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Duterte meets Turkey's Erdogan in Beijing

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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">The Philippine leader has a pull-aside meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, another leader known for his charisma and strongman leadership</span><br />
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BEIJING, China – President Rodrigo Duterte had a pull-aside meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China.</div>
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Duterte revealed this in a news conference upon arriving in Davao City early morning Tuesday, May 16.</div>
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"By the way, I had a talk with the President Erdogan and the Prime Minister of – si Erdenebat – <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">sa</em> (of) Mongolia," he volunteered.</div>
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The meeting with the Mongolian leader took place on Saturday, May 13. The meeting with Erdogan took 10 minutes, according to a Palace official. No other details had been released.</div>
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Duterte said the two leaders met with him supposedly to ask if they can "join" the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which the Philippines chairs this year. He said he favored it.</div>
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"<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gusto nila mag-sali sa ASEAN</em> (They want to join ASEAN). And since I am now the chair, <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">ang Pilipinas ngayon</em> (it's the Philippines as chair now), they wanted me to sponsor that entry and I said, 'Yes, why not?'" he said.</div>
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The President recalled that Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of Myanmar, who was also at the Beijing event, asked him whether the two countries could be considered part of Southeast Asia – one of the criteria for ASEAN membership.</div>
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Duterte said he responded that he believed both are part of the ASEAN geographical area.</div>
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Turkey, while considered to be straddling Europe and Asia, is nowhere near Southeast Asia. Mongolia is bordered by China and Russia.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 18px; margin-top: 50px;">Two strong-arm leaders</strong></div>
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The Philippine President may have found a kindred soul in Erdogan, a leader known for his charisma, but also for his penchant for strong-arm rule.</div>
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The Turkish President recently won a referendum that keeps him in power until 2029 and curbs powers of Turkey's parliament and judiciary.</div>
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Like Duterte, Erdogan started as a local government official. He is a former mayor of Istanbul, Turkey's capital.</div>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/erdogan-referendum-populism_us_58e50d3ee4b0f4a923b44891" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e76229; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">Huffington Post's</a> description of Erdogan sounds uncannily similar to descriptions of Duterte: "<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Erdogan possessed an uncanny ability to reach out to both ordinary folks who admired his authenticity and sincerity, and to the business elite, who admired his competence and vision."</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Like Duterte, Erdogan is compared to leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Under Erdogan's leadership, Turkey experienced unparalleled economic growth and political stability. But under his watch, the liberal-progressive opposition faced intimidation and harassment, showing Erdogan has little patience for dissent.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Aside from Erdogan, Duterte had bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargatulygn Erdenebat.</span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/169770-duterte-bilateral-meeting-recep-tayyip-erdogan?utm_content=buffer6bc6e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 50px;">source: </span><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 50px;">Rappler.com</strong></span></a></span></div>
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The Philippine leader has a pull-aside meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, another leader known for his charisma and stron...

North Korea launches a new unidentified missile as tensions with US fester

1:08 AM Unknown 0

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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">By: </span><a href="https://apnews.com/22d3e80bf62f4bf5b256e2a49c8937fc" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #036feb; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s; vertical-align: baseline;">apnews</a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Sunday test-launched a ballistic missile that flew about 700 kilometers (435 miles), South Korea’s military said, a possible response to the election four days ago of a new South Korean president and as U.S., Japanese and European militaries gather for war games in the Pacific.</span><br />
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South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the early morning launch but had few other details, including what type of ballistic missile was fired. A statement said that the missile was fired from near Kusong City, in North Phyongan province, and that the South Korean and U.S. militaries are analyzing the details.</div>
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Outsiders will be especially interested in what kind of projectile was fired. While North Korea regularly tests shorter-range missiles, it is also working to master the technology needed to field nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach the U.S. mainland.</div>
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North Korea’s past long-range satellite launches have been called clandestine tests of ICBM technology, but it is not believed to have tested a true intercontinental ballistic missile yet. The Trump administration has called North Korean ballistic and nuclear efforts unacceptable and has swung between threats of military action and offers to talk as it formulates a policy.</div>
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The launch also comes as troops from the U.S., Japan and two European nations gather on remote U.S. islands in the Pacific for drills that are partly a message to North Korea. The USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft supercarrier, is also engaging with South Korean navy ships in waters off the Korean Peninsula, according to Seoul’s Defense Ministry.</div>
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Last week South Koreans elected a new president, Moon Jae-in, who favors a much softer approach than his conservative predecessor, Park Geun-hye, who is in jail awaiting a corruption trial. North Korea needs tests to perfect its missile program, but it also is thought to stage its launches after the elections of new U.S. and South Korean presidents in an attempt to gauge a new administration’s reaction.</div>
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Moon called an emergency national security meeting Sunday, but he didn’t immediately make any statement on the launch.</div>
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Moon, the first liberal leader in Seoul in nearly a decade, said as he took his oath of office that he’d be willing to visit the North if the circumstances were right. President Donald Trump has also said he’d be “honored” to talk with leader Kim Jong Un under favorable conditions.</div>
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During the South’s so-called “sunshine” era of the late 1990s and early to mid 2000s, liberal South Korean leaders held two summits with Kim Jong Un’s father, the late Kim Jong Il, and shipped huge amounts of aid to the North. Critics say this only helped the elite in Pyongyang build their missile and nuclear programs, while supporters point to the bloodshed, threats of war and nuclear development of the last decade as proof that the conservative approach was no better.</div>
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Moon has moved more quickly on domestic economic goals than foreign policy. But analysts say that North Korea’s weapons program is likely too far advanced for him to be able to return to the type of sunshine policies his liberal predecessors favored.</div>
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<a href="http://www.anonews.co/nk-launches-missile/"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">SOURCE: Anonews.co</span></a></div>
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International Politics War World News North Korea launches a new unidentified missile as tensions with US fester

By: apnews SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Sunday test-launched a ballistic missile that flew about 700 kilometers (435 m...

