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Manila, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines defends his non-confrontational approach to territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, while his threat of killing drug dealers in the final state of Monday’s national address. Updated without shyness.
Duterte, 76, who won his six-year presidential term in 2016, is in the shadow of his deadly campaign against a raging pandemic, a devastated economy, and the illicit drugs that caused genocide. It ends the often noisy presidential office. Murder in the International Criminal Court.
Many expected him to focus on how to fight the coronavirus that devastated the economy and exacerbated hunger and poverty, but Duterte instead took up a non-pandemic topic he repeatedly covered in the past. Dedicated most of the rambling, almost three-hour television speech.
Duterte dared to record his remarks in the International Criminal Court (ICC), repeating his threat of killing drug dealers, saying it would be difficult to fight criminals “in a legitimate way.” explained.
“I never deny, and the ICC can record it: those who destroy my country, I kill you, and those who destroy the youth of our country, I Will kill you, “Duterte said. “I love my country, so I really beat you.”
“You can do it in a legitimate way, but it will take you months and years,” Duterte told an audience of legislators, ministers, and foreign diplomats.
Duterte and police denied accepting extrajudicial killings, but he repeatedly threatened to kill the suspect in his speech. Over 6,000, most of the trivial suspects, were killed during a police drug investigation. In addition, many were shot down by motorcycle assassins suspected to be related to law enforcement by human rights groups.
The killings warned Western governments, UN rights experts, and human rights groups. Duterte admits that within six months of his inauguration, he failed to fulfill his campaign promise to eradicate drug threats and deep-seated corruption. But he said he found at least nine police officers and customs officials involved in the drug trade.
“I didn’t know I was fighting my government,” he said, but the involvement of law enforcement and civil servants has long been reported.
Randy Delos Santos, a 17-year-old nephew who was shot dead by three police officers convicted of murder in 2017, said the poor were traumatized by drug crackdowns.
“He hasn’t won the war on drugs because the problems still remain, but many families have lost their earners,” De los Santos told The Associated Press. “We were the biggest losers and we are still afraid.”
An ICC prosecutor said last month that a preliminary hearing found reason to believe that he had been guilty of crimes against humanity under Duterte’s drug crackdown and sought permission to initiate a formal investigation. Duterte said he would never cooperate with possible investigations.
The Allies defend Duterte’s record, highlighting his administration’s efforts to combat crime, poverty, corruption and decades of communist and Muslim rebellion in state television documentaries and speeches, infrastructure Was built.
But increasingly loud opponents have criticized Duterte’s handling of important issues, including refusing to confront the persecution of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
Duterte said he has never actively confronted China, as military solutions are not an option for the weak Filipino.
“If I go now and fight the war, it will be a slaughter,” Duterte said. “We are not yet capable and capable enemies on the other side.”
Duterte thanked healthcare professionals fighting the coronavirus alongside private companies and foreign banks for helping and funding the country to deal with the pandemic.
He said the economy could hardly withstand any further blockades, but if the highly contagious delta mutants were widespread, he would have little choice but to resort to more restrictions.
“I really don’t know what to do. I need to listen to the task force,” he said, referring to government agencies of cabinet bureaucrats and medical professionals dealing with pandemics.
The Philippines has reported more than 1.5 million Chinese Communist Party virus infections, also known as COVID-19, including 27,224 deaths. After months of blockades and natural disasters, last year’s economy plummeted by 9.5%.
Opposition Senator Lisa Hontiveros can hear clear plans in Duterte’s speech to deal with the vast number of Filipinos who have lost their livelihoods due to inadequate virus testing and contact tracing, and pandemics. He said he couldn’t.
“Our people wanted to hear from the president about work and health. He should have focused on these above all else,” said Hontiveros.
Jim Gomez
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