UN Duterte Megathread - Following the exploits of a president straight out of the DC universe

So if you haven't been following the news, Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, is constantly stirring shit up. The biggest controversy about him by far is how he has repeatedly encouraged citizens to murder drug users (not even dealers, users). You see, the Philippines has a massive drug problem and drug addicts are despised for fueling the drug trade.

Just yesterday, a top UN official claimed said that Duterte should be investigated for murder, as he boasted that he had personally killed three suspected criminals. Today, Duterte responded to this statement... by threatening to raze the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City in response to those accusing him of human rights violations.

This is just a small sample of how crazy this dude is. I would not at all be surprised to learn that he himself does meth or snorts coke or something.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

The Philippines don't want our shitty diapers.sigh

Well doesn't most of the West send most of their trash to China? They could always, oh yeah the Huawei thing right.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

A bit of an update:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5207902/canadian-trash-philippines-diplomacy/

Canadian trash in Philippines putting diplomatic ties in jeopardy: official
By Staff The Canadian Press

• more

WATCH ABOVE: 'We will declare war' against Canada over dumped garbage: Duterte
- A A +
Listen
OTTAWA — A spokesman for Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte says 70 years of diplomatic relations between Canada and the Philippines is at risk if Canada doesn’t finally take back its trash.
READ MORE: ‘We will declare war’: Philippines’ Duterte gives Canada 1 week to take back garbage

Salvador Panelo tells media outlets in the Philippines in a statement that the close ties between the two countries “will be put to naught” if Canada doesn’t act immediately to take back more than six dozen shipping containers filled with Canadian garbage that have been sitting in a port near Manila for nearly six years.
After Duterte threatened to “declare war” on Canada if the garbage isn’t returned to Canada within a week, Canadian officials indicated for the first time that they are willing to bring the garbage back once some final negotiations with the Philippines occur.
Panelo called that response “quick but vague.”
READ MORE: Philippines keeps telling Canada to pick up its trash — why is it still there?
Canada has tried repeatedly to get the Philippines to agree to dispose of the trash there but environmental activists on both sides of the ocean say the shipments violate an international law on waste dumping overseas and leaving it in the Philippines sets a bad precedent for breaking that law.
A coalition of Filipino environment groups that has been lobbying to get the trash returned since 2014, is planning a protest outside the Canadian Embassy in Manila on Monday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/world/asia/duterte-canada-trash.html

After Duterte’s Threats Over Tons of Old Trash, Canada Says It’s Working on It

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has threatened “war” against Canada over a long-simmering trash dispute.CreditKenzaburo Fukuhara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Image

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has threatened “war” against Canada over a long-simmering trash dispute.CreditCreditKenzaburo Fukuhara/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
By Alan Yuhas

• April 26, 2019
• • 
    

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines lashed out at Canada this week, provoked by a dispute between the nations that has festered for half a decade, over hundreds of tons of Canadian trash brought to Philippine ports.
“Canada, I want a boat prepared. I’ll give a warning to Canada, maybe next week, that they better pull that thing out or I will set sail,” he said at a news conference in San Fernando city in the Philippines on Tuesday.
He added: “We will declare war against them.”
In the days following Mr. Duterte’s remarks, Canada’s government responded, saying, in effect, that it was working on resolving the dispute — a business transaction gone wrong that has spiraled outward over the years and now touches on not only Philippine-Canadian relations, but also on an international treaty and Canada’s reputation abroad.
The trash in question arrived in 2013 and 2014, in 103 containers delivered from Canada by a private company and marked — falsely, Philippine officials say — as holding recyclable plastic scrap. In reality, dozens of containers held used adult diapers, household garbage, plastic bags and other waste, and some of the containers were found to be “leaching fluids,” according to a legal opinion on the case by the Pacific Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation, a Canadian nonprofit.
ADVERTISEMENT

In 2016, a Philippine court ordered the company, Chronic Inc., to take the garbage back to Canada — but the waste stayed in port storage areas, except for 26 containers that were dumped into a Philippine landfill. On Tuesday, Mr. Duterte threatened Canada that he would return the remaining trash one way or another. “Celebrate, because your trash is coming home,” he said. “Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to.”
Caroline Thériault, a spokeswoman for Canada’s minister of environment, responded to Mr. Duterte’s taunts.


“We are working closely with the Philippines to resolve this issue in an environmentally responsible way,” Ms. Thériault said. A group of officials from both countries was “examining the full spectrum of issues,” she added.
[Want more Canadian coverage in your inbox? Sign up for the Canada Letter newsletter.]
Ms. Thériault said that in 2014, Canada did not have regulations in place to require the company to recover the waste. In 2016, Canada amended those rules to create criminal liability for companies and compelled them to take back the waste, but the case in the Philippines has remained in limbo — at least publicly — as officials met to discuss finding, paying for and disposing of the trash.
In 2017, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada said at a news conference in the Philippines that the “legal barriers and restrictions” that had prevented the government from recovering the garbage had been addressed, so it was “now theoretically possible to get it back.”


But he added, “There’s still a number of questions around who would pay for it, where the financial responsibility is. This was, at its origin, a commercial transaction. It did not involve government.”
Philippine activists and Canadian environmental groups have urged Canada to recover the trash for years, with some saying that, by failing to recover it, Canada has violated the Basel Convention, the treaty that regulates the export of hazardous waste.
Because Canada has not taken back the waste or paid for its return, “there’s a very good argument that they’re in violation of the convention,” said Dayna Scott, a law professor at York University in Toronto.
The convention lacks effective enforcement measures, however, and Canada has, so far, declined to support an amendment to the treaty that would forbid the movement of hazardous waste from developed nations to developing ones, Ms. Scott said.
Opponents of the amendment have argued that many developing countries want shipments of recyclables to turn into new products, while its supporters in the Philippines and Canada have pointed to the trash dispute as an example of what can go wrong.
Ms. Scott said that the dispute, by “exposing the positions that Canada is actually taking on the international stage, in terms of pollution,” has the potential to be a black eye for Mr. Trudeau, who has made confronting climate change a priority and sought to restore Canada’s status as a global leader on environmental protections.
The Philippine case “does kind of hit a nerve,” Ms. Scott said. “Philippine activists are saying, ‘We’re not your trash bin.’”