De Lima slams claims she got campaign funds from drug lords

11:07 PM Unknown 0

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MANILA -- Senator Leila de Lima on Monday cried foul over accusations that convicted drug kingpins raised millions in cash to fund her poll campaign last May.</div>
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At the same time, de Lima accused the Duterte administration of blackmailing and bribing inmates at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) to fabricate testimonies against her at a congressional inquiry this week.</div>
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The senator insisted that she never received “even a single cent” from convict Jaybee Sebastian, who allegedly ordered gangs in the NBP to contribute P16 million to de Lima’s campaign kitty by selling narcotics.</div>
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“Puro po kasinungalingan ang lalabas diyan. Hindi po ako coddler, hindi po ako protector ng mga drug convicts or drug lords. Lalong lalo na, wala po akong tinatanggap kahit singko kaninuman -- convict man o hindi,” de Lima told radio DZMM.</div>
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(Everything that will be revealed there are lies. I am not a coddler, I am not a protector of drug convicts or drug lords. I never accepted even a cent from anyone –- convict or not. )</div>
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An inmate who will face the inquiry of the House of Representatives claims that Sebastian, who was convicted of carjacking and kidnapping, organized the “fundraising” for de Lima sometime in 2014, the Philippine Star reported Sunday.</div>
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One inmate said Jad de Vera, an alleged nephew of De Lima, would collect the money twice a week.</div>
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Those who defied the order were allegedly transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) jail in Manila and suffered an end to their <strong>VIP perks</strong>.</div>
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<strong>‘PERJURED, COERCED’ WITNESSES</strong></div>
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But De Lima claimed that the witnesses were either offered paroles or blackmailed into giving false testimonies.</div>
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“Ang mga so-called witnesses na iyan can only be false, perjured or coerced. Magsisinungaling o nagsisinungaling po lahat iyan. It's either tinakot sila o may mga ipinangako sa kanila," she said.</div>
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(These so-called witnesses can only be false, perjured or coerced. All of them will lie or are already lying. It’s either they were threatened or were promised something.)</div>
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The high-profile convicts, she said, also loathe her as she ordered a series of raids on their luxurious “kubols” and transferred them to the NBI facility and later to a <strong>high-security facility</strong> at NBP.</div>
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"Lalo na kung kasama iyan sa mga Bilibid 19, siyempre mga galit po sa akin iyan dahil doon po sa pag-raid ko sa kanila noon at paglipat NBI at paglipat ulit sa [NBP] Builbing 14,” de Lima said.</div>
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(Especially the members of Bilibibd 19, they are mad at me because I raided them and transferred them to the NBI and again to the NBP Building 14.)</div>
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Reacting to the reported drug ties of her alleged nephew, de Lima also scoffed: “Hindi ko po iyan kilala, sino iyan?” (I don't know him, who is that?)</div>
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<strong>PATCHWORK OF LIES</strong></div>
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Among the high-value inmates testifying at the House probe are Herbert Colangco and Noel Martinez, who have been transferred to the custody of a military facility due to security concerns.</div>
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Colangco has claimed that de Lima also collected a monthly payola of P3 million for protecting their illegal activities inside the NBP.</div>
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He further alleged that Sebastian, whom de Lima favored, monopolized the NBP narcotics trade when he and other inmates were moved to the NBI.</div>
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Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said a <strong>high-ranking government official</strong> will also testify on how he delivered at least P5 million in drug payoffs per visit to de Lima’s house in Parañaque.</div>
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De Lima, for her part, fired back at the administration over inconsistent accusations against her.</div>
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“Napaka-kumplikado na ng istorya nila. Kasi sa kakaimbento nila ng istorya, hindi sila nakakabuo ng tunay na kapani-paniwalang istorya,” she snapped.</div>
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(Their story is already very complicated. They keep fabricating stories so they cannot form a truly believable narrative.)</div>
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“Ano man pong testigo, ano mang ebidensya ang ilalabas nila -- inmates, former officials ng DOJ, NBI o anuman -- wala pong katotohanan iyan.”</div>
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(Any witness, any evidence they will release -- inmates, former officials of DOJ, NBI or whatever -– there will be no truth to it.)</div>
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In the right time, the senator also promised to explain the “operational strategy” on why Sebastian was left at the NBP when other high-value inmates were transferred to NBI.</div>
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De Lima is not attending the “sham inquiry” which starts Tuesday.</div>
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The senator has earned President Duterte’s ire by leading a Senate investigation into the hundreds of deaths in the vicious war on drugs.</div>
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Last week, she presented as witness Edgar Matobato, a self-confessed hitman who accused Duterte of ordering the killings of suspected criminals and political opponents in Davao City during his term as mayor.</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/19/16/de-lima-slams-claims-she-got-campaign-funds-from-drug-lords">Source: AbsCbn News</a></span></div>
</div>

DeLima Drug Duterte Government Politics Video Videos De Lima slams claims she got campaign funds from drug lords

MANILA -- Senator Leila de Lima on Monday cried foul over accusations that convicted drug kingpins raised millions in cash to fund h...

