Philippines candidate Duterte condemned over rape comments

That wont happen, as we are not exposed to the troubled euro zone (lol)

I mean that most of us have Sterling income and some Peso expenditure, so when the Peso falls we benefit a little.

Stats coming from the PNP - not sure if this is even credible. I have lost faith in our police system for a long time now. All I know from personal experience is that I have never felt more safe when I stayed in Davao versus Metro Manila. Again, if the Filipino people want to elect Duterte as president then so be it. At the end of the day, we are the ones to live with our own decision, not people who don't live in our country. I would rather elect someone different and would put his life on the line for the people than these elitist politicians who are very self serving and corrupt to the core! Mar Roxas has had all good words for Duterte and what he's done for Davao. Mar took a 180 degree turn and changed his story line when Duterte finally decided he will run. Also, it was Gloria Arroyo who paved way in terms of our economic boost - NOT Noynoy Aquino. It just so happened he is reaping all such benefits after Gloria. And honestly, what BS is the economic growth that the current government is talking about when it only serves the elite? Have you seen how traffice gets worse every single day in the metro? How we don't have any efficient transportation system? And oh how the education system has deteriorated. Let's not even go to our healthcare system. I am all for change because if the new president will be from the same mold as of the old ones, then how do we expect to see REAL improvement in our country?

Again, that's just me. Someone who has been paying taxes since I started working which is equivalent to 32% of my gross income. The 32% that is supposed to be allocated for efficient transportation, better infrastructure, healthcare system, and education. I owe my education to the Filipino people having graduated from the state university. So I would gladly pay my taxes however high the amount. But I can't be silent when I know it doesn't serve its purpose.

Okay, rant over. I need to go back to packing and hope to the heavens I won't become a victim of the bullet planting scheme tomorrow. Oh, which reminds me our good government has yet to do something about that. Maybe I should fly out from Davao.

Well, this is unusual.

Ambeth Ocampo is the Philippines' leading historian; he is to the Philippines what Simon Schama is, and AJP Taylor, was, to us in Britain.

He is resolutely un-political, and normally uses his column in the Inquirer to examine by-ways of the history of the Philippine Revolution.

Not today, though.

http://opinion.inquirer.net/94372/rape-no-laughing-matter-context

What Duterte said in jest about he being the first to rape the murdered Australian woman Jacqueline Hamill should never be defended no matter what else happened.
It is to my mind inexcusable to justify his comment and I am astonished that any Filipino could vote for him after what he said.
Where are the morals of a nation when someone can run for president after saying something so terrible?
I am not Filipino but I worry that a nation I found to be so kind, polite and accommodating can even allow such a man to run for the number one position.

It gets worse:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/stor...ustralia-sever-our-ties-if-i-become-president

What planet is he on?
Why aren't the Filipino people doing something about him?

There are people on this forum who think he is wonderful.

And, just like Trump in the USA, his outrageous and disgraceful remarks are calibrated to appeal to his target audience - the Filipino masa - the common people.

His campaign is extremely well funded -he must have spent hundreds of millions of pesos on the almost constant TV adverts. Under Philippines electoral laws, the sources of donations must be revealed after the election, not before. When challenged, he said that the money comes from an anonymous Chinese donor. Some people think that the anonymous Chinese donor is the Chinese Government.

The plot thickens.

Being blown out of proportion.

Politics...

"Australian, American ambassadors: Shut your mouth."

That is the message of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte to a pair of ambassadors who have criticized him over his recent remarks about rape that have caused an international firestorm.

The Davao City mayor made the comment on Wednesday, a day after his tirade against Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely, who had criticized him over controversial comments he made regarding the rape and death in 1989 of an Australian missionary at a Davao prison.

"Rape and murder should never be joked about or trivialised. Violence against women and girls is unacceptable anytime, anywhere," Gorely had said.

United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg had chimed in on the criticism.

"I can only agree with the colleague from the Australian Embassy," Goldberg said in a television interview.

"Any statements by anyone, anywhere that either degrade women or trivialize issues so serious as rape or murder, are not ones that we condone," he added.

But Duterte brushed off the criticism, instead saying the envoys had no business talking to him about Philippine affairs.

"Do not interfere because it's election time," said Duterte, the front-runner in recent presidential preference surveys.

Later, when asked whether his statements could affect relationships with the country's allies, Duterte replied: "That's their problem, not mine."

He added: "I never interfere in their elections. If I become president, go ahead and sever it (ties with the Philippines)."

The Philippines counts the US as its closest ally, a relationship that has grown closer over recent tensions with China over disputed territory.

Australia, meanwhile, has backed the US position on China's excursions into the disputed seas. —Cedric Castillo/JST, GMA News

- See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/stor...es-if-i-become-president#sthash.gGun7OXv.dpuf


Source: http://defence.pk/threads/duterte-t...s-if-i-become-president.427580/#ixzz46SRteXz2


Sorry..Just noticed this was linked to already.

I know what you mean. Why, only the other day I had a few too many and, without thinking properly, went out and murdered over 1,000 people.

Tsk tsk. Silly me. What am I like?

I think the reference is being made specifically against the rape comments. As has been said, it is inexcusable but one must have a sense of balance (if one can) in the context of when the statement was initially made. There are words/statements that used to be said many years ago which are now totally unacceptable in todays society.

I don't think so.

