A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the region south of the Philippine capital on Friday, causing buildings in Manila and nearby areas to sway, seismologists and witnesses said.

The quake struck just off the coast of Lian town at 1:28 pm (0528 GMT), at a relatively deep 173 kilometres, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported.

The US Geological Survey measured it at 6.2 magnitude.

&quot;Due to its depth we do not expect any damage,&quot; the institute&#39;s director Renato Solidum said on government television.

A rescue official at the town closest to the epicentre also reported no damage or casualties.

But buildings in Manila and other nearby areas swayed, with employees of Malacanang presidential palace and other government buildings in central Manila and the nearby town of Bacoor evacuated, witnesses said.

&quot;City hall employees as well as those transacting business there were ordered to leave the building as a precaution,&quot; government lawyer Bugsy del Rosario from Bacoor reported.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t really that strong. We did not see anyone running out of buildings here,&quot; said fire officer John Christopher Carandang from Lian, a town of 46,000 people about 70 kilometres&nbsp;south of Manila.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

Last month a 6.5-magnitude quake killed two people and heavily damaged power generation plants on the central island of Leyte, leaving large areas of the central Philippines without power for weeks.

Eight people also died and more than 250 were injured following a 6.5-magnitude quake outside the southern city of Surigao in February.

The latest major quake to hit the Philippines was in 2013 when a 7.1-magnitude quake left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches in the central islands.

A rescue official at the town closest to the epicentre reported no damage or casualties.

A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked the region south of the Philippine capital on Friday, causing buildings in Manila and nearby areas to sway, seismologists and witnesses said. The quake struck just off the coast of Lian town at 1:28 pm (0528 GMT), at a relatively deep 173 kilometres, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported. The US Geological Survey measured it at 6.2 magnitude. "Due to its depth we do not expect any damage," the institute's director Renato Solidum said on government television. A rescue official at the town closest to the epicentre also reported no damage or casualties. But buildings in Manila and other nearby areas swayed, with employees of Malacanang presidential palace and other government buildings in central Manila and the nearby town of Bacoor evacuated, witnesses said. "City hall employees as well as those transacting business there were ordered to leave the building as a precaution," government lawyer Bugsy del Rosario from Bacoor reported. "It wasn't really that strong. We did not see anyone running out of buildings here," said fire officer John Christopher Carandang from Lian, a town of 46,000 people about 70 kilometres south of Manila. The Philippines lies on the so-called Ring of Fire, a vast Pacific Ocean region where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Last month a 6.5-magnitude quake killed two people and heavily damaged power generation plants on the central island of Leyte, leaving large areas of the central Philippines without power for weeks. Eight people also died and more than 250 were injured following a 6.5-magnitude quake outside the southern city of Surigao in February. The latest major quake to hit the Philippines was in 2013 when a 7.1-magnitude quake left more than 220 people dead and destroyed historic churches in the central islands.

Strong 6.2 quake rocks Philippines

Reports of summary executions, including of children, are multiplying in the Philippines, three United Nations experts said on Monday, urging the government to investigate and curb &quot;spiralling rights violations&quot;.&nbsp;

The condemnation is the latest by human rights advocates against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose 13-month-old administration has triggered widespread alarm, notably over his deadly drug war.&nbsp;

&quot;The Government of the Philippines must urgently address growing reports of human rights violations, including murder, threats against indigenous peoples and the summary execution of children,&quot; the panel of three experts said in a statement.&nbsp;

One of the experts cited is the UN&#39;s special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, who has previously faced harsh criticism from Duterte loyalists over an unofficial visit she made to the Philippines in May that the government claims was not authorised. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;We are shocked by the increasing levels of violence&quot;, the group added, specifically highlighting threats against human rights defenders, trade union leaders along with those fighting to protect land rights against business interests. &nbsp;

&quot;All these cases must be investigated thoroughly and perpetrators should be brought to justice&quot;, added the statement, co-signed by Michel Forst, the UN expert on human rights defenders and Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, the special rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children.&nbsp;

While the statement did not specifically cite Duterte&#39;s drug war, that campaign has been a key element of what the experts called &quot;a climate of prevailing violence&quot; in the Philippines.

The president last week vowed no let up in his battle against illegal drugs, during which police have reported killing nearly 3,200 people.&nbsp;

More than 2,000 other people have been killed in drug-related crimes, according to police data.

Rights groups say many of those victims have been killed by vigilante death squads linked to the government, and that Duterte may be overseeing a crime against humanity.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose 13-month-old administration has triggered widespread alarm, notably over his deadly drug war

Reports of summary executions, including of children, are multiplying in the Philippines, three United Nations experts said on Monday, urging the government to investigate and curb "spiralling rights violations". The condemnation is the latest by human rights advocates against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose 13-month-old administration has triggered widespread alarm, notably over his deadly drug war. "The Government of the Philippines must urgently address growing reports of human rights violations, including murder, threats against indigenous peoples and the summary execution of children," the panel of three experts said in a statement. One of the experts cited is the UN's special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Agnes Callamard, who has previously faced harsh criticism from Duterte loyalists over an unofficial visit she made to the Philippines in May that the government claims was not authorised. "We are shocked by the increasing levels of violence", the group added, specifically highlighting threats against human rights defenders, trade union leaders along with those fighting to protect land rights against business interests. "All these cases must be investigated thoroughly and perpetrators should be brought to justice", added the statement, co-signed by Michel Forst, the UN expert on human rights defenders and Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, the special rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children. While the statement did not specifically cite Duterte's drug war, that campaign has been a key element of what the experts called "a climate of prevailing violence" in the Philippines. The president last week vowed no let up in his battle against illegal drugs, during which police have reported killing nearly 3,200 people. More than 2,000 other people have been killed in drug-related crimes, according to police data. Rights groups say many of those victims have been killed by vigilante death squads linked to the government, and that Duterte may be overseeing a crime against humanity.

Executions increasing in Philippines: UN experts

&nbsp;A hostage drama that unfolded at a primary school in the southern Philippines on Wednesday has been resolved, a military spokesman said,&nbsp;and the Islamist militants who had held people captive had withdrawn with no reports of casualties, Reuters reports.

&quot;It&#39;s already resolved,&quot; Brigadier General Restituto Padilla told reporters. &quot;They&#39;ve withdrawn, they are no longer there. The school area is again safe.&quot;

However, Padilla also said the military was investigating whether five civilians were still being held by the militants. He said no children had been taken hostage.

Earlier, a spokesman for the militant group said they had taken civilians to a safe place after a gunfight erupted with troops and did not intend to hold them.

It was originally <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/islamic-state-linked-militants-storm-philippines-school-civilians-trapped-17084">reported </a>that 300 militants had stormed a school, and it was unclear whether or not students were taken&nbsp;hostage. Reuters reported in the affirmative, that the group had taken students hostage. The local mayor was ambiguous, but pointed out that the militants attacked the school before classes were scheduled to start.&nbsp;

Civilians were confirmed&nbsp;to be held captive, but not students.

President Duterte declared a state of emergency on Mindanao island last month, as Islamic State-linked fighters were embroiled in a siege on Marawi City, now in its fifth week. The school that was attacked this morning is&nbsp;on the same island as Marawi,&nbsp;is as much as 190 kilometres away.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

The Islamist militants who had held people captive have withdrawn. 'The school area is safe again,' a general told reporters

A hostage drama that unfolded at a primary school in the southern Philippines on Wednesday has been resolved, a military spokesman said, and the Islamist militants who had held people captive had withdrawn with no reports of casualties, Reuters reports. "It's already resolved," Brigadier General Restituto Padilla told reporters. "They've withdrawn, they are no longer there. The school area is again safe." However, Padilla also said the military was investigating whether five civilians were still being held by the militants. He said no children had been taken hostage. Earlier, a spokesman for the militant group said they had taken civilians to a safe place after a gunfight erupted with troops and did not intend to hold them. It was originally reported that 300 militants had stormed a school, and it was unclear whether or not students were taken hostage. Reuters reported in the affirmative, that the group had taken students hostage. The local mayor was ambiguous, but pointed out that the militants attacked the school before classes were scheduled to start. Civilians were confirmed to be held captive, but not students. President Duterte declared a state of emergency on Mindanao island last month, as Islamic State-linked fighters were embroiled in a siege on Marawi City, now in its fifth week. The school that was attacked this morning is on the same island as Marawi, is as much as 190 kilometres away. (With inputs from Reuters)

Philippines hostage drama resolved without casualties, military says

As many as 300 gunmen have storm a school in the southern Philippines&nbsp;in a village close to&nbsp;Pigcawayan town, according to police, reports <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-militants-idUSKBN19C062" target="_blank">Reuters</a><a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/gunmen-storm-pigcawayan-town-occupy-school-police-170621014437983.html" target="_blank">.</a>&nbsp;

A gun battle with security forces is taking place between suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group and security forces, according to Chief Inspector Realan Mamon.

