For months, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte talked tough when it came to Islamic terror and has arguably taken the most hard-line stance against it of any single world leader. Only weeks ago, in a rant against Islamic jihadists, Duterte stated that if the terrorists wanted to take their chances in the Philippines, he would have them arrested and he would do to them what they do to others…only worse. He was quoted as stating that he would have their liver brought to him with some salt and vinegar and would consume it.
Now, ISIS has completely infected one entire island of the Philippino nation. Mindanao is the home of a very large population of Muslims and the island’s social structure has been split between two large Islamic sects: the Maute and Abu Sayyef, both ISIS affiliated. In 2012, ISIS established the “Khalifa Islamiah Mindanao” (“Mindanao Islamic Caliphate”) recently receiving a pledge of allegiance by the groups who have since raised the ISIS flag over their headquarters in Marawi.
While tough and unorthodox, Duterte is not well-regarded by many of his people. Here in Ketchikan, where the population of Philippino people is tremendous because of an historically-based workforce going back all the way to the 1800s, I have been privy to many conversations with people from the islands of the Philippines nation who are extremely upset with the leader. The Philippinos here take trips back to their homeland, sometimes for two and three months at a time. They bring back goods from America that are extremely difficult to obtain there. But there is no shortage of opinion, political or otherwise, when it comes to President Duterte. And while most didn’t bat an eye last year when the Philippino leader told Obama what to do with his advice for their nation (not in such diplomatic terms as those) by and large they do not agree with Donald Trump on any issue.
Most of the Philippino people are friendly, hard-working and genuinely sweet people who will share their food with you without so much as a spoken word and I have become friends with many of them who are co-workers. That being said, they are very distrustful of President Trump’s policies. When asked why, they simply point to Rodrigo Duterte and remark that Trump reminds them of him.
I’ve never been to the Philippines, nor even to the South China Sea, but I have been told about the abject poverty in that nation, the restrictions of rights, the corruption of government, and the election fraud…but in the big scheme of things, it doesn’t sound all that different than the United States after all. We have our problems with all of those things, particularly over the past presidency, as is evident from the rise in food stamp recipients and assistance, the attempts at restricting both the First and the Second Amendments, the nearly constant cycle of leaks from the Obama shadow weasels, and the information being revealed by the new Voter Fraud Commission.
With almost all of Europe so binded by political correctness to do anything meaningful about the ISIS invasion, they might not be too far away from doing what the Philippines has done.
UK Political Expert: Duterte is the best President in the country’s history!
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte received an applause and praise again from another political expert for his efforts and hardwork.
Adam Garrie is a politcal expert and commentator based in London, United Kingdom. He is the managing editor and author of ‘The Duran’.
On his published article about the Philippines Independence day, he mentioned that the country “has a strongly independent President who has spoken openly and clearly of his desire not to be treated like a colony any longer” for he pursues a foreign policy that is independent from the shadows of US and disregards “the neo-clonial attitude of US funded NGOs.”
Garrie pointed out that Duterte, who is now facing the threat of ISIS in Mindanao, he did go against them to just wage war but it was “because he wanted peace.”
“Duterte is now having to face down an ISIS insurgency on the southern island of Mindanao and the city of Marawi in particular. ISIS coalesced during Duterte’s Presidency not because Duterte wanted war with Moros but because he wanted peace,” Garrie wrote and added the the federal structure for the country and its promise of autonomy for Mindanao where the president was born.
According to him, ISIS felt threatened of Duterte’s war against drugs given the fact that it is successful and that the international terrorist’s revenue will be greatly affected by his war on drugs.
“ISIS also knew that if Duterte was successful in crushing the violent drugs trade in Philippines, they would be deprived of a major source of revenue, generated from the cultivation, sale and trafficking of drugs,” he said.
Duterte has pledged to fight all of these threats but many in Philippines are not giving him the support nor the credit he deserves,” he added.
The political expert was also able to notice that the Philippine Liberal Party who questions Duterte’s martial law in Mindanao and their LITTLE LOGIC to even put the blame of the decrease of tourism in Mindanao to martial law instead of the terrorism happening in the southern part of the country.
“Many opposition figures, particularly those in the Philippine Liberal Party have questioned his decision to declare martial law in Mindanao. Even more concerning is a recent statement by the Philippine Department of Tourism which stated that it is Duterte’s declaration of martial law that has seen tourism to Mindanao decline,” Garrie stated.
“Logic would dictate that the presence of ISIS is the reason tourism has declined, but there is increasingly little logic among Duterte’s opponents who are keen to retain their position as post-colonial elites who care more for their own wealth and prestige than for the people of their country,” he added.