 

[DespotCTM]

A bit of an update:

https://globalnews.ca/news/5207902/canadian-trash-philippines-diplomacy/



https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/world/asia/duterte-canada-trash.html

Canada seemed to have reacted fast to Duterte's err.. statement?

Tbf I wouldn't want to fuck with a dude so nuts he'd probably beat you to death with your own nuts if you had a snif of weed

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

Update, they have been given a deadline regarding the trash:

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/04/30/1913814/boc-has-until-may-15-return-canada-trash

image: https://media.philstar.com/photos/2...edd-gumban-kj-rosales_2019-04-29_23-44-57.jpg

BOC spokesman Erastus Sandino Austria yesterday said they received orders from Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to return the containers of trash back to Canada by May 15.
KJ Rosales
BOC has until May 15 to return Canada trash
178SHARES31

Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) - April 30, 2019 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has until May 15 to ship Canadian garbage back to its country of origin.
BOC spokesman Erastus Sandino Austria yesterday said they received orders from Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to return the containers of trash back to Canada by May 15.
Austria added they are in the process of making arrangements for the containers of waste, consisting of household trash, diapers, electronic garbage and non-recyclable waste, to be returned to Canada.



“We are doing everything now to make this possible,” the BOC official said.
The Department of Finance gave the order to the BOC after President Duterte said he would declare “war” on Canada if it would not take back its garbage.

The Canadian government responded by saying that it is working to resolve the issue, as the shipment was a contract between private parties.
A total of 103 containers of garbage arrived in several batches at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) from 2013 to 2014.
Out of the 103 containers, it was reported that trash from 34 have been buried in a landfill in Tarlac. The rest of the containers filled with garbage are temporarily stored at the Port of Subic and the MICP.
In earlier news reports, in one of the batches of garbage that consisted of 50 containers, the shipment was reportedly misdeclared to contain homogenous plastic scraps, or one kind of plastic, that was later found to be filled with heterogenous or an assortment of scrap plastic materials.
The shipment was consigned to Chronic Plastics, a company based in Valenzuela City, while the shipper was listed as Chronic Inc. in Ontario.
‘Figure of speech’
Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday sought to downplay Duterte’s statement that he was ready to declare war on Canada over the garbage sent to the Philippines, saying it was just a “figure of speech.”
Last week, Duterte ordered the BOC to return to Canada the garbage shipped to the Philippines six years ago, saying he was ready to declare war on Ottawa if the issue is not acted upon.
The President continued his tirades against the Canadian government last Sunday as he threatened to dump garbage on a Canadian beach if the waste is not returned to Ottawa this week.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte’s statements about waging war and throwing garbage on a beach should not be taken literally, but his demand to send the trash back to Canada was serious.
“It was just a figure of speech. But the trash should be returned,” Panelo said in a press briefing.
Asked if he thought it irresponsible of Duterte to deliver the remarks, Panelo replied: “No, why would it be irresponsible. If the garbage has been in the country for years, would you not deliver such statement?”
“That’s an expression of outrage, couched in a very strong term,” he added.
Panelo could not say what triggered Duterte’s tirades against Canada but claimed that the issue really made him angry. Panelo said the waste has been in the Philippines for years but nothing was done to send them back to Canada.
“I don’t think any country would want to trigger another world war because all of us will be annihilated. It will lead to a nuclear war. Diplomatic negotiations can resolve whatever conflict,” he said.
Despite the President’s tough talk, Panelo said the decades-old ties between the Philippines and Canada would not be severed because of the garbage controversy.
“I said it would be disruptive. I did not say it would be severed. It will be an irritant,” the spokesman added. – With Alexis Romero

Meanwhile, DU30 threatens to dump trash into Canada:

https://sea.mashable.com/culture/3501/duterte-warns-to-dump-garbage-on-canada-after-the-philippine

Duterte warns to dump garbage on Canada after the Philippines gets treated like trash

BY SUKHBIR CHEEMA18 HOURS, 59 MINUTES
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is having none of it. Trash that is.
In a scathing speech, the 74-year-old leader of the Southeast Asian nation has vowed "war" by shipping garbage dumped in the Philippines back to Canada.
Duterte was giving his speech at the opening of the annual multi sport event, Palarong Pambansa in Davao City when he began elaborating on the term, "patriotic fervour".

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has even threatened to dump trash at the Canadian embassy. IMAGE: Inquirer.net
"Together, let us nurture the talents and patriotic fervour of our youth so that… See, patriotic fervour. There are about 200 containers there sent by Canada, we are being treated like a dumpsite," he said.
Reminding everyone of his promise to ship the garbage himself, Duterte has demanded Canada to make preparations to remove trash from the Philippines.
"I will tell them to load it onto ships next week. If you don't accept your garbage, I will dump it on your beautiful beaches."

The Philippines is not a trash dump, according to its president, Rodrigo Duterte.
Canada's decision to dump trash in Manila between 2013 and 2014 has certainly caused a diplomatic strain between both nations.
But Duterte is not forgiving. In fact, he said he would be sailing the ships himself to dump the trash. He also has warned that he would be dumping five trucks of garbage at the Canadian embassy in Manila too.
In response, Canada has promised to sort out the mess upon orders from the court. However, it is unclear when that will happen.
Duterte is adamant that his demands are "non-negotiable".
"Do not… We are not a garbage dump. The Filipinos are not scavengers. And you do that to us as I am wont to do… I'm like this, I will really offend you," Duterte said.