Reuters reports that several students are being held hostage, but the <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/907357/residents-trapped-as-biff-men-attack-north-cotabato-village">mayor </a>was unable to confirm that earlier, and stated that the gunmen attacked the school before class was scheduled to start.

The IS-linked militants are being led by one &quot;Commander Agila&quot;, in&nbsp;the village of&nbsp;Barangay Malagakit, reports the Philippines daily,&nbsp;<a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/907357/residents-trapped-as-biff-men-attack-north-cotabato-village" target="_blank">Inquirer</a>.&nbsp;

The mayor is still seeking information about possible casualties. He confirmed that civilians were trapped.

President Duterte declared a state of emergency on Mindanao island last month, as Islamic State-linked fighters were embroiled in a siege on Marawi City, now in its fifth week.

They are on the same island, but there is as much as 190 kilometres separating Pigcawayan from&nbsp;Marawi city.&nbsp;An Al Jazeera reporter speculated that&nbsp;the state of martial law across the region may be a type of link.

This story will be updated as new reports come in.

Several students are feared to have been held hostage, though the gunmen attacked before class was scheduled to start

As many as 300 gunmen have storm a school in the southern Philippines in a village close to Pigcawayan town, according to police, reports Reuters. A gun battle with security forces is taking place between suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group and security forces, according to Chief Inspector Realan Mamon. Reuters reports that several students are being held hostage, but the mayor was unable to confirm that earlier, and stated that the gunmen attacked the school before class was scheduled to start. The IS-linked militants are being led by one "Commander Agila", in the village of Barangay Malagakit, reports the Philippines daily, Inquirer. The mayor is still seeking information about possible casualties. He confirmed that civilians were trapped. President Duterte declared a state of emergency on Mindanao island last month, as Islamic State-linked fighters were embroiled in a siege on Marawi City, now in its fifth week. They are on the same island, but there is as much as 190 kilometres separating Pigcawayan from Marawi city. An Al Jazeera reporter speculated that the state of martial law across the region may be a type of link. This story will be updated as new reports come in.

300 Islamic State-linked militants storm Philippines school, civilians trapped

Spy agencies reportedly suspect that an Islamic State (IS) terrorist of Indian nationality has died in the Philippines, reports the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-4614364/Has-Indian-ISIS-fighter-killed-Philippines.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail.</a>

It is thought that he died while fighting in the city of Marawi. Officials are trying to confirm the&nbsp;information they received.

&quot;There are inputs that one person by the name of Mushtaq, who left India to join the terror group was part of the ISIS group which carried out the assault on the Filippino city and we are in the process of verifying the input,&quot; said a senior intelligence officer to Mail Today.

Marawi has been under siege for weeks by IS militants.

If Mushtaq is in fact an Indian, he would be the first Indian fighting for Islamic State in South East Asia, which has attracted Islamic terrorists across the region as of late.&nbsp;But Indians have been noticeably reluctant to join the Islamic State, said&nbsp;the official cited by the Daily Mail, who added that spy agencies are worried about isolated youths being recruited, and radicalised over the internet to become &quot;lone wolves&quot;.

&nbsp;

If the IS member killed in Marawi was in fact Indian, he'd be the first Indian fighting for IS in South East Asia

Spy agencies reportedly suspect that an Islamic State (IS) terrorist of Indian nationality has died in the Philippines, reports the Daily Mail. It is thought that he died while fighting in the city of Marawi. Officials are trying to confirm the information they received. "There are inputs that one person by the name of Mushtaq, who left India to join the terror group was part of the ISIS group which carried out the assault on the Filippino city and we are in the process of verifying the input," said a senior intelligence officer to Mail Today. Marawi has been under siege for weeks by IS militants. If Mushtaq is in fact an Indian, he would be the first Indian fighting for Islamic State in South East Asia, which has attracted Islamic terrorists across the region as of late. But Indians have been noticeably reluctant to join the Islamic State, said the official cited by the Daily Mail, who added that spy agencies are worried about isolated youths being recruited, and radicalised over the internet to become "lone wolves".

Did an Indian die in the Philippines fighting for Islamic State?

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

The United States and Philippines began Monday their main annual military exercises with a smaller number of troops than previous years and are limited to anti-terrorist operations and disaster response.

The 2017 edition of so-called Balikatan, the first one during the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s tenure, began with a ceremony at the headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo to the north of Manila, said the Armed Forces spokesperson Restituto Padilla.

Nearly 5,400 soldiers - including 2,800 Philippine and 2,600 US troops - will participate in these 12-day exercises.

The number of troops, joined by some Australian and Japanese soldiers, has been considerably reduced as compared to previous years, when 11,000 US and Philippine soldiers took part in the exercises.

The current edition of Balikatan will be restricted to anti-terrorist and disaster response operations only, explained the military spokesperson to EFE.

Manila has deployed its biggest warship in this manoeuvre which will focus on mass casualty evacuation, urban search and rescue, underwater demolition and anti-terrorism operations in Samar, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora and Nueva Ecija provinces.

During previous years, both armies practiced war situations with response exercises in the face of an invasion.

This edition does not even include exercises near the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea where Manila and Beijing are embroiled in territorial disputes over the sovereignty issue.

The scaled-back exercises come after Duterte changed the Philippines&#39; foreign policy, distancing the country from Washington and aligning itself more with China with whom it has signed several cooperation agreements and has proposed strengthening defence ties.

Last week, three Chinese warships visited the Philippines - for the first time since 2010 - to &quot;bolster camaraderie and understanding between the two navies through naval diplomacy,&quot; according to the Armed Forces of the island country.

Balikatan has taken place every year since the US and the Philippines signed a mutual defence agreement in 1951.

Duterte agreed to it even though in October, during another program of joint manoeuvres, he promised that those would be the last ones to be conducted.

(EFE)

Nearly 5,400 soldiers - including 2,800 Philippine and 2,600 US troops - will participate in these 12-day exercises

The United States and Philippines began Monday their main annual military exercises with a smaller number of troops than previous years and are limited to anti-terrorist operations and disaster response. The 2017 edition of so-called Balikatan, the first one during the Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's tenure, began with a ceremony at the headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo to the north of Manila, said the Armed Forces spokesperson Restituto Padilla. Nearly 5,400 soldiers - including 2,800 Philippine and 2,600 US troops - will participate in these 12-day exercises. The number of troops, joined by some Australian and Japanese soldiers, has been considerably reduced as compared to previous years, when 11,000 US and Philippine soldiers took part in the exercises. The current edition of Balikatan will be restricted to anti-terrorist and disaster response operations only, explained the military spokesperson to EFE. Manila has deployed its biggest warship in this manoeuvre which will focus on mass casualty evacuation, urban search and rescue, underwater demolition and anti-terrorism operations in Samar, Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora and Nueva Ecija provinces. During previous years, both armies practiced war situations with response exercises in the face of an invasion. This edition does not even include exercises near the Spratly archipelago in the South China Sea where Manila and Beijing are embroiled in territorial disputes over the sovereignty issue. The scaled-back exercises come after Duterte changed the Philippines' foreign policy, distancing the country from Washington and aligning itself more with China with whom it has signed several cooperation agreements and has proposed strengthening defence ties. Last week, three Chinese warships visited the Philippines - for the first time since 2010 - to "bolster camaraderie and understanding between the two navies through naval diplomacy," according to the Armed Forces of the island country. Balikatan has taken place every year since the US and the Philippines signed a mutual defence agreement in 1951. Duterte agreed to it even though in October, during another program of joint manoeuvres, he promised that those would be the last ones to be conducted. (EFE)

US, Philippines begin small-scale military exercises

Fourteen people were wounded in a pipe bomb blast in Manila, Philippine police said Saturday, but authorities dismissed any link to an Asian leaders` meeting under way in the capital.