Duterte is also now dealing with another issue and that is he “threat of a soft military power struggle against his Presidency” when alleged reports stating that the Philippine government requested for assistance from US but later denied by the president saying there was no such request from anyone in the administration including him.
Garrie also raised a possible issue when the military commanders acted without having their commanding chief Duterte’s consent or knowlegde.
He also acknowldge that President Duterte “is the last best hope for the Philippine people and the Philippine nation. He is, simply put, the best President that the country has ever had and may have for some time.”
For he not only understands the “modern realities of his country but the modern realities of a multi-polar world”. Garrie said that it is timely for the Philippines to develop and seek new regional partners, especially China instead of continuing ” to act as a post-colonial satellite of declining American power.”
The Philippine president knows that he must build new bridges and to not burn the old one, evidently, Duterte and Trump seems to have a good relationship, “only from a position of mutual-respect rather than that of a slave to a master.”
“President Duterte is a man uniquely moved by a patriotic purpose and uniquely guided by the hand of destiny. If his plans are embraced, Philippines stands the real chance to enter into a new, more peaceful and more prosperous age. If Duterte is rejected, the Philippine people will have rejected their best chance at achieving true independence in every sense: political, military, economic and even spiritual,” Garrie said.
On this day, one must celebrate not only achievements of the Philippine past but the prospects of a better Philippine future, a future which Duterte can guide the country towards better than any of his rivals,” he ended.
Source: The Duran
“Duterte represents a movement in the Philippines to change the way politics works.” This surprisingly positive analysis of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency came from Stephen Sackur, the presenter of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s program HardTalk, which is known for its hard-hitting interviews.
It’s surprising because Western media such as the BBC had been critical of Duterte’s war against drugs and human rights record, and for one of their pillars to speak favorably of the Philippine President marks a sea change in their perception of him.
This was among the interesting points we gathered while watching Sackur’s interview with Senator Antonio Trillanes, who was introduced as “one of the President’s fiercest critics.” But Trillanes didn’t live up to the hype: He offered facile and superficial views that didn’t quite match Sackur’s profound questions about the radical changes happening in the Philippines under Duterte.
As Sackur told Trillanes: “You are talking to me from Manila and there is no doubt that in some ways Duterte represents a movement in the Philippines to change the way politics works. He’s talked about imperial Manila. He says the country has never been governed by people who really have the best interests of the poor and the disadvantaged at heart. In particular, he says the country has never been governed before by someone from Mindanao who is not obsessed with looking after the elite and the oligarchs based in Manila.”
“He has a point, doesn’t he,” Sackur asked Trillanes. “If you look at his economic program he is committed to a radical poverty elimination program which is gonna raise up the poorest Filipinos particularly in those neglected areas in the south of the country and that appeals to many people.”
Trillanes could only answer that this was “campaign rhetoric” and that there was no economic program for the Filipino poor. “In fact he has been killing them,” Trillanes declared with all the dramatic flourish he could muster. Comedy gold, is all I can say to this allegation of his.
The senator obviously hasn’t been reading enough economic and business news. A massive amount of press has been devoted to explaining Duterte’s economic program, including the various reforms for the agricultural and fisheries sector where the bulk of the poor are based; an infrastructure program that will improve access, markets, and connectivity; and the job creation boost expected from the foreign capital now pouring into the country.
But Trillanes was aware of one of Duterte’s economic reforms, the comprehensive tax reform program, which he dismissed as inflationary and anti-poor. “We in the Senate do not have any plan of passing it,” forgetting that no senator ever wants somebody else speaking for them, especially one who belongs to the tiny minority party.
The administration’s tax plan is anchored on the lowering of the personal income tax and the corporate tax, a move that central bank officials said will boost consumption and encourage businesses to produce more. Officials added the resulting increased capacity and production levels will offset any moderate price movements.
Unlike Trillanes, Sackur was very well informed about the positive developments in the Philippines. He cited the country’s economic growth of 7% for the year that the World Bank expects to continue through 2019. In the West, such a growth rate “would be regarded as a wonderful achievement.” The HardTalk host also noted the entry of $15 billion worth of investments from China. “Duterte-ism appears to be working for the Philippines,” he told the Trillanes who, of course, sneered that these achievements are just “on paper.”
Many Filipinos have been wanting to give Trillanes a good thrashing but our media here are too reserved to call him out for his nonsense. Sackur had no such qualms: He pummeled Trillanes on his background as a failed mutineer amid the senator’s assertion that he was a “democrat” or a believer in a democratic values.
