OFFBEAT MAIL

Feisty Philippine President Rody "Digong" Duterte just kept mum Former DDS hitman Edgar Matobato answers questions at the Senate public hearing. on the allegations of a former member of the Davao Death Squad  (DDS) that he ordered the killing of at least 1000 victims while Duterte served as mayor of Davao City. His silence on the accusations of a certain Edgar Matobato, a former DDS hitman who got his wages as part of the ghost employees of the Davao City hall,  can be misconstrued as a kind of recollection if he indeed was involved in such killings?  Unlike in the previous occasions, President Duterte has a habit of cursing and mouthing bad words when confronted in public, a trademark which no longer surprise a lot of his supporters and cabinet officials. "That's his character," one of the cabinet officials said. Or it could be that President Duterte is thinking something else? With Koko Pimentel's denial of providing protective c...

Philippine President Rody Duterte has warned the Supreme Court that he would declare Martial Law if it gets in his way. President Duterte's tirade emanated from the recent wranglings that involved certain judges who were linked to the distribution of illegal drugs in the Philippines. The names of the judges surfaced when Duterte read a list in public, along with some local government officials, policemen, and judges were mentioned there. The fiesty president ordered those whose names appeared on the list to present themselves within 24 hours to the Director-General of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame. But the President Duterte's announcement didn't bode well with SC Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who argued that the erring judges are under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, and not by the Executive Branch of government. In short, Sereno wanted the erring judges to be investigated by the Supreme Court instead of the police. Prior to this, local...

What a sad news to read that newly elected Philippines' President Rody Duterte was quoted by The Washington Post to have ordered the killing of "drug addicts", a departure from his earlier statements which ordered civilians and the police to only "kill drug lords and pushers" if they resist arrest or they fight back. President Rody Duterte hands over saber to the newly installed AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya. Outgoing Chief of Staff Gen. Glorioso Miranda looks on. Photo: M. Pascua, PCOO, PNA In fact, President Duterte even urged members of the military to help the law enforcers contain the spread of illegal drugs and arrest those drug dealers who are destroying the future of the young generation and the Philippine society in general. Duterte made this call during a turnover rites at the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. In the Martial Law years, the late President Ferdinand Marcos had appr...