Pacquiao says death penalty 'moral and lawful'

9:46 PM Unknown 0

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DEVOUT CHRISTIAN WANTS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AGAINST CRIMINALS</h3>
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MANILA <strong>(UPDATE)</strong> – Neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday defended anew his support for the reinstatement of death penalty, saying it is ''lawful and moral.''</div>
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Pacquiao's statement backs President Rodrigo Duterte's push to revive the death penalty in the Philippines, which was suspended by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and was also opposed by her successor, Benigno Aquino III.</div>
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In his first privilege speech, Pacquiao, a born-again Christian, cited no less than the bible as his basis for saying that death penalty is justifiable.</div>
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''Death penalty is a lawful, moral, and a sanctioned governmental action,'' he said.</div>
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''Having read the bible on a regular basis, I'm convinced that God is not just a God of mercy, but he is also a God of justice," he said. </div>
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Pacquiao said the drug menace is destroying the country, with many families getting broken and many innocent civilians falling prey to drug-dependent criminals.</div>
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''Walang pinipiling mabibiktima ang ilegal na droga. Even innocent civilians can be an unwitting victim once an addict goes out and wreak havoc,'' he said.</div>
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''God is allowing the death penalty, [yet] we are opposing the death penalty. Are we greater than God?"</div>
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Pacquiao said he has yet to make up his mind about which form of execution would be best.</div>
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''Nananaig po ang hanging o firing squad. Sisipain lang po ang upuan eh,'' Pacquiao said when pressed for his choice by Senator Vicente Sotto III.</div>
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Pacquiao said he has so far filed Senate Bill 185 which seeks to impose death penalty and increased penalties on certain heinous crimes involving dangerous drugs.</div>
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<strong>INTERPELLATION</strong></div>
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Duterte was interpellated by several senators, including Liberal Party members Leila de Lima and Joel Villanueva.</div>
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De Lima, who has long opposed death penalty, said there are more effective ways of ''minimizing'' crimes triggered by the use of illegal drugs other than death penalty.</div>
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''Death penalty may inhibit, but other penalties may also inhibit, like the proper service of reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment,'' she said.</div>
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''Palakasin natin ang correctional system. Baguhin ang mga naging masamang sistema sa bilibid."</div>
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Villanueva, for his part, said impoverished Filipinos must be given opportunities so they would not turn to selling illegal drugs.</div>
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''Kaisa ako ng People's Champ para isulong ang mga makabuluhang progama na magbigay ng mga oportunidad na magkaroon ng magandang buhay,'' Villanueva said.</div>
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Senator Risa Hontiveros also called out Pacquaio for expressing support and even visiting drug convict Mary Jane Veloso in Indonesia. </div>
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Veloso, supposedly innocent and was merely duped by an illegal drug syndicate, was saved from the death penalty after a last minute reprieve. </div>
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Hontiveros also asked Pacquiao whether he agrees with the opinion that death penalty is an anti-poor policy.</div>
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Pacquiao responded by saying that under Duterte, everyone will be treated equally.</div>
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Pacquiao has declared himself to be an ally of fellow Mindanaoan Duterte, who has waged a bloody war on drugs.</div>
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Duterte has made it a vow to reinstate the death penalty and pair it with his crusade to rid the country of the ills brought about by the illegal drug trade.</div>
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The Catholic Church strongly opposes the death penalty. Anti-death penalty advocates, meantime, often cite studies showing that death penalty has not been a successful crime deterrent.</div>
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Addressing the argument that the current trend worldwide is towards the abolition of death penalty, Duterte said the capital punishment is not a deterrent but a means of ''retribution."</div>
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<a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/08/16/pacquiao-says-death-penalty-moral-and-lawful"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">source:ABSCBN</span></a></div>
<br /></div>

Crime Drugs Duterte Government Politics Trending Pacquiao says death penalty 'moral and lawful'

DEVOUT CHRISTIAN WANTS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT AGAINST CRIMINALS MANILA (UPDATE) – Neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday defended an...

