Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte told reporters on Wednesday that he was prepared to tell his American counterpart, Donald Trump, to “lay off” if Trump challenged him on reports that his administration is violating the human rights of its citizens.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has claimed he will deal with President Donald Trump “in the most righteous way” when the two meet next month to discuss escalating tensions with North Korea.
In an in-person meeting in Tokyo on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced a mammoth cooperation package that will infuse the Philippine economy with billions in infrastructure, business, and public safety initiatives.
A Filipino military unit has disputed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that one of 100 sniper rifles donated by China took out the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) “emir” in Southeast Asia.
Tuesday was a landmark day in the war against the Islamic State, as both the ISIS capital of Raqqa in Syria and its Philippine stronghold of Marawi were liberated. Analysts caution that ISIS has not been destroyed, but with these twin defeats, it has been broken down from a terror state back into a terrorist organization.
Officials in the Philippines have confirmed the deaths of the leaders of the nation’s two Islamic State affiliates, Isnilon Hapilon of Abu Sayyaf and Omar Maute of the Maute group, in the besieged would-be “caliphate” capital of Marawi.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has experienced a dizzying plunge in popularity, with the polling company Social Weather Stations (SWS) issuing him a +48 approval rating in September, down 18 points from his rating in June.
The Philippines has been battling to eradicate the Islamic State’s (ISIS) presence from its southern chain of islands as the terrorist organization seeks to secure its hold over the Islamic City of Marawi on the island of Mindanao.
The Philippines plans to give a “very warm welcome” to U.S. President Donald Trump when he visits Manila in November, said the island nation’s foreign affairs secretary after the White House confirmed the American leader’s upcoming trip.
Thousands of opponents of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte turned out for a protest rally in Manila on Thursday, claiming that their country teeters on the edge of dictatorship. Meanwhile, Duterte publicly announced that he has ordered the police to kill his own son if he proves guilty of drug trafficking offenses.
Lawmakers in the Philippines have cut the budget of the country’s human rights commission to just $20 a year, amid an increasingly violent war between authorities and drug traffickers instigated by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Philippines Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson is reportedly giving up dance commitments in Manila casinos following a firestorm of media criticism for her presence in casinos this week.
Contents: Vietnam protests China’s military drills near the Gulf of Tonkin in South China Sea; India and Vietnam become allies in confronting China
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte told reporters Wednesday that, following the liberation of the Grand Mosque of Marawi, the nation’s military could now bomb mosques, madrassas, and other hiding centers to finally eliminate the Islamic State presence in the city.
During a speech at the Heroes’ Cemetery in Manila on Monday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte went off-script to give some advice to a local police chief whose mayor was recently killed in a drug raid.
The Australian government is dealing with a bit of embarrassment over a photo in which Nick Warner, director general of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, did a “fist pump” alongside Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
Contents: Chinese vessels massing near Philippines island in South China Sea; Official warns may be necessary to invoke US-Philippines mutual defense treaty
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has once against threatened human rights activists, stating Wednesday that he would allow police to shoot human rights activists if they “are obstructing justice.”
Law enforcement in the Philippines confirmed the deaths of 21 suspected drug criminals Tuesday, a day after president Rodrigo Duterte lamented of the nation’s drug epidemic, “we can’t control it.”
The United States is considering a campaign of airstrikes, or to be more precise drone strikes, against Islamic State militants in the Philippines. Terrorist vassals of ISIS have been fighting an insurgency on the southern island of Mindanao since May, despite assurances from the Philippine government that they would be swiftly defeated.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte made his second visit to the Islamic State-controlled city of Marawi on Friday, greeting soldiers and vowing to establish a trust fund for the education of children whose parents serve in the military.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte condemned his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un as a “son of a bitch maniac” in an aside during a speech to the nation’s tax agency Wednesday, warning that despite his “chubby face,” he had the potential of turning all of Asia into “an arid land.”
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte vowed an “unrelenting” fight against the drug trade, panned critical media outlets as “American-owned,” complained of rats in the presidential palace, and admitted, “sh*t, I am willing to go to prison for the rest of my life” in his second State of the Nation address Monday.
The president of the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, has taken a page from his Filipino counterpart’s playbook, ordering police officers to shoot drug traffickers who resist address because his country is facing an illicit narcotics crisis.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will never visit Donald Trump in the White House, describing the United States as a “lousy country” after U.S. lawmakers raised concerns over a potential meeting.
The spokesman for Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has defended remarks he made last week in which he said he would “congratulate” a rapist who targeted Miss Universe, claiming that the comments were “sarcastic” and “the people … really get him.”
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, in remarks Wednesday supporting the return of capital punishment, claimed that his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo had complained to him in private meetings that the United States and the European Union were attempting to meddle in domestic affairs.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has rescheduled a visit to jihadist-held Marawi City, following a failed attempt to land there last week. Speaking to reporters, he predicted the city will be “OK” within “ten to fifteen days” but warned that the Islamic State will remain a threat to the Asian island nation.
Reuters reported on Monday that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was ready to make a deal with the Islamic State to end the siege of Marawi in its early days, but changed his mind without explaining why.
The Philippine military has failed to significantly move forward in the battle to liberate Marawi, the nation’s only official “Islamic city,” from the Islamic State, as President Rodrigo Duterte marks his first year in office.
The military in the Philippines has confirmed eyewitness reports that Islamic State jihadists attempting to establish a caliphate in southern Marawi city have taken civilians hostage and forced them to fight and loot for them, and have forced female hostages into sex slavery.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte reportedly expressed frustration with the ongoing battle against Islamic State supporters in the southern city of Marawi, threatening to “carpet” bomb the country’s only officially Islamic city if necessary to keep soldiers safe.
Rebels linked to the Islamic State expanded the insurgency in the southern Philippines on Wednesday, attacking another town and taking a school full of children hostage.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), currently embroiled in an operation to eradicate the Islamic State from the southern city of Marawi, have called for legislators to toughen the nation’s immigration laws so as to prevent foreign jihadists from entering the country and supporting local terrorist groups.
In a breathtaking interview with the local Philippine outlet Rappler, a former jihadist with the nation’s Maute terrorist group recalls his recruitment as a child, when Maute leaders offered his parents a shot at an Islamic education.
Following a confirmation that Americans were playing a role in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), military officials have now clarified that U.S. troops are on the ground in southern Marawi, though “not allowed to fight.”
The battle against Islamic State forces in the southern Philippine city of Marawi has entered its fourth week, despite promises from the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte that the insurgency would be crushed before the national Independence Day holiday on June 12.
American troops are providing aid to their Philippine counterparts against an attempt to establish an Islamic State caliphate in the nation’s south. U.S. officials say the aid comes “at the request” of the Philippines, while President Rodrigo Duterte denies ever having asked for help.
Contents: US special forces join Philippine military fighting Islamist terrorists in Marawi; History of Abu Sayyaf and Maute Group in the Philippines
A video has surfaced on social media apparently produced by the Islamic State’s Amaq News Agency depicting jihadists fighting in Marawi, southern Philippines, where foreign fighters are attempting to establish a Caliphate.
