1. Just watched the 'Documentary of the Week' on CNA about "Putin's Way" and confirmed my worst nightmare. That this man is all about himself and enriching himself and his loyalists. He was reportedly worth USD20B and has been linked without ever being charged for orchestrating 'killing the enemies and investigators who get to close for his comfort'!
And this is the man we want to do business with. Just be careful. Be very careful as these folks have no qualm about killing whoever is in their way!
2. "Philippines halts probe into president-elect's suspected death squads - AFP 22 May 2016
MANILA: The Philippines has halted an investigation into an alleged vigilante death squad linked to president-elect Rodrigo Duterte after the key witness disappeared, likely due to fear of the incoming leader, officials said.
Outgoing justice secretary Emmanuel Caparas said the Justice Department's investigation could not proceed because the sole witness had left the government's witness protection programme.
"There's really nothing there. I don't think the witness is there any more... because he hasn't surfaced again," he said.
"Unless that (person) comes forward, it's very difficult to do anything about it," he told reporters.
Former justice secretary Leila de Lima, who initiated the probe into the death squads, said Sunday (May 22) the witness clearly feared Duterte, who was elected president in a landslide on May 9.
"From all indications, the decision of the witness to leave (the protection programme) is definitely in reaction to Duterte's (likely) victory," said de Lima, who was elected senator in the May 9 polls.
Duterte, longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao, had boasted while campaigning of being involved with vigilante death squads that had killed over a thousand people in his city.
He had also vowed that once elected, he would kill 100,000 criminals and dump so many in Manila Bay that the "fish will grow fat" from feeding on them.
De Lima told AFP that "even before the elections, he (the witness) was worried of a Duterte victory".
The former justice secretary said the witness asked to leave the witness protection programme after she resigned from the department in October to run for office.
Human rights groups have accused Duterte of organising or tolerating vigilante squads that have targeted suspected criminals and street children in Davao, killing more than 1,000 people since the 1980s.
But Duterte, whose tough-talking style and ruthless approach to crime has won him a huge following, has brushed aside such concerns.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the decision to drop the investigation was "a disturbing failure" to address the many government-linked killings in the strife-torn Philippines.
"The decision sends a chilling message that those responsible for targeted killings don't need to fear about being punished for their egregious crimes," the group said in a statement on Sunday.
It called on the government to reopen the investigation. Spokesmen for Duterte, who takes office on June 30, could not be contacted for comment."
I watched some old fashion vigilante movies in the past starring tough guys like Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, etc. and actually applauded them.
Alas, those in the movies clearly deserved their deaths in the hands of the 'heroic vigilantes'. Most of the time they were persons taking revenges for the 'baddies' murdering their loved ones.
In the Philippines, the President-elect Mr Duterte's vigilante style of justice is 'official'! He and his buddies are hunting down those 'deserved-to-die-criminals'! Hopefully their 'deserved-to-die' crimes are so apparent and transparent to the people that nobody in their right minds will question why the criminals were 'executed summarily'.
The human rights folks will definitely have to make lots of noise about this type of justice. They are totally legitimate to question: what if such summarily execution is used on 'legitimate' detractors or folks with strong opposing views to President-elect Duterte but are not criminals? Where is the line? who is to be the 'referees' if you like when one of the contestants is the President-elect of the nation?
100,000 criminals will be killed proclaimed the President-elect. This is quite a big number. Has the country fallen so much and so deep in the years of the Aquino's presidency?
Something is not right here. May the Philippines be together. May there be justice, transparency and strict enforcement of laws and orders. Hopefully without 'summarily trial and execution'!
Maybe President-elect Duterte can be good friend with that Russian President named Putin? LOL!!
And this is the man we want to do business with. Just be careful. Be very careful as these folks have no qualm about killing whoever is in their way!
2. "Philippines halts probe into president-elect's suspected death squads - AFP 22 May 2016
MANILA: The Philippines has halted an investigation into an alleged vigilante death squad linked to president-elect Rodrigo Duterte after the key witness disappeared, likely due to fear of the incoming leader, officials said.
Outgoing justice secretary Emmanuel Caparas said the Justice Department's investigation could not proceed because the sole witness had left the government's witness protection programme.
"There's really nothing there. I don't think the witness is there any more... because he hasn't surfaced again," he said.
"Unless that (person) comes forward, it's very difficult to do anything about it," he told reporters.
Former justice secretary Leila de Lima, who initiated the probe into the death squads, said Sunday (May 22) the witness clearly feared Duterte, who was elected president in a landslide on May 9.
"From all indications, the decision of the witness to leave (the protection programme) is definitely in reaction to Duterte's (likely) victory," said de Lima, who was elected senator in the May 9 polls.
Duterte, longtime mayor of the southern city of Davao, had boasted while campaigning of being involved with vigilante death squads that had killed over a thousand people in his city.
He had also vowed that once elected, he would kill 100,000 criminals and dump so many in Manila Bay that the "fish will grow fat" from feeding on them.
De Lima told AFP that "even before the elections, he (the witness) was worried of a Duterte victory".
The former justice secretary said the witness asked to leave the witness protection programme after she resigned from the department in October to run for office.
Human rights groups have accused Duterte of organising or tolerating vigilante squads that have targeted suspected criminals and street children in Davao, killing more than 1,000 people since the 1980s.
But Duterte, whose tough-talking style and ruthless approach to crime has won him a huge following, has brushed aside such concerns.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch said the decision to drop the investigation was "a disturbing failure" to address the many government-linked killings in the strife-torn Philippines.
"The decision sends a chilling message that those responsible for targeted killings don't need to fear about being punished for their egregious crimes," the group said in a statement on Sunday.
It called on the government to reopen the investigation. Spokesmen for Duterte, who takes office on June 30, could not be contacted for comment."
I watched some old fashion vigilante movies in the past starring tough guys like Charles Bronson, Clint Eastwood, etc. and actually applauded them.
Alas, those in the movies clearly deserved their deaths in the hands of the 'heroic vigilantes'. Most of the time they were persons taking revenges for the 'baddies' murdering their loved ones.
In the Philippines, the President-elect Mr Duterte's vigilante style of justice is 'official'! He and his buddies are hunting down those 'deserved-to-die-criminals'! Hopefully their 'deserved-to-die' crimes are so apparent and transparent to the people that nobody in their right minds will question why the criminals were 'executed summarily'.
The human rights folks will definitely have to make lots of noise about this type of justice. They are totally legitimate to question: what if such summarily execution is used on 'legitimate' detractors or folks with strong opposing views to President-elect Duterte but are not criminals? Where is the line? who is to be the 'referees' if you like when one of the contestants is the President-elect of the nation?
100,000 criminals will be killed proclaimed the President-elect. This is quite a big number. Has the country fallen so much and so deep in the years of the Aquino's presidency?
Something is not right here. May the Philippines be together. May there be justice, transparency and strict enforcement of laws and orders. Hopefully without 'summarily trial and execution'!
Maybe President-elect Duterte can be good friend with that Russian President named Putin? LOL!!
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