Rodrigo Duterte

[katie23]

More on Duterte's drug war...

Convoy of Cebu mayor on Duterte drug list ambushed | Inquirer News

Sorry, I can't post the entire article, am on phone. If interested, just click the link. Some comments (in comments section) were interesting ...

I know several people who have been to Davao City recently. They said that it was very clean & organized. Low crime rates - maybe the crims are all afraid of being killed ...

[OhOh]

Thanks.

A varied list of "reasons" suggested. Some supportive, death to drug crime, some suggesting, death of government rivals.

Your opinion, I can only read the English posts?

[OhOh]

Peace on The Horizon as Philippine Congress Heeds Duterte and Passes Autonomy Legislation for Moros


"The Philippine Congress has passed the long awaited Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which will give Moro communities (Philippine Muslims) in Mindanao and nearby islands political autonomy. The new law which President Rodrigo Duterte had promised to deliver irrespective of the success of his plans to turn The Philippines into a federal republic, looks to end decades of conflict between Moro insurgents and Philippine authorities. In a sign that Duterte intends to implement the BBL as soon as possible, he certified the legislation as “urgent” in what amounts to a stern message to any obstructionist law makers.

One of President Duterte’s key election pledges was working to use federal solutions to end the decades long Moro conflict in Mindanao that has seen armed insurgents wage war against The Philippines in attempts to create autonomous Islamic political units in parts of Mindanao.

As part of his push for wider federalism throughout The Philippines, when it comes to Moro regions of Mindanao specifically, Duterte promised to implement a federal style local law of autonomy known in the form of BBL. Duterte has been working directly with Moro leaders to help attain the cooperation necessary to convince an at times reluctant political class in Manila to back the reforms. There have been several major obstacles to BBL throughout the course of Duterte’s push to bring peace through autonomy to Moro regions. Some of the main obstacles included:

1. Getting the rival factions Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the splinter group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on broad the comprehensive agreement in a way that satisfies both groups.

2. Convincing the Congress of The Philippines to pass the BBL without hesitation.

3. Working towards integrating the BBL into a wider federal system throughout the Philippines.

Duterte who himself is from Mindanao has taken important steps to quill the Moro insurgency more than any of his contemporary predecessors. Duterte has pledged to work with both MNLF and MILF in order to secure a lasting and comprehensive peace agreement based on a federal model that will ideally be applied to all of the country by 2020. Regarding this, he stated, “I do not think that the (MNLF), (MILF) in government or in joint venture with government can go wrong. We will see to it that justice is applied everyday, that fairness is observed”.

Prior to the BBL’s passage, Duterte stated,“There will be no regional armed forces or police. I will not agree to that. If we are all Filipinos, why will you have your own army? My army is your army. My police is your police,” the president said. “The (MILF), they can help, they can be absorbed in the armed forces for those willing. So goes with the MNLF. But there will only be one armed forces.

…And if by 2020, we can have a new president or a Moro president for the Republic of the Philippines, the better for us. After all, that person would be a Filipino”.

This is the key to Duterte’s federal proposals for the country. When all regions and peoples in The Philippines are allowed to take responsibility and enjoy the benefits of their own autonomous economic, cultural and social management, it does not make The Philippines weaker but stronger and more peaceful.

In this sense, just as Singapore encouraged Malays, Chinese and Tamil speaking Indians to speak their own languages in their private and personal life, but speak a unifying language for public matters in order to create both strong individual identities and a strong pan-Singaporean identity, so too is Duterte’s federal model good for distinct local cultures, the Moros being just one, while also strengthening the patriotism of all such cultures who all comprise the Filipino nation. In a further example of outreach to insurgents, Duterte also reached out to the far-left terrorist group NPA saying that eventually this fight too will end, emphasising that reconciliation is the in interests of both the Maoist fighters and the government.

In many ways, Duterte’s biggest challenge in respect of passing the BBL was overcoming Congressional opposition as Duterte’s sincerity and personal familiarity with his home island of Mindinao created an atmosphere of trust between the President and Moro leaders that did not exist during previous presidential administrations.

Through securing this trust, Duterte has managed to convince all major Moro groups to embrace the peace process by staking his presidency on his ability to bring peace to Moro regions, while also convincing moderate Moro leaders to aid the Philippine armed forces in a mutual battle against extremist groups which have infiltrated Moro regions, including those loyal to the international terrorist organisations al-Qaeda and Daesh (aka ISIS).

In delivering the BBL, Duterte has proved yet again that his tough, unwavering stance on delivering his election promises, has ultimately been in the service of peace. This is true whether this means peaceful streets free of narco-bandits, a peaceful relationship with China or a peaceful settlement to the decades long conflict with both Moro insurgents and the NPA.