In 1989 the then Foreign Secretary of the Philippines, the late Raul Manglapus, whom I knew slightly, was asked at a Press conference on the Kuwait War "What advice he could give to Filipina OFWs in Kuwait who were likely to be raped by members of the Iraqi Army.

He replied "Just lie back and enjoy it!"

And that remark destroyed his career.

Unlike Duterte, Manglapus was not a thug but an American-educated member of the old Spanish-mestizo ruling class; a courteous and charming man who would hold a door for any woman, rich or poor, but would certainly never talk of raping her.

The journalist's question was silly - what useful advice could be given to a woman in that situation - and he gave a silly answer but Political Correctness was alive and well in those days too.

That may be true Dom but we are not standing to be President in one of the most politically corrupt countries on earth

Lifted from the FB page of my friend Tina Cuyugan:

By Tonet Rivera. On Duterte and the Philippines as a financial risk:

Just arrived San Francisco. Still Sunday night. The money, equity and commodity markets are closed. In 3 hours, investors, fund managers and traders will open their newspapers. And read about a Philippine Presidential candidate who is starting to look completely inept at an ability called Uniting the Country.

They will think, oh ****, which country is this?? Philippines? Maybe this country MIGHT lose investor confidence this week?? (Doesn't have to be true. Just needs to LOOK like that.)

Because they are stewards of millions of dollars of other people's money -- retirees' life savings, pension funds -- these fund managers are sensitive to any news that MIGHT affect their clients' investments. So they check their exposure. They have bought a lot of Philippine stocks, a lot of Philippine pesos. It was a growing economy, after all, second highest GDP growth in tiger Asia.

Nobody really thought about this country recently. As they Google it, they learn more about the Presidential candidate who has angered the Australian, Mexican, American and Chinese authorities, and the Philippine military, all in a matter of a few days. Parang malabo yata itong bayan na ito. (Doesn't have to be TRUE, just needs to LOOK like that.)

So the nervous fund managers start selling their Pesos. Other fund managers notice. "They sold sixty million Philippine Pesos? Oh yeah, that crazy country where people laughed along with this rapist candidate." (Doesn't have to be TRUE, just needs to LOOK like that.)

In the absence of first-hand experience, perception becomes reality. Hindi naman sila taga Pilipinas, so kung ano 'yung nasa CNN, 'yun ang totoo.

By Tuesday, traders everywhere are selling Pesos for Dollars or Euro. All they know about the Philippines, they got from the news. By Wednesday nobody wants Pesos, for the moment. You can no longer buy a dollar for 46 Pesos. You have to tempt them by offering more -- 47, 48 or 49 Pesos to the dollar.

At close on Wednesday the exchange rate is 49:1, or even north of that. I know, that's just a 6% devaluation, nothing really bad.

In the Philippines it is Thursday morning. You need more Pesos to buy a barrel of oil, a liter of milk, a tanker of aviation fuel, all imported. Power companies, gas stations, ice cream makers and airlines need to increase their Peso prices by 6% just to buy the same raw materials.

Your P46,000 savings can't buy $1,000 anymore. You have to postpone that vacation. That car, that house. That baby.

Your Dad was hoping to retire this year with a P460,000 pension. On Thursday that isn't worth $10,000 anymore. He has to work another 2-3 years. He thinks about the recent pain in his chest.

Everything imported goes up by 6%. Millions and tens of millions of pesos of needless costs.

That worldwide BBC article will do us damage. The Sydney Morning Herald, Le Monde and the Straits Times picked it up too, but BBC is worldwide. Which came from an original wire story like, "Perverted Philippine Presidential hopeful wanted first slot in a prison gangbang, entertains laughing crowd at rally."

More traders Google "Philippines Duterte" pa more. They see the pictures... . Cringing women getting kissed, sitting on his lap, YouTube clips studded with words like 'putang ina ka Pope.' Geez, they think, this guy talks like that in public?!

In the absence of first-hand experience, perception becomes reality.

Nobody likes RISK. Other fund managers look at Peso-based equities. Philippine stocks, if valued in dollars, are now worth lower. They own a lot of PHILIPPINE Long Distance Tele... . Hey, isn't that the country where this candidate regretted missing out on a gang rape?? Look, Microsoft shares are going up, why don't we dump PLDT for now and buy Microsoft? It's just prudence. They short 2 million shares... . You know, "just for a while," until they can see whether the Filipinos can elect a 'REAL' President.

In the absence of first-hand experience, perception becomes reality.

So maybe PLDT has to postpone that internet upgrade.

That's the impact of 'statesmanship.' Or the lack of it. **** doesn't have to happen, it just needs to LOOK like it will. And there will be consequences.

Guess who made it look like that? A clueless supporter who guffawed and posted a 2-minute video on YouTube. A crowd laughing along with an unthinking Mayor who stuffed his entire foot into his mouth. A day after he inadvertently signaled to China that he can give up claims to 100,000 square kilometers of Economic Exclusion Zone in exchange for trains. A week after he told people that Mexico was a stupid country to visit, in the presence of the Mexican ambassador.

It's a global economy. A President also REPRESENTS the country in the eyes of the world. Obama is the US, Putin is Russia, Trudeau is Canada.

The Philippines? For now to the world, the Philippines is those people laughing about a dead woman missionary that their Presidential candidate wished he could have raped first.

Can we see now how AWFUL that was?

You mean dodgy daves dad?