The explosion happened late Friday about five kilometres (three miles) from the heavily guarded complex where Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) leaders are meeting and police said they were investigating the possibility it was a revenge assault.&nbsp;

A relative of a 14-year-old boy injured in an attack in the same area by a group of youths earlier in the week had made public threats, police spokeswoman Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas said.

She described the device as a &quot;homemade pipe bomb&quot; stuffed with low-grade explosives, like the ones used to make firecrackers.&nbsp;

No one has been arrested.&nbsp;

&quot;The incident is not in any way connected to or directed (at) the ongoing ASEAN summit,&quot; Ernesto Abella, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;We assure our people that security measures are in place in today`s event and ask the public for their full understanding and cooperation in this regard.&quot;&nbsp;

The Philippines is fighting Islamic militants based in the country`s south who have been blamed by police in the past for deadly bombings as well as kidnappings.

Of the 14 people hurt, six were treated for minor wounds and sent home, while eight others remain in hospital, two of them with serious injuries, Molitas said.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The explosion happened late Friday about five kilometres (three miles) from the heavily guarded complex where Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) leaders are meeting

Fourteen people were wounded in a pipe bomb blast in Manila, Philippine police said Saturday, but authorities dismissed any link to an Asian leaders` meeting under way in the capital. The explosion happened late Friday about five kilometres (three miles) from the heavily guarded complex where Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) leaders are meeting and police said they were investigating the possibility it was a revenge assault. A relative of a 14-year-old boy injured in an attack in the same area by a group of youths earlier in the week had made public threats, police spokeswoman Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas said. She described the device as a "homemade pipe bomb" stuffed with low-grade explosives, like the ones used to make firecrackers. No one has been arrested. "The incident is not in any way connected to or directed (at) the ongoing ASEAN summit," Ernesto Abella, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, said in a statement. "We assure our people that security measures are in place in today`s event and ask the public for their full understanding and cooperation in this regard." The Philippines is fighting Islamic militants based in the country`s south who have been blamed by police in the past for deadly bombings as well as kidnappings. Of the 14 people hurt, six were treated for minor wounds and sent home, while eight others remain in hospital, two of them with serious injuries, Molitas said. (AFP)

Philippines: 14 injured in Manila blast as ASEAN leaders meet

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has fired the interior minister, his spokesman said Tuesday as infighting and corruption allegations rock his government.

Ismael Sueno, who supervised Duterte&#39;s war on drugs that has left thousands dead, was fired on the spot at a cabinet meeting late Monday, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

&quot;The summary dismissal served as a warning that Mr Duterte would not countenance any questionable or legally untenable decisions by any member of the cabinet,&quot; Abella added.

He did not say what these decisions were, but added the sacking formed part of Duterte&#39;s &quot;drive for a trustworthy government by addressing issues like corruption&quot;.

In a statement issued Monday, hours before his sacking, Sueno, 69, vigorously denied any involvement in corruption, blaming other followers of Duterte for circulating such allegations against him.

&quot;My advocacy against corruption has been strong. My belief is the same as President Duterte in fighting this. So this accusation against me is impossible,&quot; said Sueno, a former provincial governor and city mayor.

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<h5>The summary dismissal served as a warning that Mr Duterte would not countenance any questionable or legally untenable decisions by any member of the cabinet,&#39; presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said</h5>
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Sueno said he was being badmouthed by three junior ministers in the Department of the Interior and Local Government, like him also appointed by Duterte.

Asked if Sueno might face further charges, Abella told reporters: &quot;Let us wait for the president to take his subsequent actions.&quot;

Sueno&#39;s sacking comes a month after Perfecto Yasay left his post as foreign minister after Congress ruled that he lied to them over his US citizenship.

Abella said the loss of another cabinet member was not a sign of trouble but proof that Duterte was serious about restoring trust in government.

He did not say who would replace Sueno, though there has been speculation Duterte would appoint Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, son of the late Philippine dictator.

Former senator Marcos Jnr lost the vice presidential election last year but is contesting the outcome at an election tribunal.

In Congress, two other close Duterte allies, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Congressman Antonio Floirendo, have been publicly feuding for weeks with Duterte trying to stay out of the quarrel.

Alvarez has accused Floirendo, a key contributor in the Duterte election campaign, of corruption, but Floirendo denies the charge.

Duterte won election by a landslide in May largely on his promise to launch a war on illegal drugs.

Although the campaign has proved popular at home, the president has faced international criticism for thousands of killings that human rights advocates say were carried out as part of the anti-drug initiative.

The government denies the allegations.

(AFP)

Ismael Sueno was fired on the spot at a cabinet meeting late Monday

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has fired the interior minister, his spokesman said Tuesday as infighting and corruption allegations rock his government. Ismael Sueno, who supervised Duterte's war on drugs that has left thousands dead, was fired on the spot at a cabinet meeting late Monday, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement. "The summary dismissal served as a warning that Mr Duterte would not countenance any questionable or legally untenable decisions by any member of the cabinet," Abella added. He did not say what these decisions were, but added the sacking formed part of Duterte's "drive for a trustworthy government by addressing issues like corruption". In a statement issued Monday, hours before his sacking, Sueno, 69, vigorously denied any involvement in corruption, blaming other followers of Duterte for circulating such allegations against him. "My advocacy against corruption has been strong. My belief is the same as President Duterte in fighting this. So this accusation against me is impossible," said Sueno, a former provincial governor and city mayor. The summary dismissal served as a warning that Mr Duterte would not countenance any questionable or legally untenable decisions by any member of the cabinet,' presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said × Sueno said he was being badmouthed by three junior ministers in the Department of the Interior and Local Government, like him also appointed by Duterte. Asked if Sueno might face further charges, Abella told reporters: "Let us wait for the president to take his subsequent actions." Sueno's sacking comes a month after Perfecto Yasay left his post as foreign minister after Congress ruled that he lied to them over his US citizenship. Abella said the loss of another cabinet member was not a sign of trouble but proof that Duterte was serious about restoring trust in government. He did not say who would replace Sueno, though there has been speculation Duterte would appoint Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, son of the late Philippine dictator. Former senator Marcos Jnr lost the vice presidential election last year but is contesting the outcome at an election tribunal. In Congress, two other close Duterte allies, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Congressman Antonio Floirendo, have been publicly feuding for weeks with Duterte trying to stay out of the quarrel. Alvarez has accused Floirendo, a key contributor in the Duterte election campaign, of corruption, but Floirendo denies the charge. Duterte won election by a landslide in May largely on his promise to launch a war on illegal drugs. Although the campaign has proved popular at home, the president has faced international criticism for thousands of killings that human rights advocates say were carried out as part of the anti-drug initiative. The government denies the allegations. (AFP)

Philippines: Duterte fires interior minister who supervised war on drugs

Allies of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte have prepared legislation to postpone elections to the over 40,000 village councils in the country and allow him to choose replacements in what they say is part of the war on drugs.

If passed by Congress, the move would make Duterte, a former mayor, the most powerful leader in the Philippines since late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos was widely accused of exploiting village council leaders to legitimise his rule.

Duterte has declared that 40 per cent of the Philippines&#39; village chiefs, known as barangay captains, are &quot;into drugs&quot;, and obstructing the anti-narcotics crackdown launched by his administration. Over 8,000 people, mostly drug users and small pushers, have been killed since Duterte took office at the end of June, about a third by police and many of the rest by mysterious gunmen.