The passage of the BBL represents a major leap forward in the peace process that many prior Philippine leaders tried to cement but which Duterte has managed to achieve through his persistence, his ability to communicate with all sides in the dispute and his ability to demonstrate that a better life for all Filipinos is far more important than any personal matters of ego or personal enrichment. This victory is as much Duterte’s as it is a victory for the country as a whole."

A new strong leader with a supportive political system. How does he manage it? How is he different than his predecessors?

Or is this opinion piece a fairytale?

My apologies for forgetting the link:

https://www.eurasiafuture.com/2018/0...ion-for-moros/

[Norton]

The Philippine Congress has passed the long awaited Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which will give Moro communities (Philippine Muslims) in Mindanao and nearby islands political autonomy

Could use a similar solution in the south of Thailand.

[misskit]

^^ Link?

Philippine Leader Expects to Sign Autonomy Law by July, Spokesman Says

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign by July a law that would create an expanded Muslim autonomous region in the south, four years after the government and the largest Muslim rebel group approved a peace deal, officials said Tuesday.


Senate and House leaders likely will pass their own versions of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before Congress adjourns for a break next week, Duterte spokesman Harry Roque said.


“The commitment is for both Houses to pass it and to reconcile whatever versions they may have, so that it can be enacted into law at the soonest time possible,” Roque told reporters, according to transcripts released by the presidential palace.


“Now of course, we would like to see the BBL enacted before Congress goes into a recess in June. But the promise is that they would do everything that is humanly possible to pass the BBL,” he said.


Duterte met with leaders of both houses Monday and has certified the separate bills urgent, which means congressional leaders would have to work overtime to iron out their differences, according to Roque.


“After much deliberation, the president has decided to make the House and Senate versions of the BBL as urgent and a copy of it is on its way to both Houses of Congress,” Roque said. “Once both chambers have reconciled and finalized the version, the president will sign the Bangsamoro Basic Law.”


House Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas said both the Senate and House have a week to pass a consolidated version. A bicameral conference committee would then meet during the congressional break to resolve the differences on the bill in time for July 23, when Duterte is expected to give his annual State of the Nation Address.


The BBL outlines the basic structure of a proposed autonomy in the mineral-rich but strife-torn southern island of Mindanao. It was the product of a 2014 peace agreement signed by the government of then-President Benigno Aquino III and the 12,000-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which had also agreed to disarm in phases.


But the proposed law never passed through the congress dominated largely by Christians who are fearful that giving the MILF autonomy and power could lead to trouble.


A clash between MILF guerrillas and members of a police commando unit in January 2015 when 44 officers were killed as they were hunting down a wanted Malaysian terrorist bolstered apprehension among lawmakers.


But Duterte has a super majority in Congress and he promised MILF leader Murad Ibrahim in March that the legislation would be passed. He vowed to exercise his “residual powers through administrative directives” to fulfil the autonomy promise if the BBL failed to sail through legislation.


The MILF recently gained the government’s trust, helping the army go after pro-Islamic State groups in remote Mindanao areas. This has, however, been offset by a clash last week that left nine MILF combatants dead in the government’s drug war that has reached the southern regions, security analysts said.



Duterte portrays himself as a friend of minorities


Duterte, who hails from the south, has long styled himself as a friend of minority groups. Months after winning in 2016, he freed Nur Misuari, leader of the former secessionist group Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).


The MILF split from Misuari’s MNLF in 1978 over differences in beliefs. Misuari signed a peace pact with the government in 1996, settling for creation of an autonomous region where the former leader later became governor.


But despite millions of dollars poured into that region, it remained mired in poverty and failed to uplift the lives of Muslims. Aquino had called the government’s deal with the MNLF a “failed experiment” and, instead, focused on wooing the MILF to the peace table.


Fearing that he was being pushed to the sidelines, Misuari’s MNLF faction laid siege to the southern city of Zamboanga in 2013 for two weeks, leaving large swathes of the largely Christian business center in ruins. More than 200 people were killed in the fighting.


Misuari hid for three years, until the government dropped charges of rebellion against the fugitive months after Duterte became president.


On Tuesday, a regional trial court in Manila ordered the release of 96 of the 200 members of the Misuari’s MNLF who were detained on rebellion charges. The majority of those freed were flown to an air force base in Zamboanga while the rest were taken to the rebel strongholds of Basilan and Jolo islands.


“We were saddened by the release of the MNLF members, but we will continue to fight for justice despite the recent order,” city mayor Maria Isabel Climaco-Salazar told reporters. “They were freed despite our efforts before the Supreme Court with prayer for a temporary restraining order, stopping the release of the accused MNLF members.”


She said the men were apparently freed after the government lessened its charge from rebellion to illegal assembly, which is punishable by a short prison sentence that the men had served.


