his Philippine counterpart on Sunday, is confident the two countries can "work through" a period of confusion caused by Duterte`s remarks the State Department said. Duterte has railed against U.S. expressions of concerns about the high loss of life in his campaign against drugs and Washington's calls for due process. Japanese officials said Abe would not overtly try to mediate between Tokyo and Washington but would probably explain the importance of the U.S. role in the region. Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will meet Duterte on Tuesday for a low-key dinner, and Abe will hold rare one-on-one talks with Duterte at his residence in Tokyo the next evening following a larger, more formal meeting with senior officials. "I believe ties between Japan and the Philippines are very important and that seeking to stabilise bilateral ties will lead straight to peace, stability and prosperity of the region as well as of the international community," Kishida told reporters. He added he wanted to listen carefully to Duterte's views. Duterte's predecessor Benigno Aquino angered China by lodging a case with an arbitration court in the Hague challenging the legitimacy of Beijing's maritime claims in the resource-rich South China Sea. A ruling earlier this year emphatically favoured Manila but was rejected by China, which has repeatedly warned the United States and Japan to stay out of the dispute. Duterte said the two countries had agreed not to discuss the international court`s ruling on his initial visit, but would have to talk about it at some point, the Nikkei reported. (Reuters)

Philippines:  Duterte eases stance towards US. before Japan visit

Philippines&#39; President Rodrigo Duterte declared his &quot;separation&quot; from longstanding ally the United States in Beijing on Thursday, as he rebalances his country&#39;s diplomacy towards China.

&quot;I announce my separation from the United States,&quot; he said to applause at a meeting in the Chinese capital.

His comments came after he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square, with the two men pledging to enhance trust and friendship, while playing down a maritime dispute.

The two leaders, Duterte donning a suit and tie for the occasion, strode side-by-side down the red carpet inspecting a&nbsp;guard of honour, with children cheering.

Xi called the two countries &quot;neighbours across the sea&quot; with &quot;no reason for hostility or confrontation&quot;, the official Xinhua news agency said.&nbsp;

Duterte is in China for a four-day trip seen as confirming his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing&#39;s sphere of influence&nbsp;and its deep pockets.&nbsp;

Under Duterte&#39;s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, the two countries were at loggerheads over the South China Sea, where Beijing has built a series of artificial islands, but since taking office in June, the new head of state has changed course.

The two leaders held &quot;extensive&quot; and &quot;amicable&quot; official talks and oversaw the signing of 13 bilateral cooperation documents on business, infrastructure, and agriculture, among other fields, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, without giving details.

In a statement, the foreign ministry cited Xi as telling Duterte their emotional foundation of friendly good neighbourliness was unchanged, and difficult topics of discussion &quot;could be shelved temporarily&quot;.

Duterte called the meeting &quot;historic&quot;, it added.

Duterte&#39;s visit to Beijing capped a series of recent declarations blasting the US and President Barack Obama.

Addressing the Filipino community in Beijing Wednesday, the firebrand leader said the Philippines had gained little from its long alliance with the US, its former colonial ruler.

&quot;Your stay in my country was for your own benefit. So time to say goodbye, my friend,&quot; he said, as if addressing the US.

He also repeated his denunciation of Obama as a &quot;son of a whore&quot;.

&nbsp;

&#39;Candid and friendly&#39;&nbsp;

China, he said earlier, was &quot;good&quot;. &quot;It has never invaded a piece of my country all these generations.&quot;

Duterte has also suspended joint US-Philippine patrols in the strategically vital South China Sea&nbsp;and has threatened an end to joint military exercises.

The South China Sea is of intense interest to Washington and it has repeatedly spoken out on the various territorial disputes between China and its neighbours over the waters.&nbsp;

Tensions have risen between the US and China over Washington&#39;s so-called &quot;pivot&quot; to the Asia-Pacific, a move that Beijing says is intended to contain it.

In 2012, China seized control of Scarborough Shoal, a fishing ground in the Philippines&#39; exclusive economic zone.

In a case brought by Aquino, the Philippines won a resounding victory at an international tribunal earlier this year over Beijing&#39;s extensive territorial maritime claims in the area, infuriating the Asian giant.&nbsp;

But Duterte, who took office in June shortly before the tribunal ruling, has made a point of not flaunting the outcome.

Asked whether the leaders had discussed the South China Sea, the foreign ministry&#39;s Hua said they had a &quot;candid and friendly exchange of views on how to resolve relevant disputes&quot;.

Their meeting represented a &quot;return to the right track of dialogue and consultation&quot; she said, adding China was willing to make &quot;relevant arrangements&quot; to cooperate on fishery issues.&nbsp;

(AFP)

His comments came after he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square