The proposal to delay the barangay polls due in October has been filed by Congressman Robert Barbers with the support of Duterte loyalist and House of Representatives speaker, Pantaleon Alvarez. They say it aims to stop local drugs barons from winning posts.

The bill, slated for discussion when Congress reconvenes in May 2, seeks to postpone for a second successive year the ballot for 336,000 chairmen and councillors in the nation&#39;s 42,000 barangays. But instead of extending the tenure of incumbents, Duterte&#39;s allies want to declare all posts vacant until 2020, and let the president appoint caretakers instead.

If successful, that would effectively expand Duterte&#39;s control of the executive and legislative branches to the local government apparatus.

Duterte&#39;s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said the president wanted to keep drugs out of politics, but would let lawmakers decide on the elections.

&quot;He is aware of the process, respects the law, and defers to the independence of Congress,&quot; Abella said.

Barbers, who chairs the house committee on dangerous drugs, said he had not contacted Duterte about his proposal and took it upon himself to intervene. He said the move was neither authoritarian nor undemocratic because &quot;extraordinary times need extraordinary measures&quot;.

&quot;We are afraid that 40 per cent of our barangays are controlled, affected or infected by drugs and that will increase,&quot; Barbers told Reuters.

&quot;Especially if we give access to the drug lords to come into play, maybe run for public office. And that&#39;s more dangerous.&quot;

&nbsp;

GRASSROOTS POWER BASE

The barangay is the smallest political unit in the Philippines dating back to before Spanish occupation started in the 16th century. Similar to a mayor, barangay leaders have considerable influence.

Via appointments, Duterte could, potentially, build a grassroots power base, adding to the majority support he holds in the lower house and Senate, and his fervently loyal following on social media.

Barbers said Duterte had no desire to entrench his power.

&quot;He does not need an additional power base,&quot; he said. &quot;We don&#39;t want to turn into a narco-state, we don&#39;t want to be under the auspices of drug lords.&quot;

The bicameral Congress can pass a bill to postpone the barangay elections and vacate the posts, and according to Barbers, Duterte can appoint caretakers, because the constitution states he exercises &quot;general supervision over local governments&quot;.

Critics say he has no authority to do that and are suspicious of his motives.

Congressman Edcel Lagman said the democratic process &quot;should never be sacrificed to the questionable scheme of the president and his cheerleaders&quot;.

Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, the author of a 1991 Local Government Code, called the plan &quot;a joke&quot; and said Duterte should jail rogue officials instead of purging all barangay leaders.

&quot;We cannot do away with the right of the people to elect their own leaders,&quot; he said on television. &quot;Assuming there are drug dealer, addicts, abusers among them, then the solution is to prosecute them, put them behind bars.&quot;

Some barangay captains have indicated they could challenge the plan if Congress pushes it through. They will hold talks next week.

Ramon Casiple, head of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, said Duterte&#39;s allies might be pushing the proposal to curry favour with the president, who tended to &quot;think aloud&quot; about ideas that may be impractical on a national scale.

&quot;He still thinks like a mayor,&quot; he said. &quot;What he says and what he does are not the same.&quot;

(Reuters)

If passed, the move would make Duterte, a former mayor, the most powerful leader in the Philippines since late dictator Ferdinand Marcos

Allies of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte have prepared legislation to postpone elections to the over 40,000 village councils in the country and allow him to choose replacements in what they say is part of the war on drugs. If passed by Congress, the move would make Duterte, a former mayor, the most powerful leader in the Philippines since late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos was widely accused of exploiting village council leaders to legitimise his rule. Duterte has declared that 40 per cent of the Philippines' village chiefs, known as barangay captains, are "into drugs", and obstructing the anti-narcotics crackdown launched by his administration. Over 8,000 people, mostly drug users and small pushers, have been killed since Duterte took office at the end of June, about a third by police and many of the rest by mysterious gunmen. The proposal to delay the barangay polls due in October has been filed by Congressman Robert Barbers with the support of Duterte loyalist and House of Representatives speaker, Pantaleon Alvarez. They say it aims to stop local drugs barons from winning posts. The bill, slated for discussion when Congress reconvenes in May 2, seeks to postpone for a second successive year the ballot for 336,000 chairmen and councillors in the nation's 42,000 barangays. But instead of extending the tenure of incumbents, Duterte's allies want to declare all posts vacant until 2020, and let the president appoint caretakers instead. If successful, that would effectively expand Duterte's control of the executive and legislative branches to the local government apparatus. Duterte's spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said the president wanted to keep drugs out of politics, but would let lawmakers decide on the elections. "He is aware of the process, respects the law, and defers to the independence of Congress," Abella said. Barbers, who chairs the house committee on dangerous drugs, said he had not contacted Duterte about his proposal and took it upon himself to intervene. He said the move was neither authoritarian nor undemocratic because "extraordinary times need extraordinary measures". "We are afraid that 40 per cent of our barangays are controlled, affected or infected by drugs and that will increase," Barbers told Reuters. "Especially if we give access to the drug lords to come into play, maybe run for public office. And that's more dangerous." GRASSROOTS POWER BASE The barangay is the smallest political unit in the Philippines dating back to before Spanish occupation started in the 16th century. Similar to a mayor, barangay leaders have considerable influence. Via appointments, Duterte could, potentially, build a grassroots power base, adding to the majority support he holds in the lower house and Senate, and his fervently loyal following on social media. Barbers said Duterte had no desire to entrench his power. "He does not need an additional power base," he said. "We don't want to turn into a narco-state, we don't want to be under the auspices of drug lords." The bicameral Congress can pass a bill to postpone the barangay elections and vacate the posts, and according to Barbers, Duterte can appoint caretakers, because the constitution states he exercises "general supervision over local governments". Critics say he has no authority to do that and are suspicious of his motives. Congressman Edcel Lagman said the democratic process "should never be sacrificed to the questionable scheme of the president and his cheerleaders". Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, the author of a 1991 Local Government Code, called the plan "a joke" and said Duterte should jail rogue officials instead of purging all barangay leaders. "We cannot do away with the right of the people to elect their own leaders," he said on television. "Assuming there are drug dealer, addicts, abusers among them, then the solution is to prosecute them, put them behind bars." Some barangay captains have indicated they could challenge the plan if Congress pushes it through. They will hold talks next week. Ramon Casiple, head of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, said Duterte's allies might be pushing the proposal to curry favour with the president, who tended to "think aloud" about ideas that may be impractical on a national scale. "He still thinks like a mayor," he said. "What he says and what he does are not the same." (Reuters)

Duterte allies seek to take over Philippine village councils as part of war on drugs

Islamic militants in the Philippines have beheaded the German hostage they were holding for ransom, the government in Manila said.

A video posted by the extremist Abu Sayyaf group, which was monitored by intelligence group SITE, showed Jurgen Kantner being killed by a knife-wielding man.&nbsp;Shortly after the video appeared, government envoy Jesus Dureza confirmed the German&#39;s death.

&quot;We grieve as we strongly condemn the barbaric beheading of yet another kidnap victim,&quot; Dureza said in a statement.

&quot;Up to the last moment, many sectors including the Armed Forces of the Philippines exhausted all efforts to save his life. We all tried our best. But to no avail,&quot; said Dureza.

Military officials in the south said they still had not yet found the German&#39;s body.

The Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history, had previously demanded a ransom of 30 million pesos ($600,000) be paid by Sunday to spare the 70-year-old.&nbsp;Kanter was abducted from his yacht, the Rockall, in waters off the southern Philippines last year.

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The vessel was found drifting on November 7, with the body of Kantner&#39;s female companion, Sabine Merz, bearing a gunshot wound.&nbsp;The couple had previously been kidnapped and held for 52 days in Somalia in 2008 before they were freed, reportedly after a huge ransom was paid, press reports said.

The Abu Sayyaf, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement in the Middle East, have been kidnapping foreigners&nbsp;for decades, holding them for ransom in the jungles of the strife-torn southern Philippines.&nbsp;They have frequently killed hostages if their demands are not met, and last year murdered two Canadians.