DUTERTE'S LIST: 'Narco' politicos, lawmen, judges

4:44 AM Unknown 0

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MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday revealed the names</div>
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 of sitting and retired local government officials, policemen and lawmen who are allegedly involved in the drug trade.<br />
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Here is the list of drug-tainted officials bared by the President:</div>
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<strong>COURT MAGISTRATES </strong></div>
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Judge Mupas of Dasmariñas City, Cavite<br />Judge Reyes, Baguio City<br />Judge Savilo, Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 13, Iloilo City<br />Judge Casiple, Kalibo, Aklan<br />Judge Rene Gonzales, Municipal Trial Court (MTC)</div>
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Judge Navidad, RTC-Calbayog City<br />Judge Ezekiel Dagala MTC<br />Judge Dapa, Siargao</div>
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<strong>INCUMBENT AND FORMER LOCAL EXECS, LAWMAKERS </strong></div>
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Mayor Reynaldo Flores - Naguilian, La Union<br />Mayor Dante Garcia - Tubao, La Union<br />Mayor Martin De Guzman - Bauang, La Union<br />Mayor Marjorie Apel Salazar - Lasam, Cagayan<br />Mayor Goto Violago - San Rafael, Bulacan</div>
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Mayor Marino Morales - Mabalacat, Pampanga<br />Mayor Felix Castillo - Langiden, Abra<br />Ex Mayor Eufronio Erigel - Agoo, La Union<br />Mayor Jesus Celeste, Alyas Boying - Bolinao, Pangasinan<br />Mayor Jose "Pepe" Miranda - Santiago City, Isabela</div>
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Mayor Vicente Amante - San Pablo City, Laguna<br />Mayor Ryan Dolor - Bauan, Batangas<br />Vice Mayor Edgardo Trinidad - El Nido, Palawan<br />Mayor Alex Centena - Calinog, Iloilo<br />Mayor Julius Ronald Pacificador - Hamtic, Antique</div>
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Mayor Jed Mabilog - Iloilo City<br />Mayor Sigfredo Betita - Carles, Iloilo<br />Marciano Malones--Maasin, Iloilo<br />Ex-Mayor Michael Rama - Cebu City<br />Mayor Hector Ong - Laoang, Northern Samar</div>
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Mayor Rolando Espinosa - Albuera, Samar<br />Mayor Beda Canamaque - Basay, Negros Oriental<br />Ex-Mayor Madeline Ong - Laoang, Northern Samar<br />Vice Mayor Francis Ansing Amboy - Maasin, Iloilo<br />Fralz Sabalones - San Fernando Cebu </div>
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Antonio Pesina - Iloilo City<br />Erwin "Tongtong" Plagata - Iloilo City<br />Buddy Aingan -- Kulambungan, Davao Del Norte<br />Former board member Ricardo Parojinog - Misamis<br />Mayor Fahad Salic - Marawi City </div>
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Congressman Guillermo Romarate, Jr. - 2nd District, Surigao del Norte<br />Jessie Aguilera - Alegria, Surigao del Norte<br />Mayor Mohammad Ali Abenal - Marantao, Lanao del Sur<br />Jamal Dadayan - Buadiposo-Buntong, Lanao del Sur<br />Rasmiyah Macabago - Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur </div>
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Muslim Alen Macadato -- Lobatan, Lanao Del Sur<br />Rasul Santi Datu Zaldy Ampatuan - Maguindanao<br />Montaser Zabal - Talitay, Maguindanao<br />Vicman Montawal - Datu Montawal, Maguindanao<br />Samsudin Dimaukom -- Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao</div>
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Norodin Salasal -- Datu Salibo, Maguindanao<br />Ex-Mayor Benahar Tulawie - Talipao, Sulu<br />Nova Princess Parojinog Echavez<br />Omar Solitario Ali - Marawi City<br />Abdul Wahid Sabal - Vice Mayor, Talitay, Maguindanao</div>
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Otto Montawal - Datu Montawal, Maguindanao<br />Nida Dimagcon - Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao<br />Arafat Salik - Marawi City<br />Rasmia Macabagu - Siguran, Lanao Del Sur </div>
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Ex-Mayor Abubakar Abdukarim Afdal - Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur<br />Mayor Gamar Ahay Janihim - Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte<br />David Navarro - Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur<br />Bobby Alingan - Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte<br />Yusofa Monder Bugong Ramin - Iligan City, Lanao del Norte<br />Ex-Congressman JC Rahman Nava - Guimaras </div>
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Party-list Rep. Jeffrey Celis - Panay </div>
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<strong>ACTIVE AND RETIRED LAWMEN </strong></div>
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Police Inspector Rolando Batolayan<br />Ret. Supt. Maristelo Manalo, CIDG<br />Roberto Palisoc - Station 7 MPD<br />Ret. Supt. Siceron Ada<br />Chief Insp. Eric Bunaventura - Navotas</div>
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PO2 Geraldine Bautista Manuel - Health Service<br />SPO3 Ronald Calap - Isabela<br />PO3 Rodel Samoledo - Lalio<br />PO3 Cecilio Domingo - CIDG<br />PO2 Ryan Mendoza - Tarlac Pstation</div>
