Philippines' New Leader Vows Death By Hanging

[Kurgen]

The president-elect of the Philippines is promising to reintroduce the death penalty and use military snipers as part of a crackdown aimed at ending crime within six months of taking office.

Rodrigo Duterte, the mayor of the southern city of Davao, won the country's election last week after a campaign marred by violence and controversy.

His key pitch to voters was a "war on crime", which he says will involve reintroducing capital punishment.

"Those who destroy the lives of our children will be destroyed," Mr Duterte said.

"Those who kill my country will be killed. Simple as that. No middle ground. No apologies. No excuses."

He plans to ask the country's congress to reintroduce the death penalty, which was abolished in 2006, for a wide range of crimes including drug trafficking, rape, murder, robbery and kidnapping.

Mr Duterte added that for people convicted of more than one major crime, they should be hanged twice.

"After you are hanged first, there will be another ceremony for the second time until the head is completely severed from the body," he said.

"I like that because I am mad."

He also said those who were involved in organised crime or who resisted arrest would be targeted by military snipers.

"If you resist, show violent resistance, my order to police (will be) to shoot to kill. Shoot to kill for organised crime," he said.

He added: "I need military officers who are sharp-shooters and snipers. It's true. If you (criminals) fight, I will have a sniper shoot you."

The 71-year-old's incendiary rhetoric resonated with Filipinos fed up with rampant crime, but has alarmed others - including outgoing President Benigno Aquino - who hear echoes of the country's authoritarian past.

Mr Duterte has previously suggested that 100,000 people will die under his law-and-order crackdown, and that so many bodies will be dumped in Manila Bay that the fish would grow fat from feeding on them.

He has also described the Pope as the "son of a whore" and joked that he should have been first in line to rape an Australian missionary before she was murdered.

He is due to be sworn into office on 30 June.

Philippines' New Leader Vows Death By Hanging

[Kurgen]

Hey Mr DK, is this fella on the money or an out and out loon?

[Pragmatic]

I hope he's genuine. This could be fun.

[thaimeme]

Lovely fellow.

Filipinos should be proud.

[Davis Knowlton]

Hey Mr DK, is this fella on the money or an out and out loon?

Well first of all, the article says the election was marred by violence and controversy, which is total bullshit. There was almost no violence at all, and no controversy at all other than, predictably, Bongbong Marcos whining about being cheated - which he wasn't. It was the most violence and controversy free election here in history.

So, if we take it that the author has his head up his ass, the rest is similar to hundreds of "will he, won't he" speculative crap.

Most is macho posturing. Most needs approval from the Senate.

Ignore anything in the press and wait until after June 30th and see....

[Davis Knowlton]

Certainly nothing will happen fast. Vice President and failed presidential candidate Binay just revealed that President Aquino has spent 84% of the 2016 budget already, much of it trying to get his boy Roxas elected. So Duterte has 16% of the 2016 budget, or less, remaining when he assumes power. Can't do much with that......

[stroller]

"I like that because I am mad."

says it all...

[BobR]

Certainly nothing will happen fast. Vice President and failed presidential candidate Binay just revealed that President Aquino has spent 84% of the 2016 budget already, much of it trying to get his boy Roxas elected. So Duterte has 16% of the 2016 budget, or less, remaining when he assumes power. Can't do much with that......

So is this election result good or bad for the people of the Philippines? I visited Manila once on a poorly planned trip assuming it would be similar to Bangkok. I was shocked at the poverty to the point of not wanting to be there.

[Davis Knowlton]

^Hard to tell. It certainly is a huge break from decades of rule by the rich, political clans/families. The poor and working poor have voted for the one candidate they believe could improve their lot. I hope he can deliver, but there is much to be done and an incredible number of things must change. To say it's daunting would be a massive understatement.

[pseudolus]

The poor and working poor have voted for the one candidate they believe could improve their lot.

For this reason alone I hope it works and is replicated in many other countries

[stroller]

Estrada all over again?

[Davis Knowlton]

^I don't think so. Duterte has more smarts and appears to have a plan - Erap had neither.

[Davis Knowlton]

He's already gotten his first wake-up call when he announced he was selling the presidential yacht.

Government responded, "Dude, you can't just put it up on Ebay. It belongs to the government and the people. There are procedures." Who knew......

[bobo746]

^ He's off to a flyer then.
A mates wife here (filipina) loves him,i think she's hoping for change.
I hope he can deliver on some of it.

[BobR]

^Hard to tell. It certainly is a huge break from decades of rule by the rich, political clans/families. The poor and working poor have voted for the one candidate they believe could improve their lot. I hope he can deliver, but there is much to be done and an incredible number of things must change. To say it's daunting would be a massive understatement.

Thank you, I wish the Philippines the best.

[kmart]

Good article on Duterte here:

How to introduce Duterte in Southeast Asia

[callippo]

rather odd that Duterte apparently wants to introduce hanging as a method as that was never used in the Philippines where the usual method was either firing squad and even the electric chair which no other country apart from the USA has ever used. For the last decade or so before it was suspended they introduced lethal injection.

only the British colonies in SEA, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei use hanging.

[Davis Knowlton]

Two US states, Washington and New Hampshire, still use hanging.

[Looper]

Seems unnecessarily brutal. If we are really in favour of bringing back the death penalty it needs to be slipped under the radar with the most civilised options available. Lethal injection is the method of choice for people choosing their own death so that should be what is used to dispatch the members of society least deserving of membership.

I would even be in favour of letting them have half a bottle of rum first for comfort in recognition of the sacrifice they are making in the interests of society.

[BaitongBoy]

Lethal injection is the method of choice for people choosing their own death so that should be what is used to dispatch the members of society least deserving of membership.

Fair enough, but I'd rather it was done by a veterinarian...Seems the animals go peacefully...As opposed to some of the fck-ups where the dude is thrashing around, shitting and pissing himself...

[Davis Knowlton]

A lot of this is still macho posturing for the mob. Reality will start to kick in after 30 June. (I hope.)

[stroller]

Seems unnecessarily brutal.

Just like what the crims did? Call it "revenge justice", Looper.

[chassamui]

Even where contemporary democracies still have the death penalty, it is dubious whether it should remain an option. The USA with all its high tech CSI can still make mistakes and yet the death penalty remains.
If a country like the US still has issues over it, with all the legal and democratic protection of defendants rights, then a developing country with major law enforcement and corruption issues, might want to think twice before applying the ultimate sanction?
Life is like virginity, you can only lose it once, but the implications in each case are very different.

[Davis Knowlton]

Kind of a mixed bag here. The church is against it but, despite the power of the church, many Filipinos who are sick of crime support it.

It will be quite controversial. As it was when it was abolished, for the second time, ten years ago.

Personally, I think Duterte will push it through.

[hazz]

^ as you have pointed out people expect him to make a difference and he's only got 16% of the years budget to play with.... killing some prisoners will be a nice cheap easy to organise distraction to what will inevitably be his piss poor performance elsewhere.

I wonder if her will be as brass necked as the indonesian who killed foreign prisoners to bolster his domestic appeal whilst at the same time lobbying against the execution of indonesians in foreign jails under the same circumstances?