Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign promise during the 2016 election was that he would need just six months to eradicate the drug problem in the country. Then as president on September 2016 he admitted that he would need another six months to achieve that goal …
Though nothing Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has said or will say carries any shock value anymore, his surprising announcement on May 19 caused seismic tremors. At a Manila press conference on that day, Pres. Duterte disclosed that while attending the “One Belt, One Road” summit in Beijing on May 15, Chinese Premier China Xi Jinping warned him that there would be war if the Philippines tried to enforce a United Nations arbitration ruling and drill for oil in the West Philippine Sea …
Duterte: Davidson Bangayan is David Tan. Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte shows a photo of alleged rice smuggler David Tan during a Senate inquiry on rice smuggling on Monday, February 3, where he told senators that Tan and businessman Davidson Bangayan are one. Bangayan has repeatedly denied that he is David Tan. Benjie Castro Malacañang on Tuesday reminded government officials that it is their duty to uphold the law after a mayor’s statement suggested he would take the law into his own hands to stop rice smuggling in his city. “All government officials whether local or national have the basic responsibility to uphold the rule of law,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a press conference. Coloma made the statement after Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he would “gladly kill” alleged rice smuggler Davidson Bangayan if the trader is caught smuggling in his city. “Sabi, may bumaba ditong smuggled goods. Sabi ko pagbababarilin ko kayo. If this guy goes, I will gladly kill him. I will not hesitate. I will do it for my country,” Duterte told the Senate agriculture committee during a hearing on rice smuggling. Aside from this, the mayor had also lamented the slow pace of justice in going after rice smugglers. Systemic reforms On Tuesday, Coloma said the government has already instituted several revamps within the Bureau of Customs but that this is not enough to solve the problem of smuggling. “Pero hindi pa sapat yan, kinakailangan yung mga systemic reforms,” Read More …