While the Philippines government seems to be banking heavily on military treaties with the US as they confront China over maritime disputes, relations between the two nations are starting to show some weakness, as President Obama pointedly canceled his planned meeting with his Philippines counterpart, Rodrigo Duterte.
The notoriously outspoken Duterte, when asked about the possibility of President Obama bringing up the growing number of extrajudicial killings by security forces in their war on drugs, went on a tirade against the US president, declaring him to be a “son of a whore,” and insisting that he is no American puppet that a US president can question like that.
It wasn’t clear that Obama even planned on asking about the summary executions, and indeed with the Philippines recently restoring US military access to their soil, the president likely would’ve tried to avoid any major blow-ups. Instead, the blow-up happened before the talks, and Obama quickly cancelled them outright, saying he didn’t want to meet if there was nothing productive to discuss. He also warned that if they do meet in the future, he’ll definitely bring up the executions now.
Duterte, who was elected president back in June, was seen as a “law and order” candidate, who publicly declared his support for vigilantism and summary executions as effective anti-crime measures. He bragged upon his election that allegations of 1,000 killed during his tenure as Davao City mayor would become 100,000, and that he would dump the corpses in Manila Bay. Virtually from the moment of his election, police have begun executing suspected drug dealers, and even some users, with impunity.
If you insult him, he goes away. If only I’d known that 8 years ago!
The story about the Chinese preparing to build an installation on Scarborough Shoal is much more important. It’s a tripwire, a redline. Foolish to ignore.
A comedy,with Obomba the pie faced.What a loser,he now announces we will not renounce first use of nukes.
The Philippines are a sovereign nation,and if they like their president,that’s all that matters.
Seems like with what’s going on in the South China sea we need the Phillipines strategically saying more than they need us.I think we should turn a blind eye as far as the human rights issue is concerned…Frankly speaking we’ve dealt with worse people…U.S.A
Irrespective of one’s political inclination, such language has no place in politics, specially international affairs.
Duterte is nuts
No crazier that Hillary or trump
He is way crazier.
Why because he loves his country and doesn’t want to see it ruined by drugs like our youth has been?
Ya but you don’t understand Obama is the Messiah to the leftists. It doesn’t matter if you call Trump anything, heck you’re allowed to openly call 1/4 of America Deplorable, but you’re not allowed to question Dear Leader Obama or you’re a raaaaaaacist even when Obama has genuinely dropped the ball you can’t call him on it.