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Jeffrey Serafica - Butuan<br />PO1 Norman Adarlo - Puerto Galera<br />Mark Canete RSRPSV Mimaropa<br />PO1 Mark Christian Catalina - Camarines Norte<br />PO2 Allan Carpio - Pasay City</div>
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PO3 Eric Lazo - QCPD<br />PO3 Alexander Macabeo - Parañaque City<br />PO3 Johnny Mahilom - QCPD<br />PO2 Cielito Minendrez - Binangonan<br />Ret. General Vicente Loot </div>
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Ret. General Valerio - Iloilo<br />General Bernando Diaz - Region 6<br />General Idio - Calbayog City<br />Ret. Supt. Floro Antique<br />Supt. Kashmir Dimangcup - former Iloilo Base Commander</div>
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Supt. Delia Paz - RDIDM<br />Supt. Genepa Riu - Intelligence<br />Supt. Ifel Duenas<br />Supt. Kaundag<br />Supt. Eugenio Malik, Maritime Group, former chief of Antique Anti-Drug Group </div>
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Supt. Gumboc<br />Supt. Leven<br />Chief Insp. Rio Maymay<br />Senior Insp. Kenneth Militar, Iloilo<br />Senior Insp. Donasco</div>
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Insp. De Jose - Region 6<br />Insp. Duarte - Arevalo, Iloilo<br />Chief Insp. Vicente Vicente - Banate<br />Supt. Romeo Santander - Cebu<br />PO2 Michael Cortez - Barili </div>
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SPO1 Jen Dela Victoria - Cebu<br />SPO1 Onel Nabua - Barili<br />PO2 Jomar Ibanez - Lapu Lapu<br />PO3 Ryan Martusciamco - Cebu<br />PCI Ibrahim Jabiran- Zamboanga </div>
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PCI Senior Insp. Perfecto Abrazaldo Awi, Jr.-- Misamis Oriental<br />Insp. Roy Sinuhales Montes - Iligan Pro<br />Supt. Ricardo Gando Pulot - Quezon, Bukidnon Insp. Martin Plaza<br />PO1 Pierre Dizo - Zamboanga Del Sur<br />PO3 Omar Kwani - Zamboanga City </div>
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Romel Mansol - PRO9<br />PO3 Daryl Pagi - Labasan<br />SPO1 Totong Jay Valdez<br />SPO1 Rodrigo Ramos - Bukidnon Pro<br />SPO1 Renaldo Dela Victoria - Cagayan De Oro </div>
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SPO3 Emilio Mendoza Lusaria - Iligan<br />Marlo Espinosa -- Bukidnon<br />SPO3 Mat -- CIDG Mati, Davao Oriental<br />SPO3 Rosel Eleviera - CIDG Tagum, Davao Del Norte<br />PO3 Jesse Balabag - Region 11</div>
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PO3 Filimino Soronya - Digos<br />Insp. Juan Glen Alicarte - PRO 12<br />PO1 Philip Pantarolia - Tacurong City<br />SPO1 Jerry Dela Rosa - SCP PIO<br />PO3 Bebot Ruiz - GSC-PIO</div>
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PO3 Estelito Solanio - Saranggani<br />PO1 Jerebel Oxio<br />SPO1 Bilyones Ernesto - NCR<br />Montemayor Lito - Roxas District, Jail Aparri Dist<br />PO1 Vicente Renaldo Celis - NCR </div>
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Sait Dexel - Mimaropa<br />SPO1 Tubil Felix - Region 3<br />SPO3 Angeles Nicolas Ponce - Region 3<br />SPO2 Mercene Rod - Marinduque BFP<br />FO1 Reynaldo Valencia - Claveria </div>
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Sgt. Vic Dela Cruz - Mimaropa<br />Brig. Genera.l Leonzo Daniega - NCR<br />Spo3 Gerry Mendoza - NCR<br />Reomante Daitu - Region5<br />Reymar Daitu - Region 5</div>
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Zamora Reynato Gumaro - Region6<br />JO1 Allan Coca Manatad - Region7<br />SPO3 Cristy Cielo Tinag - Region 7<br />Arsad Kasimiro Castro - ARMM<br />PFC Arsad Phillip Miro - ARMM </div>
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Corporal Kosina Lopez Giamad Loy - 52nd Brigade Armm<br />PFC Mamadali Ifad -- ARMM<br />Yasin Abulgalit Bobong<br />JO1 Cobacho Alfredo Galis<br />FO1 Aplaca Nicolas Ponce - ARMM </div>
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FO3 Ibanez Ricardo Villariz - Region 9<br />Marine Corporal Alfrenz Burias Abedin-- Western Mindanao,<br />Jimmy Manlangit - Region 12 </div>
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The President stripped the government officials of their police escorts. The policemen on the list, on the on the other hand, were immediately relieved from their posts.</div>
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They will also be investigated for criminal and administrative charges, he said.</div>
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He said the names were validated by the police and the military. </div>
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"I ordered the validation. I am the one reading it and I am the sole person responsible for this one," he said. </div>
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Before this, the President also named five police generals and several other local executives as alleged protectors of drug rings. </div>
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Duterte's crackdown on drug suspects has killed some 852 individuals from May 10 up to 3 p.m. of August 5, according to an independent tally by the ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group. <span style="line-height: 1.5;">-- With a report from Elric Ayop, ABS-CBN News </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/07/16/dutertes-list-narco-politicos-lawmen-judges">source: ABSCBN</a></span></span></div>
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Crime Drugs Du30 Duterte Government Local News National Politics Viral DUTERTE'S LIST: 'Narco' politicos, lawmen, judges

