Manila, Philippines | Xinhua | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced Saturday that he will not run for vice president in the 2022 elections as he had promised earlier, and will instead retire from politics. “Today, I announce my retirement from politics,” Duterte, 76, told journalists. Concerning his surprise announcement, Duterte, …
Read More »Philippines’ Duterte under fire for saying he ‘touched’ maid
Manila, Philippines | AFP | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte drew outrage Sunday after saying he “touched” his maid when he was a teenager, with women’s rights groups accusing him of attempted rape and encouraging sexual abuse. Duterte frequently sparks uproar with his comments on women, including rape jokes and boasting …
Read More »Philippines’ Duterte urges other nations to quit ICC
Manila , Philippines | AFP | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday urged other nations to follow his move to quit the International Criminal Court, which is examining his deadly drug war. Duterte lashed out at the war crimes tribunal days after his government notified the United Nations of his …
Read More »Philippines’ Duterte moves to quit International Criminal Court
Manila, Philippines | AFP | President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he was pulling the Philippines out of the treaty underpinning the International Criminal Court, which is examining his deadly drug war. “I therefore declare and forthwith give notice… that the Philippines is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute effective …
Read More »Duterte’s quotable year as Philippine president
Manila, Philippines | AFP | With abusive tirades against critics and light-hearted comments about rape, Rodrigo Duterte cemented himself as one of the world’s most outspoken leaders during his first year as Philippine president. As Duterte marks one year in office on Friday, here are some of his more memorable …
Read More »THE LAST WORD: The tragedy of borrowed ideas
How Zuma has brought South Africa’s democracy and Mandela’s “miracle” from honour to shame! THE LAST WORD | By Andrew M. Mwenda Last week I was in South Africa and listened to the disaster bad leadership can inflict on a country. President Jacob Zuma and his confederates have indulged in …
Read More »COMMENT: Trump’s strongman weakness
Praising strongmen without also mentioning their human-rights abuses condones repressive practices By Aryeh Neier US President Donald Trump has made his affinity for authoritarian leaders abundantly clear. When Trump entertained Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the White House in April, he praised the Egyptian military ruler for doing “a fantastic job.” …
Read More »Philippines’ Duterte heads to Russia in blow to US
Manila, Philippines | AFP | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte flew to Russia on Monday to meet his hero, seek arms and steer his nation’s foreign policy further away from longtime ally the United States. The five-day trip will cement a dramatic improvement in relations with Russia since Duterte came to …
Read More »ANALYSIS: Trump’s fondness for strongmen trumps rights concerns
Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump makes no secret of his empathy for strongmen with spotty rights records, but his embrace of Rodrigo Duterte shows he still has the power to shock. Trump has invited the Philippines leader to Washington, despite his unabashed support for an …
Read More »US warns Philippines’ Duterte over rhetoric, crime war
Manila, Philippines | AFP | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s fiery rhetoric and deadly crime war are becoming a growing concern around the world, the top US envoy for Asia warned on Monday in Manila. US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel met the Philippines’ …
Read More »