“I am still positively hoping that justice will be served to the victims of the Zamboanga siege and the remaining MNLF members accused shall be held accountable for the crimes committed,” Climaco-Salazar said.


https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...018095347.html

[OhOh]

^Done and dusted, allegedly. Anybody know the intricacies of Philippine law making? :

Philippine Congress passes bill creating new Muslim region

Bangsamoro Basic Law is the result of a 2014 peace deal between Moro rebels and the government that aims to end 50 years of conflict

"The Lower House of Congress overwhelmingly approved the controversial and long-awaited Bangsamoro Basic Law — 227 in favor, 11 against and two abstentions — on May 30 while the Senate passed it before dawn on May 31.
The bill was the result of a 2014 peace deal between the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government aimed at ending almost 50 years of conflict that has already killed more than 120,000 people and displaced about two million others.

The purpose behind creating a new entity was purportedly to give the approximately four million Muslim Moro people living in the southern Philippines greater autonomy than the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)."

https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippine-congress-passes-bill-creating-new-muslim-region/82455


Philippine Congress passes autonomy bill for volatile Muslim region

MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines moved a step closer on Wednesday to ending decades of conflict on its resource-rich island of Mindanao, after lawmakers approved a bill that will eventually allow self-rule for the country's Muslim minority.

Lower house lawmakers voted 227 to 11, with 2 abstentions, to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), seen as key to forging lasting peace with separatist rebels and thwarting the rise of Islamist extremism in the nation's poorest and most dangerous region.

The bill is the result of a 2014 peace deal between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government to end nearly 50 years of conflict that has killed more than 120,000 people and displaced 2 million.

https://in.news.yahoo.com/philippine-congress-passes-autonomy-bill-volatile-muslim-region-101502724.html


Philippines President Oks Passing of Law on Self-Rule for Muslims

The president’s decision on Tuesday came one day after he held separate meetings with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), led by its chairman, Murad Ibrahim, and leaders of Congress.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday said he had spoken to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who told him that Malacanang would send them the certification that the BBL is an urgent measure.

The office of the presidential liaison office later announced it had sent the BBL certification to Sotto.

Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on the peace process, said that “after much deliberation, the president has decided to make the House and Senate versions of the BBL as urgent.”

Dureza said earlier that during their meeting with Duterte on Monday, leaders from the Senate and House of Representatives vowed to pass the proposed BBL “at the earliest possible time.”

http://iqna.ir/en/news/3465977/philippines-president-oks-passing-of-law-on-self-rule-for-muslims

[OhOh]

Could use a similar solution in the south of Thailand.

Is there a Duterte around to be elected? If not have any existing party leaders suggested such a move?

[katie23]

Duterte draws flak for kissing Filipina worker in S. Korea

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2...uth-korea-meet

********

I've watched the vid - it's on YouTube. General opinion at my office (mine included) is that it was inappropriate. Yes, the lady consented, but Du30 was the one who insisted on the kiss - it's in the vid. The lady was interviewed later & she said it was okay with her, but she wouldn't have consented had it not been the president.

It's another one of his tasteless actions/ words, like in the case of the Australian lady tourist who was raped in Davao city during the time he was Mayor. He said that she (Aus lady), was so pretty, like an actress, that as mayor, he should've been the first.

Lots of

[katie23]

Here's the vid - hope it loads

[Chico]

The woman was creaming in her pants.

[OhOh]

is that it was inappropriate

I suggest giving France a miss on your European tour. Ask Luigi about Italian men, probably another country to avoid. You'll do fine in ameristan, the men usually have concealed carry pieces of paper to defend themselves.

[Chico]

God Help him,if he would of gave her flowers.

[OhOh]

Duterte draws flak for kissing Filipina worker in S. Korea

An opinion piece suggesting the reasons and explanation of the "event".

Allegedly he enquired of her marital status, when he was told she was married to a South Korean. He accept her authority as a human being and not her husband's property. There was no record of him asking her husbands permission.

Available here:

Duterte’s Opponents Once Again Prove They Have Zero Sense of Humour and Lack the Common Touch

https://www.eurasiafuture.com/2018/06/04/dutertes-opponents-once-again-prove-they-have-zero-sense-of-humour-and-lack-the-common-touch/


Any views of our Philippine posters, rather than Philippine MSM?

[Airportwo]

What total & utter nonsense! most of the world lives in misery, poverty, debt, hungry, imprisoned in a world that lacks basic kindness and empathy to each other and people are focusing on crud like this, open your eyes folks!