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday revealed the names of sitting and retired local government officials, policemen and lawme...

Four weeks in office: Duterte report card

9:55 PM Unknown 0

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Manila: Nearly four weeks into his presidency, tough-talking Rodrigo Duterte has made clear the direction his administration intends to take and what could be expected from his administration.</div>
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Duterte completes his first month in office on July 31. Riding on his experience and reputation as the top executive of Davao City for more than two decades, the 72-year-old overwhelmingly bested the other candidates for the presidency including Vice-President Jejomar Binay and administration candidate Mar Roxas.</div>
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But, after his election victory, it’s time for him to deliver on his promises.</div>
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Here are some of the promises he made and the action taken on those in the short time he has been in office.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">Law and order</span></div>
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In the run-up to the elections and until he formally assumed office on June 30, Duterte had warned of a massive government drive to root out drug addiction, which he described as “tearing the fabric of the Philippine society and destroying families”.</div>
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In a short span of time, government efforts are already bearing fruit. Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald Dela Rosa said that from a high of 52,950 crime incidents in January 2016, the crime volume dipped 13 per cent through the first and second quarters of the years to 46,060 incidents recorded in June.</div>
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From July 1, a total of 120,038 voluntarily yielded to authorities, among them, 112,902 drug users and, 7,107 pushers, according to official PNP records.</div>
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“This was the result of the Duterte effect” columnists and news reports said as it described the fear brought upon by Duterte’s crackdown on drugs.</div>
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But while some may agree on Duterte’s anti drugs campaign, there are those who have mixed feelings about it.</div>
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“I do not agree to a nationwide killing rampage but I understand it is necessary in Mindanao where I grew up,” Lilibeth Sia, who is in her early 50s and who runs an event management firm in Metro Manila, said.</div>
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According to figures provided by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), the Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalim (PCIJ) said that so far, “at least 33 incidents related to the campaign that will be investigated on the commission’s own initiative,”</div>
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CHR Commissioner Leah Armamento says: “Actually, our investigators are now almost working 24/7. They cannot finish their reports quickly because there’s so much to do.”</div>
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As Duterte’s war on drugs unfolded, questions arose on whether the suspects had been given due process as bodies not just turn up on the streets at night, but are assassinated in broad daylight in front of people.</div>
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Lorela Sandoval, a businesswoman in La Union in northern Philippines said that while she agrees with the positive aspects of the so-called ‘Duterte Effect’ suspects still need to be proven guilty.</div>
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“What if they are innocent then that would be injustice to them isn’t it,” she said.</div>
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But for Hector Mercado, an air conditioning technician and a father of five who lives in the predominantly urban poor Gulayan district in Malabon City, he said he can only say positive about the current government’s drive against criminality.</div>
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“Now, I am not afraid to walk the streets at night and I can work longer hours. I am less fearful of somebody sneaking behind me in the dark and telling me to give up all my earnings for the day,” he told Gulf News, adding: “For me that is what matters the most.”</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">Internal conflict</span></div>
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When Duterte was declared President in May, one of the first things that he would do was to announce a ceasefire with the communist umbrella group which had been fighting the government for 47 years, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New Peoples’ Army (NPA).</div>
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On Monday, he did just that. On his first State of the Nation Address, he declared a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels.</div>
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“No one wants peace more than the soldiers themselves who do the fighting,” an Army sergeant, who refuses to have his name published told Gulf News in an earlier interview inside Camp Capinpin in Rizal province, east of Manila.</div>
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“Declaring a ceasefire, although unilateral, is a positive gesture. Hopefully a ceasefire agreement will be signed so we can focus on other important concerns,” he said.</div>
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The peace process with communist rebels was initiated during the administration of president Fidel Ramos during the initial years of the 1990s. During the previous administration under Benigno Aquino, the talks hardly progressed as both sides had been wary of the peace negotiations being used for political propaganda. Under the Duterte administration, the leader made an unprecedented move of declaring a ceasefire without any condition in exchange.</div>
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Duterte also said during the Sona that he wants to put closure on the so-called ‘Bangsamoro Question,’ that has resulted in at least three decades of strife in Southern Philippines.</div>
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Reacting to the President’s statement Muslimin Sema chair of the MNLF council of 15 said: “There is a possibility that he (Duterte) would be the last president we are to negotiate with. We are inspired by his being positive on the peace process and for that we will reciprocate with honour and vigour.”</div>
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Sema’s group is the largest among the four factions of the MNLF and was the only one that signed a unified declaration with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).</div>
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“It is easier to solve the Mindanao problem now while the moderate, older Moro leaders are still alive. The next generation of Moro leaders will surely be radical and dealing with them might be tediously difficult,” Sema said.</div>
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Decades of insurgency and separatist strife had locked parts of the Philippines in a vicious cycle of conflict. In most cases, combatants who were born into the conflict has known no other life but that being engaged in fighting.</div>
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During a speech he gave to soldiers of the 7th Infantry Division, based in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija on July 26, Duterte said: “I am a President that seeks peace with everyone. My job as president is not to look for conflict. My job is to make sure that there will be no conflict in the Philippines and that the military will be there ever ready to guard the integrity of the republic to protect the people.”</div>
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As for the Abu Sayyaf, he said that although he believes that the conflict is rooted on their desire for self-determination, the group – notorious for kidnap for ransom and beheading of captives – has to make a choice. “Are they willing to talk or fight it out,” he said.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">Anti-corruption drive</span></div>
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With regards to this particular campaign promise of the President, this is possibly the one of the most crucial and difficult to gauge. With very little in the way of metrics to judge the achievements of the administration, government has no concrete means to determine whether a certain agency is corrupt until actual cases are filed in court and prospered against officials.</div>
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One of the first items in the reform agenda of the government was to replace officials of the Bureau of Customs, but other corrupt agencies such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue are relatively untouched.</div>
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“We really have yet to see something drastic and spectacular to say that government is serious in its reform agenda concerning certain government agencies,” said an anti-corruption advocate who requested anonymity.</div>
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While Duterte boasts that there have been achievements in the faster processing of government documents, the practice of so-called public servants from asking for grease money remain prevalent and there are no indications that this would change.</div>
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In most cases, corruption is an embedded thing at the grassroots level.</div>
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As much as that in the grassroots, corruption also ails other branches of government including the judiciary.</div>
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According to the 2016 Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Report, the Philippines ranks 7th among the 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.</div>
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It said the Philippines had achieved gains during the Aquino administration in ridding corruption. This however, these gains could be reversed if there is no follow through to this momentum.</div>
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Nevertheless, Filipinos, such as Carmela Huelar, a journalist covering the transport and shipping sector is not losing hope.</div>
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“I am very positive that Duterte will make an impact with regards to the anti-corruption drive.</div>
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I think he has the willpower to effect change and that is what is important,” she said.</div>
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“He is not scared of anyone because he does not owe anybody a debt of gratitude,” she added.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">Human trafficking</span></div>
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With regards to this particular campaign promise of the President, this is possibly the one of the most crucial and difficult to gauge. With very little in the way of metrics to judge the achievements of the administration, government has no concrete means to determine whether a certain agency is corrupt until actual cases are filed in court and prospered against officials.</div>
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One of the first items in the reform agenda of the government was to replace officials of the Bureau of Customs, but other corrupt agencies such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue are relatively untouched.</div>
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“We really have yet to see something drastic and spectacular to say that government is serious in its reform agenda concerning certain government agencies,” said an anti-corruption advocate who requested anonymity.</div>
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While Duterte boasts that there have been achievements in the faster processing of government documents, the practice of so-called public servants from asking for grease money remain prevalent and there are no indications that this would change.</div>
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In most cases, corruption is an embedded thing at the grassroots level.</div>
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As much as that in the grassroots, corruption also ails other branches of government including the judiciary.</div>
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According to the 2016 Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Report, the Philippines ranks 7th among the 16 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.</div>
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It said the Philippines had achieved gains during the Aquino administration in ridding corruption. This however, these gains could be reversed if there is no follow through to this momentum.</div>
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Nevertheless, Filipinos, such as Carmela Huelar, a journalist covering the transport and shipping sector is not losing hope.</div>
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“I am very positive that Duterte will make an impact with regards to the anti-corruption drive.</div>
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I think he has the willpower to effect change and that is what is important,” she said.</div>
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“He is not scared of anyone because he does not owe anybody a debt of gratitude,” she added.</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">Human trafficking</span></div>
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Also during the Sona, Duterte also declared a no-let up drive against human traffickers and making the processing of documents for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) easier.</div>
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“I place this issue in parity in importance with the anti-drug campaign,” the President said.</div>
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Susan Ople of the Blas F. Ople Policy Centre on labour migration said the overseas Filipino workers sector “is also happy to hear that he will be true to his campaign promise to create a separate department for our OFWs and a hi-tech one-stop shop to address their needs.”</div>
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Sona given by past Presidents, such as Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino did not dwell much on the issues involving OFWs.</div>
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Likewise, the President said he will work for lengthening the validity of passports from current five years to ten years. He also promised to end long qeueus for passport applications and release. He said his heart breaks every time he sees Filipinos wanting to go overseas having a difficult time in getting their travel documents. OFWs contribute a large part to the country’s economy and have played a role in saving the Philippine economy during difficult times.</div>
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As Duterte himself had said, in the end, it is not as much as what the President says or do but what the people responds to the need to act.</div>
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<a href="http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/four-weeks-in-office-duterte-report-card-1.1869880">source:Gulfnews</a></div>
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Du30 Duterte Government National Politics Four weeks in office: Duterte report card