Aside from Kanter, they are now holding at least 19 foreigners and seven Filipino hostages, military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said.

The group, formed from seed money provided by a relative of Al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, also carried out the bombing of a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that claimed 116 lives in the country&#39;s deadliest terror attack.

The military had been pressing an assault against the Abu Sayyaf, attacking their camps and bombing their hideouts just before Kantner was killed.

Speaking on the sidelines of a United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Philippines Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said the hostage might have been beheaded because he may have been sick.

(AFP and Reuters)

A video posted by the extremist Abu Sayyaf group showed Jurgen Kantner being killed by a knife-wielding man

Islamic militants in the Philippines have beheaded the German hostage they were holding for ransom, the government in Manila said. A video posted by the extremist Abu Sayyaf group, which was monitored by intelligence group SITE, showed Jurgen Kantner being killed by a knife-wielding man. Shortly after the video appeared, government envoy Jesus Dureza confirmed the German's death. "We grieve as we strongly condemn the barbaric beheading of yet another kidnap victim," Dureza said in a statement. "Up to the last moment, many sectors including the Armed Forces of the Philippines exhausted all efforts to save his life. We all tried our best. But to no avail," said Dureza. Military officials in the south said they still had not yet found the German's body. The Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history, had previously demanded a ransom of 30 million pesos ($600,000) be paid by Sunday to spare the 70-year-old. Kanter was abducted from his yacht, the Rockall, in waters off the southern Philippines last year. The vessel was found drifting on November 7, with the body of Kantner's female companion, Sabine Merz, bearing a gunshot wound. The couple had previously been kidnapped and held for 52 days in Somalia in 2008 before they were freed, reportedly after a huge ransom was paid, press reports said. The Abu Sayyaf, whose leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State movement in the Middle East, have been kidnapping foreigners for decades, holding them for ransom in the jungles of the strife-torn southern Philippines. They have frequently killed hostages if their demands are not met, and last year murdered two Canadians. Aside from Kanter, they are now holding at least 19 foreigners and seven Filipino hostages, military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said. The group, formed from seed money provided by a relative of Al-Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, also carried out the bombing of a ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that claimed 116 lives in the country's deadliest terror attack. The military had been pressing an assault against the Abu Sayyaf, attacking their camps and bombing their hideouts just before Kantner was killed. Speaking on the sidelines of a United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Philippines Foreign Minister Perfecto Yasay said the hostage might have been beheaded because he may have been sick. (AFP and Reuters)

Militants behead German hostage in Philippines

Thousands of Catholic faithful gathered in the Philippine capital on Saturday in a &quot;show of force&quot; to stop extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s drug war.&nbsp;

More than 6,000 people have died since Duterte took office seven months ago and ordered an unprecedented crime war that has drawn global criticism for alleged human rights abuses, but is popular with many in the mainly Catholic nation. &nbsp;

In the biggest rally yet against the killings, members of one of the nation&#39;s oldest and most powerful institutions chanted prayers and sang hymns as they marched to condemn a &quot;spreading culture of violence&quot;.&nbsp;

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<h5>I am alarmed and angry at what&#39;s happening because this is something that is regressive. It does not show our humanity,&#39; said Manila biship Broderick Pabillo</h5>
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&quot;We have to stand up. Somehow this is already a show of force by the faithful that they don&#39;t like these extrajudicial killings,&quot; Manila bishop Broderick Pabillo told AFP before addressing the crowd.&nbsp;

&quot;I am alarmed and angry at what&#39;s happening because this is something that is regressive. It does not show our humanity.&quot;

Duterte, 71, has attacked the Church as being &quot;full of shit&quot; and &quot;the most hypocritical institution&quot; for speaking out against a campaign that he says would save generations of Filipinos from the drug menace.&nbsp;

About eight in 10 Filipinos are Catholic, making the former Spanish colony of more than 100 million people Asia&#39;s bastion of Christianity.&nbsp;

The Church helped lead the revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and a 2001 uprising against then-president Joseph Estrada that saw him ousted over corruption charges.&nbsp;

The Church had initially declined to voice opposition publicly to Duterte&#39;s drug war but, as the death toll of mostly poor people mounted, it began late last year to call for the killings to end.

Saturday&#39;s event, called the &quot;Walk for Life&quot;, gathered 20,000 people, according to the organisers. Manila police estimated the crowd at 10,000.

- &#39;Tears and fears&#39; - 
&quot;It is obvious that there is a spreading culture of violence. It is saddening to see, sometimes it drives me to tears how violent words seem so natural and ordinary,&quot; said Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, the country&#39;s highest-ranking Church official.&nbsp;

&quot;In your surroundings, in your neighbourhood, there are so many lives that must be saved. They will not be saved by mere discussion.&quot;&nbsp;

The Catholic Bishops&#39; Conference of the Philippines had called on the faithful to gather at the Quirino Grandstand, where Duterte held a huge pre-election rally, from 4:30am.&nbsp;

&quot;Why dawn? It&#39;s because it is during these hours that we find bodies on the streets or near trash cans. Dawn, which is supposed to be the hour of a new start, is becoming an hour of tears and fears,&quot; Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the bishops&#39; conference, told the crowd.&nbsp;

Villegas this month issued the Church&#39;s strongest statement against the drug war, warning against a &quot;reign of terror&quot; in poor communities.&nbsp;

Among those who attended Saturday&#39;s event was Senator Leila de Lima, a former human rights commissioner who is one of Duterte&#39;s most vocal opponents.

The government on Friday filed charges against her for allegedly running a drug trafficking ring using criminals in the country&#39;s largest prison when she was justice secretary in the previous administration.&nbsp;

De Lima, who has repeatedly insisted the charges against her are trumped up to silence her and intimidate other Duterte critics, said she attended Saturday&#39;s event as a show of solidarity.

&quot;For as long as I can, I will continue to fight. They cannot silence me,&quot; De Lima, who is expecting to be arrested in the coming days, told AFP.

Bone cancer survivor Lucy Castillo, 56, turned up in a wheelchair along with dozens of other people with disabilities.&nbsp;

&quot;When I was in so much pain, I could have taken my life but I did not. Only God can take it,&quot; she told AFP.&nbsp;

&quot;I was diagnosed 40 years ago but I was given a chance to live. I want to give these drug addicts another chance.&quot;&nbsp;

(AFP)

More than 6,000 people have died in the crackdown since Duterte took office seven months ago, but it remains popular with many

Thousands of Catholic faithful gathered in the Philippine capital on Saturday in a "show of force" to stop extrajudicial killings in President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. More than 6,000 people have died since Duterte took office seven months ago and ordered an unprecedented crime war that has drawn global criticism for alleged human rights abuses, but is popular with many in the mainly Catholic nation. In the biggest rally yet against the killings, members of one of the nation's oldest and most powerful institutions chanted prayers and sang hymns as they marched to condemn a "spreading culture of violence". I am alarmed and angry at what's happening because this is something that is regressive. It does not show our humanity,' said Manila biship Broderick Pabillo × "We have to stand up. Somehow this is already a show of force by the faithful that they don't like these extrajudicial killings," Manila bishop Broderick Pabillo told AFP before addressing the crowd. "I am alarmed and angry at what's happening because this is something that is regressive. It does not show our humanity." Duterte, 71, has attacked the Church as being "full of shit" and "the most hypocritical institution" for speaking out against a campaign that he says would save generations of Filipinos from the drug menace. About eight in 10 Filipinos are Catholic, making the former Spanish colony of more than 100 million people Asia's bastion of Christianity. The Church helped lead the revolution that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and a 2001 uprising against then-president Joseph Estrada that saw him ousted over corruption charges. The Church had initially declined to voice opposition publicly to Duterte's drug war but, as the death toll of mostly poor people mounted, it began late last year to call for the killings to end. Saturday's event, called the "Walk for Life", gathered 20,000 people, according to the organisers. Manila police estimated the crowd at 10,000. - 'Tears and fears' - "It is obvious that there is a spreading culture of violence. It is saddening to see, sometimes it drives me to tears how violent words seem so natural and ordinary," said Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, the country's highest-ranking Church official. "In your surroundings, in your neighbourhood, there are so many lives that must be saved. They will not be saved by mere discussion." The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines had called on the faithful to gather at the Quirino Grandstand, where Duterte held a huge pre-election rally, from 4:30am. "Why dawn? It's because it is during these hours that we find bodies on the streets or near trash cans. Dawn, which is supposed to be the hour of a new start, is becoming an hour of tears and fears," Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the bishops' conference, told the crowd. Villegas this month issued the Church's strongest statement against the drug war, warning against a "reign of terror" in poor communities. Among those who attended Saturday's event was Senator Leila de Lima, a former human rights commissioner who is one of Duterte's most vocal opponents. The government on Friday filed charges against her for allegedly running a drug trafficking ring using criminals in the country's largest prison when she was justice secretary in the previous administration. De Lima, who has repeatedly insisted the charges against her are trumped up to silence her and intimidate other Duterte critics, said she attended Saturday's event as a show of solidarity. "For as long as I can, I will continue to fight. They cannot silence me," De Lima, who is expecting to be arrested in the coming days, told AFP. Bone cancer survivor Lucy Castillo, 56, turned up in a wheelchair along with dozens of other people with disabilities. "When I was in so much pain, I could have taken my life but I did not. Only God can take it," she told AFP. "I was diagnosed 40 years ago but I was given a chance to live. I want to give these drug addicts another chance." (AFP)