[katie23]

Presidential daughter Sara Duterte will now join her dad in future trips abroad to prevent more kissing scenes

Inday Sara to join Duterte in foreign trips to prevent future ?kissing scene? | Inquirer News

Background on the story - Mocha Uson, a pro-Duterte vlogger and now a "special" secretary, had a war of words on Twitter with Kris Aquino, sister of former president Noynoy Aquino & daughter of Cory Aquino (first female president of PI - in the 80s, people power revolution overthrew the Marcos 20-year regime).

******

Duterte got much flak on MSM and social media about his kiss to the Filipina worker in Seoul.

*****

My opinion - it was inappropriate. The cheek kiss (on the first lady) was okay - it's a common thing. The lip kiss was not - and many Filipinos agreed, based on FB feeds and office chats.

@ohoh - I have been to Italy, Germany, Belgium and other parts of Europe, as well as the USA. I have mingled with whites, both for work and travel. An unsolicited lip kiss - that's harassment in many parts of the world.

[OhOh]

that's harassment in many parts of the world

noun

• the act or an instance of harassing, or disturbing, pestering, or troubling repeatedly; persecution: "She sued her boss for sexual harassment."

Harassment eh, what have they done to your mind?

Are you incapable of self decision making or do you blindly follow the "rest of the world". whoever that phrase refers too. But I'm sure you sleep better knowing you are a member of "the club".

Adults remain in some other "parts of the world", but children continue to need reassurance from some, higher authority. Possibly to ensuring continued receipt of "likes", from anonymous "friends", otherwise you might feel forgotten.

Sad.

[misskit]

Philippine Leader Escalates Verbal Attack on Catholic Church

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has amplified his tirades against the Catholic Church by threatening to publicly expose unflattering intelligence data he says he obtained on one of three priests killed in the last six months.


More than 80 percent of the country’s estimated 105 million people are congregants of the church, which has been vocal in its opposition to the Duterte administration’s anti-drugs campaign that has left thousands of suspected pushers and dealers dead since June 2016.


Three priests have been gunned down in recent months, including Father Richmond Nilo, who was shot Sunday inside his chapel in northern Nueva Ecija province.


His killing came more than a month after another priest, Mark Anthony Ventura, was killed by men who fled on a motorcycle. In December, Nueva Ecija priest Marcelito Paez was shot and killed.


On Wednesday, Duterte said he had a “matrix” of intelligence data that had been compiled about one of the priests and that he had kept it because of its sensitivity.


“If the Catholics want, I will release this matrix on why this priest died,” Duterte said. “I did not release it, but I gave a copy to the chairman of the CBCP.”


The president was referring to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, which this week called on his government to investigate the deaths immediately.


There was no response from the CBCP, but its leaders have not given any indication that it had received intelligence data.


“The problem with these fools, they look at themselves as saints,” Duterte said. “And these policemen and soldiers are devils in their eyes.”


Duterte made these comments during a speech late Wednesday before corrections officers, police and firefighters. In the speech, he emphasized that he would not allow any of them to go to prison if they were charged in connection with any of the thousands of killings committed in his nearly two-year-old war on drugs.


Duterte has had a testy relationship with the church, which campaigned against the self-described womanizer and tough politician from the south, who has repeatedly boasted of killing drug addicts and criminals and dumping their bodies into Manila Bay.


In February, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague notified the government that it had launched a preliminary investigation into drug-related killings. Duterte initially welcomed the investigation to determine whether there was enough evidence to build a case against him.


It was based on complaints by a former Duterte police aide and a self-described assassin, who told the court that Duterte had ordered the deaths of criminals and political foes when he was a longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao.


Duterte subsequently pulled out of an international treaty that established the ICC, claiming that the court had already prejudged him.


Police have said that more than 4,000 suspected were killed in encounters with officers, but rights groups place the number of deaths at more than 12,000.


Last year, Duterte removed police from the lead role in the drug war after three teenagers were gunned down. Authorities, however, later established that the police officers involved in the shootings may have mistaken them as drug couriers.


The teens’ deaths galvanized public anger against Duterte. Church leaders ordered that gruesome photographs of people killed in the drug war be displayed outside houses of worship while bells were tolled in the evening as a sign of protest.


On Thursday, Carlos Conde, the Philippine researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch, expressed grave concern over the killings of the priests, as well as journalists and others who had opposed the government’s anti-drug campaign.


“These killings, alongside the thousands of deaths in the ‘drug war,’ are grim reminders of the vulnerability of the poor and those who speak out for their rights and against the deadly extrajudicial violence that Philippine authorities are apparently unwilling or unable to either stop or provide accountability for,” Conde told BenarNews.




https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...018132700.html

[OhOh]

Duterte Calls For Peace Through Federalism as he Joins Muslims to Mark End of Ramadan

"Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has joined Muslim leaders to celebrate Eid al-Fitr which falls at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Duterte spoke of the need to redress past grievances of Philippine Muslims, also known as Moros and to move forward as a united nation made stronger by devolving powers from Imperial Manila to the diverse regions of The Philippines.