Malaysia's Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.
However he is not alone in wanting to send trash back to countries of origin. On April 26, the Malaysian government has vowed to do the same.
Ever since China closed its doors to recyclable plastic waste, Malaysia together with Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia are the top destinations for countries such as the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia who dump hundreds of tons of wastes.

Perhaps he should ask India and China to help him send trash to Canada

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

A few days late but here is Canada's word so far:

 

[YW 525]

Duterte should put a bunch of his own trash bags in with the return garbage.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

In other news:

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/philippines-southchinasea-05062019135345.html

Philippines: Duterte to Enforce Court Order to Protect South China Sea, Spokesman Says
2019-05-06

• Print
• Share
• Comment
• Email

Protesters march outside the Chinese Embassy in Manila to express their outrage at China’s naval aggression in the South China Sea, April 9, 2019.
BenarNews

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will enforce a Supreme Court order directing the government to protect and rehabilitate the marine environment in three areas the country claims in the disputed South China Sea, his spokesman said Monday.
The high court on Friday said it had issued a writ instructing key government agencies, including the Philippine Navy, police and the Coast Guard, to protect reefs and marine life in Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal and Mischief Reef.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said the government was “duty bound” to enforce the court order.
“Our coast guard, as well as other government agencies, are performing their task in securing the subject of the writ,” he said in a statement.
The court’s order, called writ of kalikasan, the Filipino word for “nature,” was prompted by a petition filed by activists and a group of fishermen from two provinces seeking to prevent environmental-law violations within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
The writ is a legal remedy under local laws that protects a citizen’s constitutional right to a “healthy environment.” The petitioners alleged that the government had failed to act against China’s destructive activities, which they claimed were violations of a 2016 ruling issued in favor of the Philippines by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.
“We take exception, however, to the contention that there has been inaction on the part of the administration with regard to the environmental concerns brought about by Chinese activities in the contested areas,” Panelo said.
The high court noted that as early as 2016, the arbitral tribunal had also found, among others, that fishermen from Chinese-flagged vessels have engaged in the “harvesting of endangered species on a significant scale and in the harvesting of giant clams in a manner that is severely destructive of the coral reef ecosystem.”
It also noted that China’s land reclamation and construction of “artificial islands, installations, and structures” at Mischief Reef has caused “severe, irreparable harm to the coral reef ecosystem.”
In recent years, the South China Seas have become the scene of escalating territorial disputes between China and its neighbors over what the United States says is Beijing’s militarization of the disputed region by building military installations on artificial islands it occupies.
China claims almost all of the strategic sea region, a vast shipping waterway through which more than $3 billion of trade passes annually. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have overlapping claims.
The Supreme Court also noted that Chinese fishermen had used cyanide and explosives while engaged in gathering corals and giant clams in the three areas claimed by Manila.
Panelo, a lawyer, said that while concerns have been raised about the environmental damage brought about the alleged incursions, the government must also consider that these have been made in contested areas.
“We are consciously cautious not to perform provocative acts that may trigger armed hostilities between the contesting countries, which may risk the lives of our countrymen and cause irreparable damage to our land,” Panelo said.
Panelo’s statement came as the U.S. military confirmed on Monday that two U.S. warships had sailed near islands claimed by Beijing in the sea region, in a move that China had described as a “provocative” action.
The U.S. guided-missile destroyers Preble and Chung Hoon traveled within 12 nautical miles of Gaven and Johnson Reefs in the Spratly Islands, Commander Clay Doss, a spokesman for the Seventh Fleet, told Reuters on Tuesday.
In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang alleged during a news conference Tuesday that the U.S. ships “infringed upon Chinese sovereignty” when they entered the waters near the islets without China’s permission. He said Chinese navy warned them to leave.
“China urges the U.S. to stop such provocations, respect China's sovereignty and security interests and regional countries' efforts to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he said, according to transcripts of the news conference posted on the foreign ministry’s website.
Lawyer: Three reefs must be protected
Abdiel Fajardo, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, said the court’s writ affirmed Manila’s position that the three reefs are all within the country’s 370-kilometer (231-mile) EEZ and should be protected by Philippine authorities from further environmental degradation.
“This affirms at this juncture the Philippine position made before the international arbitral body that the disputed islands falls within the EEZ of the Philippines, and must therefore be protected by Philippine authorities as required by the Constitution and domestic environmental laws,” said Fajardo, who represented the court petitioners.
The writ, in effect, obliges the government to enforce the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s July 2016 ruling that invalidated much of China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea.
Duterte has said he would not enforce the ruling immediately, and instead sought to gain China’s confidence by distancing his government from the United States, the Philippines’ traditional military ally.

 

[Glad I couldn't help]

The garbage has returned to Canada.