Manila: Nearly four weeks into his presidency, tough-talking Rodrigo Duterte has made clear the direction his administration intends to ta...

LOOK: Past, present presidents meet in Malacanang

1:39 AM Unknown 0

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MANILA - There's strength in numbers. </div>
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For the first time, five former and present Philippine presidents gathered together in one room to discuss policy and chart a course for the future of the country.</div>
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Photos taken by Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar showed former Presidents Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III in Malacanang Palace for the National Security Council meeting with incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte. </div>
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Malacañang earlier said Duterte would convene the NSC ''in order to agree on vital policies and strategies on important matters, including the recent ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the West Philippine Sea."</div>
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The council is composed of 35 leader-members from the executive and legislative branches of government, such as Vice President Leni Robredo, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, the majority and minority leaders of both Houses of Congress, chairs of Senate and House committees involved in national security concerns, and various members of the Cabinet. </div>
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Malacañang said that an overview of the road map for peace and development shall be presented in the first council meeting. The council will also be given an update on the government's campaign against illegal drugs.</div>
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Duterte decided to convene the NSC in the wake of arbitral tribunal's ruling invalidating China's massive South China Sea claim.</div>
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Ramos, a member of the council, earlier agreed to become Manila's special envoy to Beijing.</div>
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source: <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/27/16/look-past-present-presidents-meet-in-malacanang">ABSCBN news</a></div>
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Government Law National Politics LOOK: Past, present presidents meet in Malacanang

MANILA - There's strength in numbers. For the first time, five former and present Philippine presidents gathered together in one ro...

China asks US to support resumption of talks with Philippines

12:31 AM Unknown 0

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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">BEIJING — China's foreign minister has asked US Secretary of State John Kerry to support the resumption of talks between China and the Philippines over the South China Sea, following a ruling against Beijing over the dispute earlier this month.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">China did not participate in and has refused to accept the July 12 ruling by the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration, in which US ally Manila won an emphatic legal victory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meeting in the Laos capital Vientiane on Monday during a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Kerry that China and ASEAN had agreed the dispute should get back onto the "correct" track of being resolved by direct talks with the parties concerned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">China "hopes the United States side talks actual steps to support the resumption of talks between China and the Philippines, and support the efforts of China and ASEAN to maintain regional peace and stability", Wang said, according to a foreign ministry statement released on Tuesday.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">China has repeatedly blamed the United States for stoking tensions in the South China Sea and of taking sides in the dispute, charges Washington denies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Competing claims with China in the vital shipping lane and resource-rich sea are among the most contentious issues for the 10 members of ASEAN, who are pulled between their desire to assert their sovereignty while fostering ties with an increasingly assertive Beijing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">China's foreign ministry said Wang again urged Tokyo not to intervene in the South China Sea, saying Japan was not a claimant in the disputes and should avoid interfering in up the maritime spats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The China-Japan relations are still vulnerable and unsatisfactory," Wang told Fumio Kishida, Japan's minister for foreign affairs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Japan and allies Australia and the United States issued a joint statement voicing their "strong opposition to any coercive unilateral actions" in the South China Sea and calling on both the Philippines and China to abide by the legally binding ruling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">China scored a diplomatic victory on Monday as Southeast Asian nations dropped any reference to the court ruling in a joint statement in the face of resolute objections from Cambodia, China's closest ASEAN ally. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">—Reuters</strong></span></div>
source:<a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/575083/news/nation/china-asks-us-to-support-resumption-of-talks-with-philippines">GMA news</a><br />
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National Politics World News China asks US to support resumption of talks with Philippines

BEIJING — China's foreign minister has asked US Secretary of State John Kerry to support the resumption of talks between China and the...