In a plea for “peace and love” to triumph over sectarianism and distrust, Duterte who himself has Muslim members of his extended family stated,

“This is in an opportune time to reflect on the progress we have made to achieve long-lasting peace across the country, especially in Mindanao. May this revered festival inspire us all to foster greater unity amidst our differences in faith and culture. Together, let us engage in acts of charity as we steer our nation towards a more progressive and tolerant future”.

Duterte further called on Moros to “praise Allah in thanksgiving for providing our nation the strength to endure the challenges of misguided ideologies, terrorism and violent extremism“, before stating:

“I trust that the sacrifice of Muslim Filipinos during their month-long fasting has rekindled their faith and reawakened their sense of benevolence and empathy towards their fellowmen”.

Duterte has worked tirelessly with leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and its rival group the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) along with the Philippine Congress to pass and implement the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which will grant local autonomy to areas of the southern Philippine island of Mindanao and nearby islands with a Muslim majority population.
One of President Duterte’s key election pledges was working to use federal solutions to end the decades long standing Moro conflict in Mindanao that has seen armed insurgents wage war against The Philippines in attempts to create autonomous Islamic political units in parts of Mindanao. Therefore, for Duterte, the push towards implementing the BBL is integral to his wider push for federalism in the country.

Duterte further elaborated on why pan-Philippine federalism will be good not only for Mindanao but for the entire nation. The President stated,

“The time for federalism has come to our country. We have to move away from the style of unitary government. For the time it was good, we were developing as a nation, and history then did not mind the struggles of Christians and Muslims. It’s time for us to understand that they [Muslims] have been victims also of injustice.

We will try to pass the BBL. I hope Chairman Misuari [the leader of MILF] can be convinced to join the talks so that if there are corrections, or maybe additions, or provisions that would not sit well with the rest of the southern part of Mindanao, then maybe we can realise altogether the friction of the MILF, the MNLF, and the rest of Mindanao.
…I am for federalism. I am for peace”.

When all regions and peoples in The Philippines are allowed to take responsibility and enjoy the benefits of their own autonomous economic, cultural and social management, it does not make The Philippines weaker but stronger and more peaceful. This is the crux of Duterte’s wider push for federalism."

https://www.eurasiafuture.com/2018/0...nd-of-ramadan/

There appears to be a large number of religious groups in Phillipine. Catholics from their Spanish roots 80%, Other "Christians" 8.7% and Muslims 7%. The rest less than 2% each.

Group		Estimate of Adherents [year reported]
1. Roman Catholic	-	80% of the pop. (1998)
2. Other Christian Denominations Combined	-	8.7% of the pop. (1990)
3. Muslim/Islamic	-	7% of the pop. (2001)

Religious Groups in the Philippines

Is this acknowledgement of Muslim groups being accepted by the majority Catholic authorities. Is it being accepted by the Catholic population as individuals. Any Catholic spokesmen being highlighted in the press, for and against?

[OhOh]

^^

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states the following,

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance”.

I presume as a human, that right include the President. Or must everybody bow down to the current Philippine, majority, religious leadership. Maybe the Muslims are reproducing at a higher rate.

How much wealth has President Duterte raped from the Philippine citizens compared to the Catholic church?


Duterte’s God Remarks Prove That The Catholic Church in The Philippines Has Dictatorial Ambitions While Duterte Does Not

More at :

https://www.eurasiafuture.com/2018/06/26/dutertes-god-remarks-prove-that-the-catholic-church-in-the-philippines-has-dictatorial-ambitions-while-duterte-does-not/

[misskit]

^ Another conspiracy site.

[OhOh]

^No comment on the content, sad.

[David48atTD]

Rodrigo Duterte sparks anger in Philippines over anti-Catholic comments


Rodrigo Duterte has a history of speaking his mind in press conferences.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte — notorious for having cursed the pope and world leaders like former
US president Barack Obama — has sparked new outrage by calling God "stupid" in Asia's largest Catholic country.

Mr Duterte questioned in a televised speech on Friday the Biblical story of man's creation and asked why God created Adam and
Eve only to allow them to succumb to temptation that destroyed their purity.

"Who is this stupid God? This son of a bitch is then really stupid," the 73-year-old leader said.

"How can you rationalise a God? Do you believe?"

Mr Duterte lamented that Adam and Eve's sin in Christian theology resulted in all the faithful falling from divine grace.
"You were not involved but now you're stained with an original sins … what kind of a religion is that? That's what I can't accept,
very stupid proposition," he said.