Philippines' President Rodrigo Duterte declared his "separation" from longstanding ally the United States in Beijing on Thursday, as he rebalances his country's diplomacy towards China. "I announce my separation from the United States," he said to applause at a meeting in the Chinese capital. His comments came after he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square, with the two men pledging to enhance trust and friendship, while playing down a maritime dispute. The two leaders, Duterte donning a suit and tie for the occasion, strode side-by-side down the red carpet inspecting a guard of honour, with children cheering. Xi called the two countries "neighbours across the sea" with "no reason for hostility or confrontation", the official Xinhua news agency said. Duterte is in China for a four-day trip seen as confirming his tilt away from Washington and towards Beijing's sphere of influence and its deep pockets. Under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino, the two countries were at loggerheads over the South China Sea, where Beijing has built a series of artificial islands, but since taking office in June, the new head of state has changed course. The two leaders held "extensive" and "amicable" official talks and oversaw the signing of 13 bilateral cooperation documents on business, infrastructure, and agriculture, among other fields, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, without giving details. In a statement, the foreign ministry cited Xi as telling Duterte their emotional foundation of friendly good neighbourliness was unchanged, and difficult topics of discussion "could be shelved temporarily". Duterte called the meeting "historic", it added. Duterte's visit to Beijing capped a series of recent declarations blasting the US and President Barack Obama. Addressing the Filipino community in Beijing Wednesday, the firebrand leader said the Philippines had gained little from its long alliance with the US, its former colonial ruler. "Your stay in my country was for your own benefit. So time to say goodbye, my friend," he said, as if addressing the US. He also repeated his denunciation of Obama as a "son of a whore". 'Candid and friendly' China, he said earlier, was "good". "It has never invaded a piece of my country all these generations." Duterte has also suspended joint US-Philippine patrols in the strategically vital South China Sea and has threatened an end to joint military exercises. The South China Sea is of intense interest to Washington and it has repeatedly spoken out on the various territorial disputes between China and its neighbours over the waters. Tensions have risen between the US and China over Washington's so-called "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific, a move that Beijing says is intended to contain it. In 2012, China seized control of Scarborough Shoal, a fishing ground in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. In a case brought by Aquino, the Philippines won a resounding victory at an international tribunal earlier this year over Beijing's extensive territorial maritime claims in the area, infuriating the Asian giant. But Duterte, who took office in June shortly before the tribunal ruling, has made a point of not flaunting the outcome. Asked whether the leaders had discussed the South China Sea, the foreign ministry's Hua said they had a "candid and friendly exchange of views on how to resolve relevant disputes". Their meeting represented a "return to the right track of dialogue and consultation" she said, adding China was willing to make "relevant arrangements" to cooperate on fishery issues. (AFP)

In China, Philippines President Duterte announces 'separation' from US

Women in burqas and those wearing surgical masks should refrain from concealing their faces in public, the Philippine president&#39;s mayor daughter said Thursday, describing the measure as aimed at preventing attacks. 
 
Sara Duterte, mayor of Davao and daughter of firebrand leader Rodrigo Duterte, made the remarks as police hunt for the suspects -- seen on CCTV wearing face masks -- behind a bombing this month that killed 15 in the southern city. 
 
&quot;It would be a good security practice to disallow garments that cover the faces in public places,&quot; the mayor said in a written statement. 
 
&quot;These garments include hats, sunglasses, face masks, mouth masks, burqa, face paint, and other similar things.&quot; 
 
She said she understood the concerns of Muslim women who are required by their religion to cover up. 
 
&quot;May I suggest that you wear the hijab which shows your face or cooperate with the security personnel and show your face if you are wearing the burqa,&quot; the mayor said. 
 
Muslim women in the majority Catholic nation usually favour a hijab, which covers only the hair, over the face-concealing burqa, though it is growing in popularity.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The general welfare of the majority takes precedence over religious tradition. While it is true that these garments are not disallowed by law, we discourage their use in public places,&quot; the mayor added. 
 
Surgical masks are commonly worn by commuters in Asian cities, to block out pollution, or sometimes to stop the spread of illness. 
 
Since the deadly blast in the bustling market in Davao on September 2, which led to the president declaring a &quot;state of lawlessness&quot;, the city has introduced checkpoints and armed security at key establishments. 
 
The government has blamed the attack on local Islamic militants. 
 
(AFP)

The mayor of Davao made the remarks as police hunt for suspects -- seen on CCTV wearing face masks -- behind a bombing this month

Women in burqas and those wearing surgical masks should refrain from concealing their faces in public, the Philippine president's mayor daughter said Thursday, describing the measure as aimed at preventing attacks. Sara Duterte, mayor of Davao and daughter of firebrand leader Rodrigo Duterte, made the remarks as police hunt for the suspects -- seen on CCTV wearing face masks -- behind a bombing this month that killed 15 in the southern city. "It would be a good security practice to disallow garments that cover the faces in public places," the mayor said in a written statement. "These garments include hats, sunglasses, face masks, mouth masks, burqa, face paint, and other similar things." She said she understood the concerns of Muslim women who are required by their religion to cover up. "May I suggest that you wear the hijab which shows your face or cooperate with the security personnel and show your face if you are wearing the burqa," the mayor said. Muslim women in the majority Catholic nation usually favour a hijab, which covers only the hair, over the face-concealing burqa, though it is growing in popularity. "The general welfare of the majority takes precedence over religious tradition. While it is true that these garments are not disallowed by law, we discourage their use in public places," the mayor added. Surgical masks are commonly worn by commuters in Asian cities, to block out pollution, or sometimes to stop the spread of illness. Since the deadly blast in the bustling market in Davao on September 2, which led to the president declaring a "state of lawlessness", the city has introduced checkpoints and armed security at key establishments. The government has blamed the attack on local Islamic militants. (AFP)

Show face to police, Muslims in Philippine city ordered

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