Philippines ships 69 containers of garbage back to Canada
By AARON FAVILA

SUBIC, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines, one of two Southeast Asian countries that protested being treated like dumpsites by wealthier nations, on Friday shipped 69 containers of what its officials called illegally transported garbage back to Canada.
Administrator Wilma Eisma of Subic Bay freeport said the tons of garbage were loaded overnight on the container ship M/V Bavaria, which left on a 20-day journey to the Canadian port city of Vancouver and ended a “sordid chapter in our history.” The Bavaria will stop at a Taiwanese port before heading to Canada, she said.
Environmental activists, including those from Greenpeace and EcoWaste Coalition, welcomed the Bavaria’s arrival at Subic Bay, and on Thursday sailed on board a small outrigger with a streamer reading, “Philippines: not a garbage dumping ground!”
President Rodrigo Duterte had threatened to forcibly ship back the trash, which officials said was transported to the Philippines in 103 containers in 2013 to 2014, and falsely declared as recyclable plastic scraps. Several containers of the trash had been disposed of, including in a landfill, leaving 69 containers of electrical and household waste, including used diapers, rotting in two Philippine ports.
The Philippine government recalled its ambassador and consuls in Canada earlier this month over Ottawa’s failure to comply with a May 15 deadline to take back the waste.
“I think the message that we’re sending to the world is that we will not be a pushover and, moreover, that the president is really somebody to reckon with,” Eisma told The Associated Press.
The return of the garbage removes a six-year thorn in relations between the two countries, especially under Duterte, a temperamental leader who took office in mid-2016. He has resented international criticism, including by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, of his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead.
The countries had sought to resolve the problem for years, with Trudeau saying in 2017 that legal issues preventing the return of the garbage had been resolved.
The return, however, was delayed by other issues despite Canadian assurances of its willingness to take back the garbage that Trudeau said was shipped to Manila in a private commercial transaction.
Last week, Canadian Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said the government had awarded a contract to French shipping giant Bollore Logistics Canada, calling for the return of the containers by the end of June.
But presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo rejected the plan, saying the Duterte administration would look for a private shipping company to transport the garbage sooner.
“If Canada will not accept their trash, we will leave the same within its territorial waters,” Panelo said. “The president’s stance is as principled as it is uncompromising: The Philippines as an independent sovereign nation must not be treated as trash by other foreign nations.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has also criticized the practice of wealthier countries such as the United States, Canada and Japan sending their non-recyclable waste to poorer countries.
Speaking in Tokyo on Thursday, Mahathir said it was “grossly unfair” and should stop. His comments came a few days after his government announced plans to return thousands of tons of plastic waste to mostly Western countries.
China banned the import of plastic waste last year, causing other Southeast Asian nations to become new destinations.
Philippine environmental groups urged the Duterte administration on Thursday to ban all imports of waste and ratify the Basel Ban Amendment, which prohibits the import of waste for any reason, including recycling. They cited the discovery of other waste shipments to the Philippines from South Korea in 2018 and more recently from Australia and Hong Kong.
The garbage issue has been the latest strain in Philippine relations with Canada under Duterte. Last year, he canceled a multimillion-dollar agreement to buy 16 helicopters from Canada after Trudeau’s government decided to review the deal due to concerns that the Philippine military might use the aircraft in counterinsurgency assaults.
___
Associated Press journalists Jim Gomez, Bullit Marquez and Basilio Sepe in Manila and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

 

[IAmNotAlpharius]

Rodrigo Duterte Says He ‘Cured’ Himself From Being Gay

By Jason Gutierrez and Jennifer Jett

• June 3, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines said at an event in Tokyo that he had “cured” himself of homosexuality with the help of “beautiful women.”

Mr. Duterte volunteered the remarks on Thursday at a speech to a Filipino crowd.

In the speech, part of which was provided to reporters afterward, he also appeared to try to insult Antonio Trillanes, a senator who is a prominent critic of Mr. Duterte’s antidrug crackdown, by saying the lawmaker is gay.

Mr. Trillanes, in a statement provided by his spokeswoman on Monday, said, “By admitting his gay past, I am beginning to be suspicious of the true nature of Duterte’s seeming obsession towards me.”

“It’s also entirely possible that his strongman projection is just a front,” Mr. Trillanes said. “Whatever, such comments by Duterte show how perverted and sick his mind is.”

In his three years as president, Mr. Duterte has developed a reputation for makingcontroversial remarks, often casting them as jest. He has frequently invoked homosexuality as an insult, using it to describe Communist rebels, Catholic priests and the former United States ambassador to his country.

But Mr. Duterte has also expressed other views that have won him support from Filipino gay rights activists. Though he has opposed same-sex unions in the past, he now says he supports them.

He is also critical of the country’s powerful Roman Catholic Church, saying he was sexually abused by a priest as a teenager.

Homosexuality is not outlawed in the Philippines. Gay Filipinos have open relationships here, and while the Catholic Church disapproves of gay unions, there is a Christian sect that presides over same-sex marriages.

Some Filipino gay rights activists say they have gotten used to Mr. Duterte’s public outbursts.

“Duterte’s remarks are slippery like mercury,” said Danton Remoto, the head of Ladlad, a Filipino L.G.B.T. political party. “His opinion depends on the audience.”

But Rhadem Camlian Morados, a gay rights activist and filmmaker, said that this time, the president went too far.

“His gay joke was very counterproductive and demeaning,” Mr. Morados said, “as if there’s a need to ‘pray the gay away’ and that homosexuality is a disease that needs to be cured.”

The World Health Organization stopped classifying homosexuality as a mental disorder almost 30 years ago.

Mr. Duterte concluded the event in Tokyo by kissing several women from the audience on stage, a practice for which he was criticized last year.

Rodrigo Duterte Says He ‘Cured’ Himself From Being Gay

The Philippines president, in calling a political rival gay, said he used to be gay himself but was cured with the help of “beautiful women.”

www.nytimes.com

Rodrigo Duterte Says He ‘Cured’ Himself From Being Gay - The New York…

archived 4 Jun 2019 07:57:42 UTC

archive.li

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

Duterte says he "will not answer" to white people as U.N. investigates human rights abuses

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is under investigation by the U.N. human rights watchdog over his brutal war on drugs.

www.newsweek.com

DUTERTE SAYS HE 'WILL NOT ANSWER' TO WHITE PEOPLE AS U.N. INVESTIGATES HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN PHILIPPINES
BY SHANE CROUCHER ON 7/17/19 AT 7:49 AM EDT


Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not answer to white people after the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to adopt a resolution brought by Iceland urging the international body to investigate suspected abuses in the South East Asian country.
The resolution, adopted by the U.N. last Thursday, requested that High Commissioner Michele Bachelet prepare a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines, citing concerns over Duterte's brutal war on drugs.
Duterte is accused of overseeing thousands of extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, and arbitrary arrests and detention under his anti-drugs crackdown. He has also used incendiary rhetoricagainst his critics, the media, and political opponents.



