Stephen Lendman
How refreshing, even from a hardline leader ruling with an iron fist. He’s gutsy to a fault.
In office around 10 weeks, Rodrigo Duterte certainly made his presence known, attracting less than favorable worldwide attention in the process.
He wants capital punishment enforced against what he calls “heinous” criminals, including drugs traffickers.
He urged Filipino citizens to voluntarily kill pushers and addicts. A national bloodbath may follow before his tenure expires. He’s compiling a “kill list” like Obama, operating as judge, jury and chief executioner - criticized by human rights groups for supporting extrajudicial assassinations.
He’s supported by America in his dispute with Beijing over portions of the South China Sea. He made no friends in Washington, saying the Obama administration and Britain “destroyed the Middle East…forc(ing) their way into Iraq and kill(ing) Saddam.”
“Look at Iraq now. Look what happened to Libya. Look what happened to Syria.” In response to UN criticism over his extrajudicial assassination policy, he threatened to leave the world body, forming a separate organization with China and African nations.
He blasted Ban Ki-moon without naming him for failing to stop Middle East wars. He uses four-letter words freely in public.
Before heading for the ASEAN Summit in Laos on Monday, he called Obama a “son-of-a-bitch,” warning him not to criticize his extrajudicial killing policy.
“Who is he to confront me,” he asked? “As a matter of fact, America has (numerous unaccountable assassinations) to answer for,” adding:
“Everybody has a terrible record of extrajudicial killings,” warning drug dealers “will be killed until the last pusher is out of the streets. Until the (last) drug (lord) is killed, we will continue.”
He’s free to say what he wishes publicly or privately, his rhetoric at most ruffling feathers.
He’s in trouble if his geopolitical agenda conflicts with Washington’s. He may end up on the wrong end of a political assassination, one of America’s favorite regime change tactics.
Saying “I am a president of a sovereign state and we have long ceased to be a colony. I do not have any master except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody. You must be respectful” - followed by calling Obama a “son-of-a-bitch” may turn out to be his undoing.
His hardline tactics are inexcusable, his give-em-hell Harry approach to dealing with Washington refreshing - for as long as it lasts.
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