Opposition Senator, Antonio Trillanes IV, shot back by describing Mr Duterte as "one evil man" and his remarks as "very much
consistent with the deceitfulness, heartlessness and ruthlessness of his policies".

Catholic Bishop, Arturo Bastes, called the President a "madman" and urged Filipinos to pray for an end to Mr Duterte's "blasphemous
utterances and dictatorial tendencies".

"Duterte's tirade against God and the Bible reveals again that he is a psychological freak, a psychopath, an abnormal mind
who should have not been elected as President of our civilised and Christian nation," Bishop Bastes said.

Another bishop, Ruperto Santos, said the President had crossed a line.

[misskit]

Philippine President Signs Muslim Autonomy Law

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday signed an autonomy law promising wider self-rule for Muslims in the south, his spokesman said.


Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), four million Muslim Filipinos will be allowed to form an elected parliament and administration in Islamic-majority areas of southern Mindanao and nearby islands, where five decades of insurgency have left more than 100,000 people dead.


The law looks to give the people in the south control over many local government functions, including taxation and education, and it will allow Muslim Filipinos to incorporate Islamic law into their justice system. Both houses of the Philippine congress approved the BOL bill earlier this week.


“After much confusion, the president has signed into law the Bangsamoro Organic Law,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque told BenarNews.


The law will go to a vote in designated provinces this year before elections, which are expected to take place next year.
As part of the autonomy deal, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is required to gradually disband its armed force, estimated by the military to be about 11,000 fighters.


Hours before the president signed the bill into law, Philippine troops hunted southern militants linked to the extremist group Islamic State (IS), killing one suspect in a gun battle, military officials reported.


Residents in Masiu, a town in mountainous Lanao del Sur province, sought the help of the military after several gunmen believed to be supporters of the Maute gang were seen in the area, an army official said.


“The government forces responded to the information of the concerned civilians,” said Maj. Ronald Suscano, spokesman for the 1st Infantry Tabak Division that operates in the region.


Soldiers from the division targeted Filipino militant leaders Panarigan Tama Baoraki and Hadji Rasul Amimbering in the strike, Suscano said. A brief encounter took place near Masiu, leaving at least one militant dead, but the two wanted militants and their followers escaped.


Both were alleged leaders of a militant faction that backed the Maute faction, which fought in the southern city of Marawi last year. The five-month battle – the biggest the Philippines has seen since World War II – ended in October 2017, leaving the city in ruins and killing more than 1,200, mostly militants.


Several fighters from Malaysia and Indonesia as well as the Middle East were killed, although military officials said they believe other foreigners could have escaped and joined other IS-linked groups in the south.


Suscano said several weapons were recovered after the battle, including at least two M16 rifles, RPG launchers, grenades and drug paraphernalia. Troops also seized black IS flags.


The military earlier reported that militants who had managed to escape from Marawi were recruiting Muslim youths with promises of cash payments they would not be able to earn elsewhere in the largely poor rural communities of Mindanao.


The military and the local government units of Lanao del Sur province have been conducting a series of activities to counter the enemy recruitment drive.



https://www.benarnews.org/english/ne...018094648.html

[OhOh]

Rodrigo Duterte’s Push For Peace Among Philippine Muslims is Worthy of The Nobel Peace Prize

"When discussing the world’s longest running conflicts, the internal conflict in Myanmar, the Kashmir conflict and the Israel-Palestine conflict are often pointed to as struggles which all began in the late 1940s and continue to rage to this day. However, in many respects, the long standing Moro conflict in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao has raged for far longer. During the American imperialist conquest of The Philippines which began in 1899 after the US defeated Spain, the former imperial master of The Philippines, the Moros (Philippine Muslims) of Mindanao continued to resist colonisation long after the rest of The Philippines fell under the whip hand of American rule.

Prior to the late 19th century, Moro warriors had led a 400 year fight against Spanish domination while also proving a formidable resistance force against the Japanese occupation of The Philippines. Even after The Philippines gained formal independence in 1946, Moros continued to wage war against ‘Imperial Manila’ in a fight that asymmetrically grew throughout the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. In this sense, one can point to the Moro’s rebelling against various overlords as the longest running conflict in the world today. The conflict however appears to be on the verge of ending due to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivering the highly anticipated Bangsamoro Organic Law.

During his State of The Nation Address on the 23rd of July, President Rodrigo Duterte instructed Congress to urgently pass the Bangsamoro Organic Law so that it could be signed as soon as possible. On the 26th of July, Duterte delivered, thus setting the stage for an historic rapprochement between Moro leaders and Manila which looks end end a conflict which in an on-and-off fashion raged for over a century.