"I will only face, be tried or face a trial in a Philippine court, presided by a Filipino judge, [and] prosecuted by a Filipino. And maybe they can reimpose death penalty, [so I can] die in Filipino land," Duterte said on Wednesday during a television interview, Inquirer reported.
"I will not answer a Caucasian… You must be stupid. Who are you? I am a Filipino. We have our courts here. You have to bring me somewhere else? I would not like that. I have my country. It's working, I know it's working, justice is working here."
Duterte had already suggested he could cut diplomatic ties with Iceland over its resolution, which passed the U.N. Human Rights Council by 18 to 14 votes, with 15 countries abstaining.
Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office, told Newsweek: "The HRC resolution on the human rights situation in the Philippines and its request for a comprehensive written report is an opportunity for all stakeholders, including the government to assess the current state of human rights in the country and in particular to get clarity around the contested facts, figures and circumstances."
The HRC resolution on the human rights situation in the Philippines and its request for a comprehensive written report is an opportunity for all stakeholders, including the Government to assess the current state of human rights in the country and in particular to get clarity around the contested facts, figures and circumstances.
According to the resolution, the U.N. Human Rights Council expressed "concern at the allegations of human rights violations in the Philippines, particularly those involving killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention, the intimidation and persecution of or violence against members of civil society, human rights defenders, indigenous peoples, journalists, lawyers and members of the political opposition, and restrictions on the freedoms of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association."
The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.

The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index.STATISTA
Recently, Philippines Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the former police chief responsible for running Duterte's war on drugs and an ally of the president, downplayed the death of a toddler during a police raid, saying "s*** happens."


Myka Ulpina, 3, died in crossfire during a drugs raid by armed police in Rodriguez, Rizal. Ulpina's father Renato also died in the shootout. Police reportedly accused him of using the girl as a shield, which her mother denied. An undercover officer was killed too.
"We are living in an imperfect world," dela Rosa told a news conference, Reuters reported, when asked about the little girl's death. "Would a police officer want to shoot a child? Never, because they have children as well. But shit happens during operations."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech during the 25th International Conference on The Future of Asia on May 31, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.TOMOHIRO OHSUMI/GETTY IMAGES

So should the Congresswomen/men taking on Trump right now go after this guy? The non-white ones.

 

[Terrorist]

He’s got a point. Euro and American politicians, who are mostly white, have no idea how bad the situation there is. Their minds are too clouded by wishy washy bs about muh human rights of murderous drug dealing pieces of shit to view the situation objectively.

 

[MrTickles]

I like Duterte. He's one of us.

 

[Libtard-Wrecking Krogoth]

Duterte says he "will not answer" to white people as U.N. investigates human rights abuses

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is under investigation by the U.N. human rights watchdog over his brutal war on drugs.

www.newsweek.com

So should the Congresswomen/men taking on Trump right now go after this guy? The non-white ones.

he's right though. this is the natural conclusion of western-originated cultural relativism: nobody should give a shit what any westerner says if they admit that they want the backseat for moral reasons.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

A fly buzzed around him during a speech:

Fly buzzes Duterte as he attacks Philippine priests

A fly that interrupted his speech was working under the orders of priests, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte joked Tuesday, as he launched a new verbal attack on the country's influential Catholic church. The fly buzzed around Duterte as he spoke at a school in Manila, landing on his forehead

ph.news.yahoo.com

https://sneed.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HLluKCp3EfEpKcbiokd2UA--~A/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9NzY4O2g9NTEyO2lsPXBsYW5l/http://media.zenfs.com/en_sg/News/AFP/12c56ca595ae6592c141f0e80d679b1ab31faa87.jpg
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is a frequent critic of the country's influential Catholic church
More
A fly that interrupted his speech was working under the orders of priests, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte joked Tuesday, as he launched a new verbal attack on the country's influential Catholic church.
The fly buzzed around Duterte as he spoke at a school in Manila, landing on his forehead and cheek and causing him to flap his arms in a futile bid to swat away the pesky insect.
"I've had a fight with priests for a long time," the 74-year-old strongman said without missing a beat.
"This fly is taking orders from them. It has been following me for some time," he added, drawing laughter from the audience.
Duterte later cursed the fly when he missed flicking it with a finger as it landed on a microphone.
"Wait until I'm done with my speech. I will smash you with the manuscript," he said.
Earlier, Duterte said the Catholic church's dogma was "simply not acceptable to my God-given common sense".
"I have a God. I just don't want to be saddled with religions," he said.
The Philippine president has a history of criticising the Catholic church, which counts some 80 percent of the nation's more than 100 million people as believers.
Last year he angered church leaders by taking aim at the biblical version of man's creation, saying: "Who is this stupid God?"
Church leaders have been critical of his policies, including an anti-narcotics crackdown that has left thousands dead.
They also oppose his calls for bringing back capital punishment.
Tuesday's fly incident was not the first time an insect has ruined one of his public engagements.
In May, a cockroach crawled up his shoulder and down the front of his shirt as he spoke at a campaign rally ahead of congressional elections.
Duterte later joked that the bug belonged to the opposition.

 

[Dom Cruise]

Duterte dought da dasketdall!

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

He said he was against gambling, but won't ban online gambling even when China told him to:

Duterte rejects China's call for Philippines to ban online gambling

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that while he was not a fan of online gambling he was unwilling to ban the business, as ...

www.channelnewsasia.com

Duterte rejects China's call for Philippines to ban online gambling
image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Aug 30, 2019. (File Photo: How Hwee Young/Pool via Reuters)
04 Sep 2019 11:03PM (Updated: 04 Sep 2019 11:32PM)

MANILA: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday (Sep 4) that while he was not a fan of online gambling he was unwilling to ban the business, as China has called for, because of the harm that would do to the country's economy.
Duterte, who backed the Philippine gaming regulator's move in late 2016 to license Internet gambling, said on Wednesday he would not have allowed this "stupid activity" if there were plenty of jobs available.

