Philippines and the War on Drugs -

[RevolverRob]

Alternative title: Philippines; Circling the drain or taking out the garabage?

If you haven't been following, earlier this year Rodrigo Duterte was innaugerated after winning a landslide election. His campaign platform was, "Kill drug dealers and drug users." As mayor of Davao City, he was known for tacitly, if not directly, supporting vigilante groups to take down drug dealers and addicts. At his swearing in he implored citizens to take up arms and fight, with vigilante style justice, the drug dealers.

Death toll right now is at 2,400 people. Approximately half of those have been killed by the police, the other half by vigilantes. The current word is that neighbors are banding together and either dealing with the drug dealers themselves, or hiring it out to vigilante contract killing groups.

Today - Duterte said that he is not a puppet of the U.S. and when questioned about whether or not he felt he should have to answer questions about his leadership from President Obama said, "Who does he think he is? I am no American puppet. I am the president of a sovereign country and I am not answerable to anyone except the Filipino people," Duterte scoffed in a speech Monday. "Son of a b****, I will swear at you."

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So, circling the drain or taking out the garbage? Only time will tell, I suppose.

[jetfire]

I'm oddly okay with this.

[Wobblie]

Circling. The vigilantly shit will get out of hand.

[TR675]

It always seems to go sideways. See: El Salvador, Columbia, the recent unpleasantness in Mexico.

Vigilante groups tend to get co-opted one way or another.


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[MVS]

Interestingly enough I was fascinated hearing all about this last night at a party from a guy who had just returned from a stay in the Philippines. His wife is from there. He reported that the terrorists in the parts where they have held say for quite some time are being treated in like fashion. As far as I know, he has no special knowledge other than having been there.

[Trooper224]

I'm fond of the PI, being an ex sailor and all. Lots of good people in those islands and they can sure fight when you get them riled up. This whole thing will go fine until the vigilantes have eliminated the drug dealers. Then, since they'll have come to enjoy their power and authority, they'll need a new focus and will then turn on each other like rats in a maze. Same old song, just a different verse. I do love his comment about Obama. Duterte himself is a general piece of shit, who really has no talent for politics or governing. His abuses against women are well known. His shelf life isn't that great.

[Drang]

... when questioned about whether or not he felt he should have to answer questions about his leadership from President Obama ...

To Obama "leadership" is a word in the dictionary between "lame" and "leprosy."

[HCM]

I'm fond of the PI, being an ex sailor and all. Lots of good people in those islands and they can sure fight when you get them riled up. This whole thing will go fine until the vigilantes have eliminated the drug dealers. Then, since they'll have come to enjoy their power and authority, they'll need a new focus and will then turn on each other like rats in a maze. Same old song, just a different verse. I do love his comment about Obama. Duterte himself is a general piece of shit, who really has no talent for politics or governing. His abuses against women are well known. His shelf life isn't that great.

Duarte has some definite feelings about the current US Ambassador:


‘Gay son of a whore’: U.S. summons Philippine envoy after Rodrigo Duterte insults ambassador

“As you know, I’m fighting with [U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s] ambassador. His gay ambassador, the son of a whore. He pissed me off,” Duterte said.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/wo...lts-ambassador
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/...b0ba7ed23e537b

[ranger]

I also heard on radio (not internet so must be true?) that he had told the Army of the Philippines to kill all the terrorists. I am watching to see how that turns out.

[Arbninftry]

He called Obozo a Son of a Biscuit. I am ok with that. Oddly enough every time he mentions gun control, I say the same thing!