Duterte now plans to meet with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Vice Chair for Political Affairs Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF chairman Murad Ebrahim and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chair Nur Misuari to finalise the implementation of the new law. While Duterte remains committed to a federal structure for the entire nation, the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law was of particular importance as it looks to end a cycle of distrust, violence and political uncertainty that has plagued the region for far too long.

Duterte himself is firmly committed to a united country where through the implementation of local/regional control on a federal model, the distinct peoples who collective form the Filipino nation will be able to live a an existence wherein local characteristics are able to exist harmoniously with a pan-Filipino identity and patriotism. As the first President in the history of The Philippines to come from Mindanao and as a man with Moro relatives in his extended family, Duterte’s concerns for the well being of Moros has been a decisive factor in helping him to engage in constructive dialogue with the leaders of the two largest Moro political factions MILF and MNFL.

Duterte’s engagement with MILF and MNFL has also helped to create a united front among Moros against extremist factions, including those aligned with Daesh who in 2017 laid siege to the city of Marawi. Duterte’s implementation of Martial Law in Mindanao has helped to liberate Marawi while he has also offered an amnesty for poor Moros who joined terror groups out of desperation, so long as such wayward individuals renounce violence and join with legitimate political factions in the pursuit of enforcing law and order.

In a recent address to Moro groups, President Duterte said the following:

“There will be no regional armed forces or police. I will not agree to that. If we are all Filipinos, why will you have your own army? My army is your army. My police is your police. The (MILF), they can help, they can be absorbed in the armed forces for those willing. So goes with the MNLF. But there will only be one armed forces.
…And if by 2020, we can have a new president or a Moro president for the Republic of the Philippines, the better for us. After all, that person would be a Filipino”.

This is the key to Duterte’s federal proposals for the country. When all regions and peoples in The Philippines are allowed to take responsibility and enjoy the benefits of their own autonomous economic, cultural and social management, it does not make The Philippines weaker but stronger and more peaceful.

In this sense, just as Singapore encouraged Malays, Chinese and Tamil speaking Indians to speak their own languages in their private and personal life, but speak a unifying language for public matters in order to create both strong individual identities and a strong pan-Singaporean identity, so too is Duterte’s federal model good for distinct local cultures, the Moros being just one, while also strengthening the patriotism of all such cultures who all comprise the Filipino nation. In a further example of outreach to insurgents, Duterte also reached out to the far-left terrorist group NPA saying that eventually this fight too will end, emphasising that reconciliation is the in interests of both the Maoist fighters and the government.

In securing trust among ordinary Moros and their leaders, Duterte has managed to convince major Moro groups to embrace the peace process by staking his presidency on his ability to bring peace to the Bangsamoro regions, while also convincing moderate Moro leaders to aid the Philippine armed forces in a mutual battle against extremist groups which have infiltrated Moro regions, including those loyal to the international terrorist organisations al-Qaeda and Daesh (aka ISIS).

In delivering the Bangsamoro Organic Law, Duterte has proved yet again that his tough, unwavering stance on delivering his election promises, has ultimately been in the service of peace. This is true whether this means peaceful streets free of narco-bandits, a peaceful relationship with China or a peaceful settlement to the decades long conflict with both Moro insurgents and the NPA.

Duterte’s signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law represents a major leap forward in the peace process that many prior Philippine leaders tried to cement but which Duterte has managed to achieve through his persistence, his ability to communicate with all sides in the dispute and his ability to demonstrate that a better life for all Filipinos is far more important than any personal matters of ego or personal enrichment. This victory is as much Duterte’s as it is a victory for the country as a whole.

By working to end a centuries long protected and manifold conflict through a combination of legal intensity, cultural compassion and human outreach towards the Moros, Duterte has taken a major step towards doing something that the Spanish and American imperialists, Japanese occupiers and previous Filipino leaders could not do – bring peace to the Bangsamoro region and the Moro people.

For this, Duterte should seriously be considered as a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. If bringing a centuries long conflict to an end is not a historic move for peace, it is difficult to imagine what is."

https://www.eurasiafuture.com/2018/0...l-peace-prize/

[OhOh]

More Duterte 'build build build' projects approved

Reuters
Posted at Jun 28 2017 04:54 PM



"MANILA - A government panel led by President Rodrigo Duterte has approved 305.64 billion pesos ($6.05 billion) worth of infrastructure projects aimed at spurring one of Asia's fastest growing economies.

The Southeast Asian country is boosting infrastructure spending to create jobs, lift economic growth to as much as 8 percent, and attract foreign investors turned off by high power prices and transport bottlenecks.