DUTERTalk: Quotable quotes from President Duterte’s first SONA

11:39 PM Unknown 0

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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Below is a compilation of quotes from the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 25, 2016.</span></div>
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<em>What I see are widows and orphans and I see their pain and grief.</em></div>
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<em>Sorrow cuts across every strata of society.</em></div>
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<em>Let us end the centuries of distrust and war.</em></div>
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<em>Courage knows no limits, cowardice does.</em></div>
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<em>Fingerpointing is not the way of honorable men</em></div>
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<em>Courage knows no limits, cowardice does.</em></div>
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<em>He who is the cause of the cause is the cause of them all.</em></div>
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<em>This will be a clean government.</em></div>
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<em>In this quest I will put at stake my honor, my life, my presidency.</em></div>
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<em>All of us want peace, not the peace of the dead, of course, but the peace of the living.</em></div>
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<em>For those who have valid reasons to complain against corruption, the gates of Malacañang are open.</em></div>
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The president’s address started at 4:07 p.m. and ended at 5:40 p.m. and interrupted 108 times by applause from the audience.</div>
<span style="border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Source: <a href="http://www.mb.com.ph/dutertalk-quotable-quotes-from-president-dutertes-first-sona/">Mb</a></span></div>

National Politics Trending DUTERTalk: Quotable quotes from President Duterte’s first SONA

Below is a compilation of quotes from the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on July 25, 2016. What I see ar...

LOOK: Duterte meets militant leaders after SONA

11:30 PM Unknown 0

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MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte met with militant leaders who staged a rally outside the Batasan Complex after delivering his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon.</div>
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BAYAN Secretary General Renato Reyes said in a Facebook post that they were summoned by the President.</div>
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Reyes confirmed to ABS-CBN News that they met with Duterte after the SONA.</div>
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"We were seated at the island resting while waiting for the pack up of the stage when we were approached by the PNP who asked us to go with them. He did not say where and why. We just followed thinking they just wanted to discuss something," Reyes said.</div>
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He said Duterte also met with Lumad leaders.</div>
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According to the militant leader, the President talked about peace and how he wanted to devote more resources to social services once armed conflict has been resolved.</div>
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"(It turned) out we were brought to a lounge where the President was waiting. He wanted to meet the activists gathered outside. Many had left though," Reyes said.</div>
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"The Mindanao delegation had to walk back to Batasan to catch up. We talked about peace and how the President wanted to devote more resources to social services once the armed conflict was resolved," he added.</div>
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The meeting between Duterte and the militant leaders lasted for about one hour and a half. Reyes said they appreciated the gesture.</div>
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"It was a long meeting starting at 7:00 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m. It was a gesture we truly appreciated. A lot of first indeed in President's first SONA."</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/07/25/16/look-duterte-meets-militant-leaders-after-sona">Source: ABS CBN News</a></span></div>
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National Politics LOOK: Duterte meets militant leaders after SONA

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte met with militant leaders who staged a rally outside the Batasan Complex after delivering his first Sta...

WATCH IT FIRST HERE: President Duterte SONA Online Live Stream and Coverage

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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">The occasion will likewise be watched on Facebook and on local TV.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The globally acclaimed film director, Brilliante Mendoza will coordinate the occasion. He told ABS-CBN news that they will attempt to demonstrate the common identity of the President. As cited from his announcement,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Ipapakita lang natin ang normal, ipapakita kung papaano siya makipagusap sa mga tao at kanilang tunay na reaksyon. Kung baga walang frivolity.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Atty. Paola Alvarez the approaching fund representative said that even the group helping the President to get ready for the SONA doesn’t know the substance of his discourse. In a meeting with GMA News, she said,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Yan po talaga ang ugali niya. Nobody comprehends what he’s going to say.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this moment, the President will deliver what they need to listen, what we could accomplish for them and not what they definitely know</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a related report, the SONA 2016 of President Duterte won’t be a design appear. As cited from Ms. Alvarez,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We will minimize the occasion. It won’t be a design appear. We need to fixate on the what the President’s message is to our kin particularly it’s his first State of the Nation Address. So it will be an alternate take on the grounds that our visitors will be asked for not to wear their outfits as what we have already been finding in the past SONAs,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aggressor aggregates additionally said that they won’t hold forceful rally including blazing of representations not at all like past SONAs. Rather, they will calmly introduce representations of how they expect the present organization will lighten issues identified with destitution, instruction, debasement, among others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, classes at all levels in Quezon City have as of now been suspended on July 25, 2016 as a feature of the arrangements for SONA.</span></div>
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Government National Politics Videos WATCH IT FIRST HERE: President Duterte SONA Online Live Stream and Coverage

President Rodrigo Duterte will convey his first State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) on July 25, 2016 at Batasang Pambansa. You can watch th...