Advertisement
"We decide to benefit the interest of my country. I decide that we need it," Duterte said in a televised news conference, but gave a stern warning to online gambling operators not to avoid paying their fees.
Online gambling companies, known as Philippine offshore gambling operators (POGOs), are a boon for the local economy, drawing many visitors from China, fuelling property demand and retail spending.
The POGOs, which bar Filipinos from playing, contribute to national coffers through license fees.
The Philippine gaming regulator has issued licences to 60 online gambling companies but on Aug 19 banned licences for new online gaming firms, as lawmakers and some ministers have called for tighter controls on Chinese visitors, saying many are illegal workers whose presence fans security concerns.

China said after that move that it hoped the Philippines will go further and ban online gaming to support its crackdown on cross-border gambling.
The Philippine central bank and the anti-money laundering body has been studying the scope of the online gambling industry to determine the impact on the economy if it stopped operating.
Cambodia last month heeded China's plea to ban online gambling, an industry that brought in Chinese investment but had been used by foreign criminals to extort money.
Source: Reuters/ad

And he's going to Singapore:

Singapore president to visit Philippines, meet Duterte in September

Halimah Yacob, Singapore's first female president, will visit President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown of Davao City, aside from Manila

www.rappler.com

Singapore president to visit Philippines, meet Duterte in September
Halimah Yacob, Singapore's first female president, will visit President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown of Davao City, aside from Manila

Rappler.com

Published 4:25 PM, September 04, 2019
Updated 4:45 PM, September 04, 2019
Facebook
Twitter
Reddit
Email

MEETING DUTERTE. Singaporean President Halimah Yacob will be in Manila and Davao City in September. File photo by Wong Maye-E/AFP

ADVERTISING



MANILA, Philippines – Singaporean President Halimah Yacob accepted President Rodrigo Duterte's invitation to visit the Philippines.
The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced on Wednesday, September 4, that Halimah will undertake a state visit to the country from September 8 to 12, "on the invitation" of Duterte.

"The state visit will mark the apex of this year's celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Singapore," said the DFA in a statement.
Halimah is Singapore's first female president and had been speaker of its parliament. She is also the country's first Malay head of state in 47 years.

Duterte will hold a bilateral meeting with Halimah on Monday, September 9, to discuss political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges.
Halimah is also set to visit Duterte's southern hometown of Davao City, where she will drop by the Philippine Eagle Center and meet with young Mindanaoans.
In the capital of Manila, the Singaporean leader will have a luncheon meeting with the Philippines-Singapore Business Council.
Halimah will be the 8th country leader to visit the Philippines under the Duterte presidency, not counting visits by leaders for international summits.
Before Halimah, Duterte welcomed Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. – Pia Ranada/Rappler.com

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

Update:

Duterte flies to Russia for 2nd time to meet ‘idol’ Putin

The Philippine president continues steps to mend relations with China and reach out to the Russian strongman.

www.navytimes.com

Duterte flies to Russia for 2nd time to meet ‘idol’ Putin
By: Jim Gomez, The Associated Press   7 hours ago

In this Aug. 27, 2019 photo, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he addresses the topic of land reform. He's beginning a state visit to Russia. (Bullit Marquez/AP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine president left for Moscow on Tuesday to meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and press efforts to broaden relations while maintaining robust ties with treaty ally the United States.
President Rodrigo Duterte left Manila with his defense, finance and economic secretaries and other key Cabinet officials for the Oct. 1-5 visit to Russia. His first trip in May 2017 was cut short due to a major attack by Islamic State group-linked militants in the southern Philippines.
After taking office in mid-2016, Duterte took steps to mend relations with China which were damaged by territorial conflicts and reach out to Putin, whom he has described as his “idol,” while often criticizing U.S. security policies.
"While it is true that we value our long-standing partners, we must also be open to engage new ones," Duterte said in a departure speech. "For the longest time, we have placed key nations at the margins of our foreign policy, failing to fully explore the potentials of mutually beneficial cooperation."

Beijing tells Duterte it won’t honor South China Sea ruling
The row over the disputed waters — a major global shipping route thought to be rich in oil and gas reserves — has for years marred China's relationship with the Philippines and other neighboring countries with rival territorial claim
By: The Associated Press
Duterte is to meet Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow and hold talks with Putin in Sochi city on expanding cooperation in security and defense and combatting terrorism, extremism and cross-border crimes.

A labor agreement that would allow more Filipinos to work in Russia was not finalized ahead of Duterte's trip, officials said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Russian officials are expected to offer a range of defense equipment, including assault and transport helicopters, warships, drones and tanks which the Philippines could acquire as it modernizes its military, one of Asia's most ill-equipped.
Sign up for the Navy Times Daily News Roundup
Don't miss the top Navy stories, delivered each afternoon
Subscribe
In addition to Putin, the 74-year-old Duterte has publicly cozied up with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Duterte once said that if China and Russia were to establish a new world order, he would be the first to join them and abandon the U.N., which he described as U.S.-dominated and unsuccessful in preventing wars.
Duterte, known for his brash rhetoric, said his foreign policy "is based on respect for sovereignty and non-interference, the time-honored principles of international law."
"Apparently this most basic principle of a rule that governs the relations between nations has been forgotten by some idiots in some parts of the world," he said.

Duterte has denounced 18 countries which backed an Iceland-initiated resolution in July that asked the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights to look into human rights conditions in the Philippines amid his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thousands of mostly petty drug suspects dead.

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

Update on his health:

Philippine President Duterte says he has chronic neuromuscular disorder

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he has a chronic neuromuscular disorder called myasthenia gravis that is causing one of his eyelids to droop.

www.reuters.com

Philippine President Duterte says he has chronic neuromuscular disorder


2 MIN READ

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he has a chronic neuromuscular disorder called myasthenia gravis that is causing one of his eyelids to droop.


FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks with an official during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, August 29, 2019. How Hwee Young/Pool via REUTERS
Duterte made the comment about his condition while speaking on Saturday to the Filipino community in Russia, where he was on a working visit.
“It is a nerve malfunction,” Duterte said, explaining to the crowd why one eye appears smaller than the other. His remarks were contained in a transcript that was emailed to the media in the Philippines on Sunday.
There is no cure for myasthenia gravis, an illness that causes muscle weakness, but treatment can help relieve symptoms.
ADVERTISEMENT

The firebrand leader, 74 is known for a busy schedule and for giving long speeches, often several a day. Several disappearances from public view in the past fueled rumors he is in declining health. The government has repeatedly denied that.
Duterte’s latest comments could raise more questions about the state of his health.
Duterte’s known ailments include back problems, migraines due to nerve damage after a motorcycle accident and Barrett’s oesophagus, which affects his throat. He also suffers from Buerger’s disease, caused by his heavy smoking in younger days, which can cause blockages in the blood vessels.
Last October, Duterte underwent a colonoscopy, a procedure to check the health of the rectum and lower bowel, which officials said the president does on yearly basis.

The Philippine Constitution mandates that the public must be informed of the state of the president’s health in case he has a serious illness.
Under Philippine laws, if a sitting president dies in office, is permanently disabled or removed through impeachment, the vice president takes over and serves the remaining years in a six-year, single term. Vice President Leni Robredo, a leader of the political opposition, was elected in 2016, the same year Duterte was elected.

 

[DespotCTM]

Update on his health:

Philippine President Duterte says he has chronic neuromuscular disorder

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he has a chronic neuromuscular disorder called myasthenia gravis that is causing one of his eyelids to droop.

www.reuters.com

Don't you dare, Duterte. You have to stay strong until you eliminated every drugdealer ever. I have to see batshit craziness on the level of Trump speeches but with more bullets

I don't care how you do it, heard Hillary has some powerful necromancers in her care to keep you alive and standing fyi

 

[PS1gamenwatch]

A few updates, one of his health and the other a fluff piece:

Duterte’s 'work from home' raises health questions

The Philippine president is famous for his strongman persona - but is he well enough to continue?

www.bbc.com

Duterte's health: 'Work from home' raises questions in Philippines
By Howard JohnsonBBC News, Manila

• 14 November 2019

• Share this with Facebook
• Share this with Messenger
• Share this with Twitter
• Share this with Email
• Share

Image copyrightEPAImage captionRodrigo Duterte at the Asean summit in Thailand earlier this month
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is famous for his strongman persona.
His nickname is "The Punisher" because of a widely-held perception that he is tough on crime.
But since coming to power in 2016 he has been dogged by rumours about his health.
Concern was raised again this week after his spokesman announced the president was taking three days' "rest".
Salvador Panelo later clarified that the 74-year-old would not be on leave, but would work from his home in the southern city, Davao.
So are the recent health concerns making Filipinos question his strongman status? And what would happen were he not fit to lead the country?

Image copyrightAFPImage captionMr Duterte in 2016
When asked by BBC News why the president was working from home this week, Mr Panelo said he "wants to have fewer distractions… he needs to have some rest too".
"If he's working in the Malacanang [presidential palace] so many people want to talk to him," Mr Panelo added.
But rumours about President Duterte's health have swirled since he took office in June 2016, driven by his reputation for occasionally skipping official events and meetings.
Last year it was revealed that doctors had found a suspicious growth inside Mr Duterte during an endoscopy.
"I will tell you if it's cancer," Mr Duterte said at the time. Test results later found that the growth was benign.
During a visit to Russia in early October, the president told a gathering of Filipino expatriates that he was suffering from myasthenia gravis, a rare autoimmune disease that, according to the president, causes one of his eyelids to droop.
Weeks later Mr Duterte fell from a motorcycle and hurt his back following a late-night ride around the palace grounds in Manila.
"Unbearable pain" from the accident forced him to cut short an official trip to Japan, according to his most-trusted aide, Senator Bong Go.
Mr Duterte was pictured at the time leaning on a walking stick alongside his daughter Sara and a concerned-looking Senator Go.

Image copyrightFACEBOOKImage captionMr Go and Mr Duterte leaning on his cane
Mr Panelo says that Mr Duterte has recovered from the accident. He said his health is "good," adding that the president looks "very normal, he is walking briskly and talking a lot".
But videos circulated on social media of the president appearing uneven on his feet before the accident.
During his third "State of the Nation" address in 2018, I noticed that Mr Duterte appeared more frail than usual, and his speech was less bellicose than in previous years.
He mostly stuck to the script, rather than unleashing his usual fiery ad-libs, and when he finished the speech he appeared to hold onto the wall as he left the stage.
Mr Duterte's inner-circle have regularly rebutted claims that he skips meetings because of ill health.
In November 2018, Mr Panelo said the president had missed four Association of South East Asian Nations meetings in Singapore because he had to take "power naps".
Last week the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, Teddy Locsin Jr, even became embroiled in a row on Twitter after he swore at a journalist for pointing out the president's absence from another Asean event, this time in Thailand.

More from the Philippines

• How many have died in Philippines drugs war?
• Cocaine bricks keep washing up in the Philippines
• The boy diving for plastic

The Philippine constitution stipulates that the public must be informed of the state of the president's health in case he has a "serious illness".
If a serving president becomes incapacitated by an illness, power would pass to the vice president.
That would mean Leni Robredo - a Liberal Party politician and a fierce critic of the president's rule - would take over.
Ms Robredo angered Mr Duterte in October when she said his core policy, the war on drugs, "obviously wasn't working".
Thousands of alleged drug users and dealers have been killed under controversial "buy-bust" police operations.
The government says the public overwhelmingly approve of Mr Duterte's drug war because they say street crime has fallen.
Angered by the vice president's comments, Mr Duterte handed over control of the drug war to Ms Robredo and challenged her to do a better job.
Ms Robredo took on the challenge and has called for an end to the "senseless killings" and to focus on a holistic, health-based approach to fixing the country's drug problem.
So far the public has been largely supportive of the move, raising Ms Robredo's profile as a capable leader.