Philippines Catholic church comes out against Duterte's war on drugs

A United Nations human rights investigator says there are signs of mounting opposition within the Philippines to President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s war on drugs, with police operations on hold and the Church getting critical of the campaign.

Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, however, said the thousands of killings in the campaign had given rise to a sense of impunity, which could lead to increased lawlessness and violence.&nbsp;

More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30 last year, about a third of them in police operations. Callamard said she knew of only four court cases seeking justice for the victims.

&quot;The difference between the number of reported killings and the number of court cases is unbelievable,&quot; she told Reuters in Bangkok. &quot;It&#39;s very unusual for that degree of impunity to remain restricted to one kind of crime or one type of community.&quot;

Spokesmen for Duterte could not immediately be reached for comment.

The war on drugs has been a signature policy of Duterte, who remains popular in opinion polls.&nbsp;

But Callamard, a human rights expert from France who took up the UN post in August, said opposition to the drug war was increasing and had reached a &quot;tipping point&quot;.

&quot;There is an increasing awareness on the part of the Filipino people that the war on drugs could hurt them,&quot; she said. &quot;The surveys that are being done indicate support for the president...but critique the war on drugs.&quot;

One of the Philippines&#39; top polling agencies, Social Weather Stations, said after a survey of 1,500 people in early December that most were satisfied with Duterte&#39;s rule. But 78 per cent said they were worried that they or someone they knew would be a victim of an extra-judicial killing.

In a series of reports last year, Reuters showed that the police had a 97 per cent kill rate in their drug operations, the strongest proof yet that police were summarily shooting drug suspects.

Both the government and police have strenuously denied that extra-judicial killings have taken place.&nbsp;

The Church in the Philippines, Asia&#39;s largest Catholic nation, had been a muted critic of the campaign but slammed it earlier this month for creating a &quot;reign of terror&quot; among the poor.

The bloodshed had also generated growing unease and criticism from Philippine civil society groups and media, Callamard said.

Her remarks come as Duterte and his police chief Ronald Dela Rosa face intense criticism for the October kidnap and killing of a South Korean businessmen by anti-narcotics officers inside national police headquarters.

He was arrested for drug offences that his wife said was an official cover for kidnap for ransom.

The case, which came to light in January, prompted Dela Rosa to announce the suspension of anti-drug operations to purge the police force of what he termed &quot;rogue cops.&quot; Duterte has however vowed to maintain his anti-drugs campaign until his term ends in 2022.

Callamard said real opposition to the drugs war would come from within the Philippines rather than international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In October, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda warned the Hague-based tribunal could prosecute if the killings were &quot;committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population&quot;.

Duterte has threatened to withdraw from the ICC, calling it &quot;useless&quot;, and said in a November speech: &quot;You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullshit.&quot;

(Reuters)

More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30 last year

A United Nations human rights investigator says there are signs of mounting opposition within the Philippines to President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, with police operations on hold and the Church getting critical of the campaign. Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, however, said the thousands of killings in the campaign had given rise to a sense of impunity, which could lead to increased lawlessness and violence. More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30 last year, about a third of them in police operations. Callamard said she knew of only four court cases seeking justice for the victims. "The difference between the number of reported killings and the number of court cases is unbelievable," she told Reuters in Bangkok. "It's very unusual for that degree of impunity to remain restricted to one kind of crime or one type of community." Spokesmen for Duterte could not immediately be reached for comment. The war on drugs has been a signature policy of Duterte, who remains popular in opinion polls. But Callamard, a human rights expert from France who took up the UN post in August, said opposition to the drug war was increasing and had reached a "tipping point". "There is an increasing awareness on the part of the Filipino people that the war on drugs could hurt them," she said. "The surveys that are being done indicate support for the president...but critique the war on drugs." One of the Philippines' top polling agencies, Social Weather Stations, said after a survey of 1,500 people in early December that most were satisfied with Duterte's rule. But 78 per cent said they were worried that they or someone they knew would be a victim of an extra-judicial killing. In a series of reports last year, Reuters showed that the police had a 97 per cent kill rate in their drug operations, the strongest proof yet that police were summarily shooting drug suspects. Both the government and police have strenuously denied that extra-judicial killings have taken place. The Church in the Philippines, Asia's largest Catholic nation, had been a muted critic of the campaign but slammed it earlier this month for creating a "reign of terror" among the poor. The bloodshed had also generated growing unease and criticism from Philippine civil society groups and media, Callamard said. Her remarks come as Duterte and his police chief Ronald Dela Rosa face intense criticism for the October kidnap and killing of a South Korean businessmen by anti-narcotics officers inside national police headquarters. He was arrested for drug offences that his wife said was an official cover for kidnap for ransom. The case, which came to light in January, prompted Dela Rosa to announce the suspension of anti-drug operations to purge the police force of what he termed "rogue cops." Duterte has however vowed to maintain his anti-drugs campaign until his term ends in 2022. Callamard said real opposition to the drugs war would come from within the Philippines rather than international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC). In October, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda warned the Hague-based tribunal could prosecute if the killings were "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population". Duterte has threatened to withdraw from the ICC, calling it "useless", and said in a November speech: "You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullshit." (Reuters)

Opposition against President Duterte's war on drugs mounting: UN investigator

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 police may have committed crimes against humanity by killing thousands of alleged drug offenders or paying others to murder as part of President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s drug war, Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

An Amnesty report, which followed an in-depth investigation into the drug war, also outlined what it said were other widespread police crimes aside from extrajudicial killings that mainly targeted the poor.

&quot;Acting on orders from the very top, policemen and unknown killers have been targeting anybody remotely suspected of using of selling drugs,&quot; Rawya Rageh, a senior crisis adviser for Amnesty, told AFP. &quot;Our investigation shows that this wave of extrajudicial killings has been widespread, deliberate and systematic, and therefore may amount to crimes against humanity.&quot;

Among a litany of alleged crimes, Amnesty accused police of fatally shooting defenceless people, fabricating evidence, paying assassins to murder drug addicts and stealing from those they killed or the victims&#39; relatives.

It also said police were being paid by their superiors to kill, and documented victims as young as eight years old.

&quot;The police are behaving like the criminal underworld that they are supposed to be enforcing the law against,&quot; the report said.

Duterte won presidential elections last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society within six months by killing tens of thousands of people.

&nbsp;

&#39;Murderous war on poor&#39;

On one occasion Duterte vowed that 100,000 people would be killed and so many bodies would be dumped in Manila Bay that the fish there would grow fat from feeding on them.

Duterte launched his crackdown immediately upon taking office seven months ago. Since then, police have reported killing 2,555 people while nearly 4,000 others have died in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures.