The 11 approved projects include:

- Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) Phase 1 Tagum-Davao-Digos Segment

- Malolos-Clark Railway Project (PNR North 2)

- Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project

- Clark International Airport (CIA) Expansion Project

- Education Pathways to Peace in Conflict-Affected Areas of Mindanao (PATHWAYS)

- Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program – Philippines

- Project Approval and Change in Financing of Chico River Pump Irrigation Project

- New Communications, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Systems Development Project: 30-Month Loan Validity Extension and Reallocation of Funds

- New Configuration of the LRT Line 1 North Extension Project - Common Station / Unified Grand Central Station (North Extension Project)

- Change in Scope, Cost, and Financing Arrangements for the Arterial Road Bypass Project Phase II

- Change in Financing of the New Centennial Water Source – Kaliwa Dam Project

The Philippine economy grew an annual 6.4 percent in the first quarter, among the fastest in the region on strong domestic consumption and exports.

The government's infrastructure spending is expected to rise from a projected 5.4 percent this year to 7.4 percent by 2022, backed by a tax reform program to raise funds for new highways, bridges, ports, train lines and airports. -- with ABS-CBN News"

More Duterte 'build build build' projects approved | ABS-CBN News

Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ Exceeds Targets in First Half of 2018


As part of his drive to accelerate physical development, economic growth and create new jobs for Filipinos, President Rodrigo Duterte launched the nationwide ‘Build, Build, Build’ initiative focused on new mega-projects, roadworks, ports and other major infrastructural development. A recent report from the Philippine Department of Budget and Managmenet found that in the first half of 2018, the projects associated with the initiative are being completed ahead of initial targets while spending on large scale development programs continues to increase when compared with investment from previous administration.

According to Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno,

“With the better-than-programmed figures on revenues, spending, and the fiscal deficit, we will continue to spend wisely and promptly to service the huge needs of our people, especially in public infrastructure and social services”.

For decades, The Philippines has been left behind in respect of the ‘Asian tiger’ phenomenon which has seen cities and entire countries expand their infrastructure to become leading centres of world commerce, in which living standards for locals consistently improve. A combination of political corruption, a lack of original long term thinking and the corporate corruption of local oligarchs, had conspired to retard the potential of the Philippine economy.

Today however, this has changed and it is thanks to one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s flagship initiatives called ‘Build, Build, Build’. The initiative which covers all parts of The Philippines will see the building of mega-projects throughout the country which will include new highways and roads, airports, shipping ports, energy facilities, mass transit heavy and light rail, new buildings and spaces, as well as projects to improve micro-environments throughout the country.

The project is set to turn The Philippines into the fastest growing economy in ASEAN after years of neglect. The projects will be financed through a combination of public and private funds, with local oligarchs being bypassed for clean investment from countries like China and Japan. India has further expressed an interest in new ventures in the Philippine economy.

Much of the foreign investment has been made possible due to President Duterte’s outreach to new foreign partners. Duterte’s agreement to work jointly with China over previously disputed areas in the South China Sea has clearly played an important role in building trust with Beijing and turning a country that had historically poor relations with modern Philippines into a valued investment partner. As China is now the leading investment partner for countries throughout the world, Duterte’s Sinophobic opponents have been exposed for their myopic economic stupidity that would see The Philippines lose out on opportunities that countries in every other continent are using to their advantage.

Far from hiding the proposals and details of nearly 100 new projects, Duterte’s administration has set up an easy to use website for Build, Build, Build that gives in-depth information about every individual project while allowing the public to rate their level of approval regarding each project.The projects will help create jobs in both the short and long term, while helping to expand the country’s GDP all the while preparing The Philippines to enter the exciting world of One Belt–One Road style joint ventures with other countries. Crucially, Duterte’s initiatives are helping The Philippines to take a leading role in Asia for the first time in modern history.

Every great leader leaves behind a physical legacy to his or her people. From Alexander the Great whose monuments are dotted along the Mediterranean and Middle East, to the buildings of modern China which serve as monuments to a country that looks to take a globally leading role in the 21st century, infrastructure remains the most vital element of long term planning.

Long after the drug pushers and abusers are cleansed from the streets and long after local insurgents are brought to justice, Duterte’s lasting legacy to the country will be his ‘Build, Build, Build’, project. This project also helps one to understand Duterte’s desire for a federal republic, as unlike previous small-time investment initiatives, ‘Build, Build, Build’ is helping to develop neglected parts of the country, in addition to modernising already prosperous areas.

Where previous leaders cared only about themselves, Duterte’s projects are endeavours for the benefit of all Filipino people. Duterte has already changed the hearts and minds of millions, now he will change the very landscape of the country with important projects that will lift the country into a brighter tomorrow. At a time when the western powers are abandoning mega projects, Duterte is embracing the future as an Asian power that will build its way to prosperity.


https://www.eurasiafuture.com/2018/0...-half-of-2018/