Philippine government says bloody crime war a ‘success’

President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that Americans would constantly be in danger in the southern Mindanao region, where Islamic extremists would constantly try to kill or kidnap them for ransom.

Another 1,490 are classified as “deaths under investigation” referring to people murdered in suspicious circumstances, many of them shot by suspected vigilantes or found dead with crude signs labelling them drug-pushers or criminals. “There are many whites there”, the President said during the oath taking of new appointees yesterday at Malacañang.

In August, Agnes Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, said the Philippine drug war “is effectively a license to kill”.

He displayed some black and white photographs dating from the early 1900s that showed women and children that had been killed by USA forces. As many as 1,300 USA special forces troops have been present on the island since 2002. Since the Constitution prohibits foreign troops from engaging in direct combat operations, the USA soldiers’ role is limited to assisting the local military through training and information sharing.

Duterte did not specify when or how many Americans would be expelled but said the Philippines alignment with the West was at the root of the persistent Muslim insurgency.

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“My president apologised for what he said”, Pacquiao said.

The military and the police should perform these tasks “with due regard to fundamental and civil political rights”, the Palace official said.

Duterte wants an independent foreign policy and says close ties with the United States are crucial, but he has frequently accused the former colonial power of hypocrisy when criticised for his deadly drugs war.

Last week, Obama called off what would have been his first meeting with Duterte on the sidelines of an Asian summit in Laos after the Philippine president used the phrase “son of a bitch” in warning that he wouldn’t accept lectures from Obama on human rights.

The chamber issued a statement that noted that while the crackdown on illegal drugs had seen Mr. Duterte’s domestic popularity soar, it had prompted widespread worldwide condemnation from the United Nations and human rights watchdogs.

“I am not a fan of the Americans”.

The U.S. hadn’t apologized for alleged atrocities committed by Americans on Filipinos in the 1900s, Duterte said, also criticizing the U.S. over its role in conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Vietnam.

But Yasay also said pursuing bilateral engagements with the U.S.at this time – as the elections in the United States approaches – would not be appropriate at this time. They said USA soldiers have been active in humanitarian projects in the region.

“But we will highly respect the President as we are very much supportive of his plans and programs in this matter”, he added. The official launch of the Philippine chairmanship will be on January 5 in Davao City.