As president, Duterte has repeatedly urged police to kill drug users as well as traffickers.&nbsp;

Duterte said in December he had personally killed people when he was mayor of a southern city to set an example for police.&nbsp;Three months earlier he said he would be &quot;happy to slaughter&quot; three million drug addicts, and likened his campaign to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler&#39;s efforts to exterminate Jews in Europe.&nbsp;

The Amnesty report said Duterte had incited the police to carry out a murderous war on the poor, and warned that the International Criminal Court would need to start investigating unless Philippine authorities did not stop it soon.

&quot;The police killings are driven by pressures from the top, including an order to &#39;neutralise&#39; alleged drug offenders, as well as financial incentives. They have created an informal economy of death,&quot; the report said. Amnesty said it investigated the deaths of 59 people, and found the majority of them were extrajudicial killings.

&nbsp;

&#39;I will surrender, sir&#39;

In a number of cases witnesses to killings or victims&#39; relatives told Amnesty that the person shot dead was unarmed and had not resisted arrest. Police also planted drugs and weapons that they later &quot;seised&quot; as evidence, Amnesty said.

&quot;I will surrender, I will surrender, sir,&quot; Gener Rondina, 38, told police after they broke into his home in the central city of Cebu, a witness told Amnesty.

Rondina then knelt and raised his arms behind his head but police then shot him dead, Amnesty said, citing the witness.

When family members were allowed into the house six hours after Gener was shot, valuables including a laptop, watch and money were missing, according to Amnesty.

Police alleged Rondina had a gun and they acted in self defence, and the method of killing as well as the justification was typical of the drug war, Amnesty said.

Amnesty also warned that the lists of drug suspects that police were using to target people were deeply flawed. This was partly because many people were placed on the lists simply after being reported by fellow community members, without any further investigation, according to Amnesty.

Duterte had until this week been unrepentant in response to criticism of his drug war and the police, insisting he was acting within the law but that extreme measures must be taken to stop the Philippines from becoming a narco state.

After a series of scandals emerged over the past month in which police were caught committing murder, kidnapping, extortion and robbery, Duterte this week ordered them to stop all activities related to the drug war.

He described the police force as &quot;corrupt to the core&quot; and vowed to cleanse it. But he also vowed the drug war would continue until the last day of his term, in 2022. He said police would return to the drug war after he reorganised the force and, in the meantime, the military would become more involved.

(AFP)

The report accused police of fatally shooting defenceless people, fabricating evidence, and paying assassins to murder drug addicts

Philippine police may have committed crimes against humanity by killing thousands of alleged drug offenders or paying others to murder as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war, Amnesty International said on Wednesday. An Amnesty report, which followed an in-depth investigation into the drug war, also outlined what it said were other widespread police crimes aside from extrajudicial killings that mainly targeted the poor. "Acting on orders from the very top, policemen and unknown killers have been targeting anybody remotely suspected of using of selling drugs," Rawya Rageh, a senior crisis adviser for Amnesty, told AFP. "Our investigation shows that this wave of extrajudicial killings has been widespread, deliberate and systematic, and therefore may amount to crimes against humanity." Among a litany of alleged crimes, Amnesty accused police of fatally shooting defenceless people, fabricating evidence, paying assassins to murder drug addicts and stealing from those they killed or the victims' relatives. It also said police were being paid by their superiors to kill, and documented victims as young as eight years old. "The police are behaving like the criminal underworld that they are supposed to be enforcing the law against," the report said. Duterte won presidential elections last year after promising during the campaign to eradicate drugs in society within six months by killing tens of thousands of people. 'Murderous war on poor' On one occasion Duterte vowed that 100,000 people would be killed and so many bodies would be dumped in Manila Bay that the fish there would grow fat from feeding on them. Duterte launched his crackdown immediately upon taking office seven months ago. Since then, police have reported killing 2,555 people while nearly 4,000 others have died in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures. As president, Duterte has repeatedly urged police to kill drug users as well as traffickers. Duterte said in December he had personally killed people when he was mayor of a southern city to set an example for police. Three months earlier he said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts, and likened his campaign to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's efforts to exterminate Jews in Europe. The Amnesty report said Duterte had incited the police to carry out a murderous war on the poor, and warned that the International Criminal Court would need to start investigating unless Philippine authorities did not stop it soon. "The police killings are driven by pressures from the top, including an order to 'neutralise' alleged drug offenders, as well as financial incentives. They have created an informal economy of death," the report said. Amnesty said it investigated the deaths of 59 people, and found the majority of them were extrajudicial killings. 'I will surrender, sir' In a number of cases witnesses to killings or victims' relatives told Amnesty that the person shot dead was unarmed and had not resisted arrest. Police also planted drugs and weapons that they later "seised" as evidence, Amnesty said. "I will surrender, I will surrender, sir," Gener Rondina, 38, told police after they broke into his home in the central city of Cebu, a witness told Amnesty. Rondina then knelt and raised his arms behind his head but police then shot him dead, Amnesty said, citing the witness. When family members were allowed into the house six hours after Gener was shot, valuables including a laptop, watch and money were missing, according to Amnesty. Police alleged Rondina had a gun and they acted in self defence, and the method of killing as well as the justification was typical of the drug war, Amnesty said. Amnesty also warned that the lists of drug suspects that police were using to target people were deeply flawed. This was partly because many people were placed on the lists simply after being reported by fellow community members, without any further investigation, according to Amnesty. Duterte had until this week been unrepentant in response to criticism of his drug war and the police, insisting he was acting within the law but that extreme measures must be taken to stop the Philippines from becoming a narco state. After a series of scandals emerged over the past month in which police were caught committing murder, kidnapping, extortion and robbery, Duterte this week ordered them to stop all activities related to the drug war. He described the police force as "corrupt to the core" and vowed to cleanse it. But he also vowed the drug war would continue until the last day of his term, in 2022. He said police would return to the drug war after he reorganised the force and, in the meantime, the military would become more involved. (AFP)

Philippines police killings may amount to 'crimes against humanity': Amnesty

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accused the United States on Sunday of risking regional stability by building permanent arms depots in his country, and threatened to respond by scrapping a security treaty between the two countries.

Duterte, who has made no secret of his disdain for US troop presence in the Philippines, said Washington was bringing weapons into three provinces of his country to store permanently, which he said was a dangerous breach of a defence deal between them.

&quot;They`re unloading arms in the Philippines now, here in Palawan, Cagayan de Oro and Pampanga province. I`m serving notice to the armed forces of the United States. Do not do it, I will not allow it,&quot; Duterte said at a news conference in Malacanang Palace.

His comments come after the Pentagon gave the green light to build warehouses, barracks and runways this year under a 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two long-time allies.

If US arsenals were built in the Philippines, Duterte said he would consider a review of treaties &quot;and maybe ultimately abrogate, since it is an executive order&quot;.

EDCA allows the expansion of rotational deployment of US ships, aircraft and troops at five bases in the Philippines as well as the storage of equipment for humanitarian and maritime security operations.

Duterte has repeatedly threatened to tear up security deals with the United States, while also giving guarantees those would be honoured, muddying the picture in a relationship that prior to his election was one of Washington&#39;s most crucial Asian alliances.