Image copyrightEPAImage captionPhilippine Vice President Leni Robredo in October
News of the president's three-day hiatus has filled newspaper columns and rolling news channel bulletins, but it hasn't dented his popularity or his image as a strongman.
Mr Panelo says the president has always been transparent about his health issues - and that the Philippine public have nothing to worry about:
"What I've noticed about [President Duterte], when he doesn't have eight hours' sleep, when he walks he looks wobbly," said Mr Panelo.
"But when he does, he is firm and strong and the aura in his face is good. All he needs is… a regular number of hours of sleep."

Why does Netanyahu embrace oppressive Philippines president Duterte?

Even among strongmen, Duterte is uniquely repugnant. He has launched a brutal crackdown on political opponents and drug users, and has publicly pledged to kill millions in his country.

www.jpost.com

Why does Netanyahu embrace oppressive Philippines president Duterte?
Even among strongmen, Duterte is uniquely repugnant. He has launched a brutal crackdown on political opponents and drug users, and has publicly pledged to kill millions in his country.
By ZACHARY SHAPIRO/JTA
NOVEMBER 14, 2019 23:50

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

BOSTON — On Nov. 5, Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz said that Israel should avoid selling weapons to repressive regimes. While it might seem like an obvious move for the Jewish state, Gantz’s comments marked a stark contrast with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s doctrine — especially given Netanyahu’s relationship with President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines.

Even among strongmen, Duterte is uniquely repugnant. He has launched a brutal crackdown on political opponents and drug users, and has publicly pledged to kill millions in his country.

Read More Related Articles

• My son’s Orthodox Jewish school is 85 percent Muslim
• Why Poland doesn’t like this Netflix series

• Constipation can be tough. Search for severe constipation symptoms (Yahoo!)

Recommended by

Netanyahu has hosted Duterte for a widely publicized state visit, sold arms to him and sent delegations to help train the Philippines military.

Should Gantz manage to assemble a coalition and become prime minister, he would do well to act on his comments and reassess Israel’s alliances with illiberal regimes. And he should start with the Duterte relationship, which offers Israel few strategic benefits and has resulted in no major diplomatic concessions or achievements.

Duterte has said publicly that his interest in Israel lies in lax Israeli arms export regulations. In cozying up to Netanyahu, Duterte has brought useful Israeli resources and military advisers to his country to train his military in counterterrorism. This is especially helpful to the Filipino president as he ratchets up counterterror operations and his sickening domestic repression campaigns against drug users and political opponents.

But the possible and existing gains for Israel are few and far between. Though Israel’s relationships with other autocrats have been and could be risky for their long-term strategic well-being and security, the potential payoffs of those relationships have been apparent.

In Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Netanyahu has cultivated core alliances against Iran. And as the Saudi and Emirati regimes cooperate with Israel against the Islamic Republic, they continue to soften their rhetoric and positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Latest articles from Jpost



TOP ARTICLES1/5READ MOREIDF remains on high alert as rockets threaten ceasefire




Israel’s alliances with illiberal regimes beyond the Middle East hold another set of potential benefits. Approaching Beijing could allow Israel to hedge against its previous bets on a West that in Netanyahu’s mind may well be in decline. Warming ties with China are one way to prepare for a changing global order in which China plays a larger role while opening the Israeli market to billions of dollars in trade and investment.

Similarly, relations with Russia are a perceived long-term investment for the Jewish state. In aligning with Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Israel is preparing for a new Middle East with a diminished U.S. presence.

Even in dealing with less powerful autocracies like Azerbaijan, the strategic endgame is clear. As part of its growing ties with Baku, Israel has reportedly gained access to an airstrip that could prove vital if the Israeli government decides to strike Iranian nuclear facilities or military installations.

But Duterte offers none of these benefits to Israel. Unlike Saudi, Emirati and Azerbaijani counterparts, Duterte is hardly useful to Israel’s strategy against Iran.

To make things worse, Netanyahu has failed to extract any tangible diplomatic concessions from Duterte. The Philippine Foreign Affairs Department announced in 2018 that it would not move its embassy to Jerusalem. It has not cast any important United Nations votes in Israel’s favor since 1947 and, unlike Russia and China, does not have veto power on the U.N. Security Council.

Netanyahu’s choice to work with Duterte reflects longstanding Israeli doctrine. Conventional Israeli wisdom argues that Israel operates in hostile environs and can use as many allies as possible. These alliances are said to bring international legitimacy to Israel as it continually fights delegitimization and condemnation at the United Nations and elsewhere.

But aligning with a leader who compared himself to Hitler and vowed to kill 3 million people in his country is hardly helpful in the international arena — especially considering Duterte’s penchant for abhorrent repression, controversy and bad publicity.

Netanyahu’s dance with Duterte is also driven by domestic political considerations. In recent years, and in the 2019 elections in particular, the prime minister has touted his ability to build and sustain alliances. Photos of Netanyahu and his counterparts adorn billboards in Israel emblazoned with his campaign slogan: “Netanyahu. In another league.”

Gantz ran a different kind of campaign. Judging from his comments, he does not share Netanyahu’s worldview. If anything, Gantz’s remarks could foretell a new direction for Israeli foreign policy. Ultimately, it is too early to tell whether he will succeed in building a coalition or in reorienting Israeli strategy.

That aside, tenuous alliances with autocrats are an unfortunate and ill-advised facet of Israeli policy. But if Israel is willing to take on those risks to begin with, it should do so if (and only if) there are clear possible strategic gains on the horizon.

Israel has no endgame in Manila. Netanyahu’s partnership with Duterte has earned him a handful of trade and arms deals and a state visit. But those limited benefits come with grave risks and without any significant diplomatic achievements.

If Gantz becomes prime minister, he should follow through on his comments and chart a new doctrine. Reversing course on Israeli ties with Duterte would be a good place to start.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.