“You had an abortive coup attempt which lasted, well, let’s face it, only a day. It wasn’t very successful. And even more, to many Filipinos, sort of pathetically, you made another attempt to gather out in 2007 and you ended up in prison for the best part of seven years,” Sackur told Trillanes. Filipinos knew this but in the early days they were so enthralled with Trillanes’ megalomania that they voted him into public office.
Duterte’s high approval ratings of 75% was also discussed during the interview, with the former foreign correspondent noting that Trillanes’ constant negative comments are “out of tune with ordinary Filipino opinion.” Anti-Duterte to the core, Trillanes responded that the ratings were 92% when Duterte came into office.
Sackur scoffed at this. “Believe me, senator, if a Western politician could command a 75% approval rating, they would regard that as the happiest day of their life. Believe me.”
The tide of international criticism against the Philippines appears to be finally turning. Lucky for us, the BBC is far away from the ambit and influence of American Loida Nicolas Lewis and her favorite anti-Duterte mouthpiece the New York Times.
TRUTH AND ACTION: MARTIAL LAW HAS EVEN MADE THE PRESIDENT MORE FAMOUS TO WIN THE WAR AGAINST LAWLESS ELEMENTS. HE WILL NEVER TOLERATE ANYONE COMING TO OUR COUNTRY AND DESTROY US. PERHAPS OTHER LEADERS OF THE WORLD SHOULD DO THE SAME TO SAVE THEIR PEOPLE.
If the Philippine navy is large enough,evacuate all non muslime personell from mindinao then blockade the island completely,no traffic on or off,after a couple months the island should be deserted and empty for human occupation
Mr. President of the Philippines.. You have no choice but to act. Act hard and fast. Do right. The right thing for your people’s freedom.
Smart man
False news. There had been no drug lords captured or killed.
Princess Manulon
Your extreme defense of a man who is known to DISRESPECT women, Disrespect religion, Disrespect those who criticize them is obviously a behavior exhibited of those who blindly support the Proto Dictator.
President Duterte TOOK CREDIT for a LOT of infrastructure whose budget had been signwd by the previous administration.
DUTERTE also regards the 12 FA-50PH light Fighter and training jets, acquired by President Aquino as ceremonial purpose only, despite the fact now that jet is being used to bomb the ISIS assholes.
Speaking of ISIS, the billions worth of Intelligence funds have not been used in a proper sense, since Duterte claimed they knew of the ISIS plan since last year BUT FAILED TO ACT at that time.
President Duterte HAS COMMUNIST TERRORISTS IN HIS CABINET.
He had been CLOSE to high ranking Communist Terrorist in the Philippines
New People’s Army Communist Terrorist who HATE THE ENTIRE WESTERN FREE WORLD.
Also Previous victories against islamic Terror in Mindanao DID NOT HAVE THE USE OF MARTIAL LAW.
Martial law has limited if any tactical advantage in battle.
Americans PLEASE BE REALLY CAREFUL OF PHILIPPINE POLITICIANS YOU SUPPORT.
DUTERTE Has chosen to side more With China.
The same China whose Navy Illegally took our Islands in the west Philippine Seas.
The same China whose Navy Ships SHOT AT OUR FILIPINO FISHERMEN in Benham Rise.
Duterte also has accepted China’s Donation of the crappy NORINCO CQ RIFLES that The Chinese PLA refused to put into service because of unreliability.
DUTERTE loves the Communists.
Duterte wants our Philippines Sold to the Chinese.
Duterte wages a fale drug war citing critics as fall guys while Chinese Drug Lords Escape back to China.
Peter Lim, a Chinese Drug Lord, has escaped last year and no attempt to catch him in china has been made.
Freedom is not the goal of Duterte’s plans to enact NATIONWIDE MARTIAL LAW.
Martial law is an affront to Freedom
To the good People of the United States:
Please do not believe Princess Manulon
She is spoonfeeding false information
A lot of infrastructure projects that the Filipino Dictator Duterte claims as his were initiated of the previous President’s term.
Let me ask you who were war veterans, what tactical or strategic value does emplacing Martial Law have when fighting an evil Islamic army of Devils?
Duterte plans to emplace martial law for 5 years.
I believe in Freedom And Right to Bear arms.
But Martial Law Eliminates that.
Please report Princess Manulon’s posts as they are too biased and full of false news peddled by the Duterte Administration
Fact is the Duterte Administration appointed a PORN STAR$#%&!@*False News Mogul by.the name of Mocha Uson as Assistant Secretary for public affairs.
Is that a real leader? Nope.
I support TRUMP but let me tell you, Duterte is not even close to Trump’s level.