He also chided the United States for pressuring the Philippines to enforce a ruling last year by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated most of Beijing&#39;s claims to the South China Sea.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

He said the US was bringing weapons into three provinces of his country to store permanently, which was a dangerous breach of a defence deal

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte accused the United States on Sunday of risking regional stability by building permanent arms depots in his country, and threatened to respond by scrapping a security treaty between the two countries. Duterte, who has made no secret of his disdain for US troop presence in the Philippines, said Washington was bringing weapons into three provinces of his country to store permanently, which he said was a dangerous breach of a defence deal between them. "They`re unloading arms in the Philippines now, here in Palawan, Cagayan de Oro and Pampanga province. I`m serving notice to the armed forces of the United States. Do not do it, I will not allow it," Duterte said at a news conference in Malacanang Palace. His comments come after the Pentagon gave the green light to build warehouses, barracks and runways this year under a 2014 Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two long-time allies. If US arsenals were built in the Philippines, Duterte said he would consider a review of treaties "and maybe ultimately abrogate, since it is an executive order". EDCA allows the expansion of rotational deployment of US ships, aircraft and troops at five bases in the Philippines as well as the storage of equipment for humanitarian and maritime security operations. Duterte has repeatedly threatened to tear up security deals with the United States, while also giving guarantees those would be honoured, muddying the picture in a relationship that prior to his election was one of Washington's most crucial Asian alliances. He also chided the United States for pressuring the Philippines to enforce a ruling last year by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that invalidated most of Beijing's claims to the South China Sea. (Reuters)

Building of US arms depot in Philippines could risk regional stability, warns Duterte

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

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

33 people were wounded by a bombing on Thursday during an amateur boxing match in a central Philippines province, the government said.

This is the second attack in Philippines on a public place by unknown perpetrators in less than a week.

On late Wednesday, an 81-millimetre mortar round was detonated remotely by a cellphone during the amateur bout outside a shopping mall in Leyte province, reports Reuters.

It followed a Christmas Eve grenade explosion outside a Catholic church that wounded 16 people on the southern island of Mindanao.

Mindanao is a Muslim-dominated region where a long-running insurgency is being fought.

Till now no suspects have been identified and no group has claimed any responsibility, the police said.

Police said there was no indication the two attacks were linked, says a report on Reuters.

President Rodrigo Duterte has warned of the threat of a proliferation of festering Islamist militancy in the Philippines and also of an infiltration by the Islamic State militant group if offensives succeed in driving its fighters out of Iraq and Syria, reports Reuters.

Duterte has also warned of vulnerability in the southern Philippines, where some splinter groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

(WION, with inputs from Reuters)

It was the second attack on a public place by unknown perpetrators in less than a week

33 people were wounded by a bombing on Thursday during an amateur boxing match in a central Philippines province, the government said. This is the second attack in Philippines on a public place by unknown perpetrators in less than a week. On late Wednesday, an 81-millimetre mortar round was detonated remotely by a cellphone during the amateur bout outside a shopping mall in Leyte province, reports Reuters. It followed a Christmas Eve grenade explosion outside a Catholic church that wounded 16 people on the southern island of Mindanao. Mindanao is a Muslim-dominated region where a long-running insurgency is being fought. Till now no suspects have been identified and no group has claimed any responsibility, the police said. Police said there was no indication the two attacks were linked, says a report on Reuters. President Rodrigo Duterte has warned of the threat of a proliferation of festering Islamist militancy in the Philippines and also of an infiltration by the Islamic State militant group if offensives succeed in driving its fighters out of Iraq and Syria, reports Reuters. Duterte has also warned of vulnerability in the southern Philippines, where some splinter groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State. (WION, with inputs from Reuters)

Mystery bombing at boxing bout wounds 33 in Philippines

Thousands of residents were fleeing coastal and other hazardous areas in the eastern Philippines on Sunday as a powerful typhoon barrelled towards the disaster-prone archipelago.&nbsp;

Officials warned 2.5-metre (eight-feet) high waves and landslides posed the biggest threats as Nock-Ten closed in on the Bicol peninsula and nearby islands.

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<h5>The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre has forecast sustained winds of 231 kilometres an hour and gusts of 278 kilometres an hour when Nock-Ten makes landfall</h5>
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&quot;We went around with megaphones and gave instructions to our people to eat breakfast, pack and board the military trucks,&quot; Alberto Lindo, an official of Alcala, a farming village of 3,300 people near the active Mayon volcano, told AFP.

&quot;There are large ash deposits on the slopes. Heavy rain can dislodge them and bury our homes in mud.&quot;

Philippine and international weather services said Nock-Ten, named after a bird found in Laos, was set to hit Bicol on Sunday before reaching the rest of the main island of Luzon on Monday.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center has forecast sustained winds of 231 kilometres (144 miles) an hour and gusts of 278 kilometres an hour when Nock-Ten makes landfall.

The typhoon will affect an area populated by nearly 42 million people, including the capital Manila, which was forecast to be hit on Monday.

Civil defence officials in Bicol said earlier nearly half a million people in the region were in harm&#39;s way and needed to be evacuated. &nbsp; &nbsp;

The government called for preemptive evacuations in the region on Friday, with nearly 4,000 residents moving into emergency centres and more than 8,000 others seeking shelter elsewhere, according to an official tally.

Evacuations were continuing early on Christmas Day with trucks provided by the military as well as local governments sent to coastal communities and other areas that have been hit by landslides or flash floods in previous storms.

Nock-Ten, which will arrive outside the normal typhoon season, disrupted the celebration of one of the most important holidays in the mainly Catholic country&#39;s religious calendar, with all ferry services and some commercial flights suspended.

Some of the thousands of commuters stranded at dozens of Bicol ports that were closed for the typhoon spent the night inside evacuation centres on Friday.

Elsewhere, the coastguard on Sunday ordered the beaches south of Manila to be cleared of holidaymakers by Monday.

&quot;All forms of recreational activity (on the coasts) will be banned,&quot; coastguard spokesman Armando Balilo told local broadcaster ABS-CBN television.

He said residents of seaside slums in Manila have also been warned to leave their homes.

Storm surges devastated the city of Tacloban and nearby areas when super typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing.

An average of 20 storms and typhoons strike the Philippines each year, routinely killing hundreds of people.

(AFP)

Officials warned of eight-foot high waves and landslides

Thousands of residents were fleeing coastal and other hazardous areas in the eastern Philippines on Sunday as a powerful typhoon barrelled towards the disaster-prone archipelago. Officials warned 2.5-metre (eight-feet) high waves and landslides posed the biggest threats as Nock-Ten closed in on the Bicol peninsula and nearby islands. The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre has forecast sustained winds of 231 kilometres an hour and gusts of 278 kilometres an hour when Nock-Ten makes landfall × "We went around with megaphones and gave instructions to our people to eat breakfast, pack and board the military trucks," Alberto Lindo, an official of Alcala, a farming village of 3,300 people near the active Mayon volcano, told AFP. "There are large ash deposits on the slopes. Heavy rain can dislodge them and bury our homes in mud." Philippine and international weather services said Nock-Ten, named after a bird found in Laos, was set to hit Bicol on Sunday before reaching the rest of the main island of Luzon on Monday. The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center has forecast sustained winds of 231 kilometres (144 miles) an hour and gusts of 278 kilometres an hour when Nock-Ten makes landfall. The typhoon will affect an area populated by nearly 42 million people, including the capital Manila, which was forecast to be hit on Monday. Civil defence officials in Bicol said earlier nearly half a million people in the region were in harm's way and needed to be evacuated. The government called for preemptive evacuations in the region on Friday, with nearly 4,000 residents moving into emergency centres and more than 8,000 others seeking shelter elsewhere, according to an official tally. Evacuations were continuing early on Christmas Day with trucks provided by the military as well as local governments sent to coastal communities and other areas that have been hit by landslides or flash floods in previous storms. Nock-Ten, which will arrive outside the normal typhoon season, disrupted the celebration of one of the most important holidays in the mainly Catholic country's religious calendar, with all ferry services and some commercial flights suspended. Some of the thousands of commuters stranded at dozens of Bicol ports that were closed for the typhoon spent the night inside evacuation centres on Friday. Elsewhere, the coastguard on Sunday ordered the beaches south of Manila to be cleared of holidaymakers by Monday. "All forms of recreational activity (on the coasts) will be banned," coastguard spokesman Armando Balilo told local broadcaster ABS-CBN television. He said residents of seaside slums in Manila have also been warned to leave their homes. Storm surges devastated the city of Tacloban and nearby areas when super typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines in November 2013, leaving 7,350 people dead or missing. An average of 20 storms and typhoons strike the Philippines each year, routinely killing hundreds of people. (AFP)

Thousands flee east Philippines as Typhoon Nok-Ten approaches

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.

&nbsp;

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

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