The Justification of Leni Robredo

Remember when Leni Robredo was the drug czar for a brief 3 weeks?  Remember when Robreo said she wanted to talk to the US embassy and the UN and other agencies in order to help coordinate with the drug war? Remember then how Duterte warned her to watch out or else she could be charged with treason for revealing "state secrets"?  Remember how the whole of DDS latched on to that poisonous insinuation that Robredo might be a traitor because of sharing "state secrets" with foreign countries? 

All these people have been proven to be fools because the United States embassy has recently released a fact sheet detailing cooperation with the Philippines in the drug war. It will do good to publish the entire fact sheet here.

https://ph.usembassy.gov/fact-sheet-us-anti-narcotics-cooperation-with-the-philippines/

The United States has partnered with Philippine government agencies and law enforcement officials for many years to reduce drug demand, provide training on anti-narcotics techniques, and enhance the criminal justice sector’s ability to handle drug cases. 

Support for Drug Demand Reduction 

• Since 2017, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs has budgeted more than $5,250,000 (Php 266,700,000) for drug demand reduction programs in the Philippines. These programs reduce substance abuse through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and policy development.

• USAID’s $15,000,000 (Php 762,000,000), five-year, RenewHealth: Expanding Access to Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation project works in partnership with Philippine government agencies and communities to improve the quality of community-based drug rehabilitation and recovery (CBDR) and reduce drug dependence. RenewHealth will enable healthy behaviors and demand for CBDR services; enhance the quality of CBDR services; and strengthen the policies and systems for sustainable CBDR service delivery.

• USAID’s $100,000 (Php 5,080,000) Zones of Positive Change program creates safer spaces in Metro Manila for people who use drugs, through a comprehensive community rehabilitation program based on respect for human rights and harm reduction.

Anti-Narcotics and Law Enforcement Training 

• The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Manila Country Office provides training on a range of narcotics-related topics: drug interdiction, evidence processing, interview techniques, chemical diversion investigations, clandestine laboratory investigations, and other specialized narcotics-related topics.

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation, through its Legal Attaché in Manila, regularly shares knowledge and capabilities, and provides training on a range of law enforcement best practices, including interviewing techniques, evidence collection, and leadership training.

• The United States collaborated with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in 2013 to establish the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA-IADITG).  Since its inception, the NAIA-IADITG has successfully deterred, prevented, and apprehended a range of narcotics shipments to transnational criminal drug trafficking organizations and their affiliates operating in the Philippines.

• The Department of Justice, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training conducts regular trainings with prosecutors and investigators on the rule of law.  These trainings and roundtables cover investigative techniques, effective ways to build criminal investigations while protecting human rights, and handling of cases in court.

International Engagement 

• The U.S. government, through the Drug Enforcement Administration, also hosts and invites its Philippine law Enforcement partners to the International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) annually. IDEC is a global forum that provides an opportunity for senior drug law enforcement officials to meet, deliberate, and determine the most effective strategies to attack and defeat criminal drug trafficking organizations.

• The U.S. Embassy has supported the travel of Philippine delegates participating in demand reduction conferences, such as the annual International Society for Substance Use Professionals conference and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Training Institute.  These international conferences expose senior government officials to international standards in both prevention and treatment.

Look at bullet point number 1. Money given to the Philippines from the USA helps with POLICY DEVELOPMENT!! You can't get more meddling than that! In what way exactly is the USA helping to shape the drug war policy in the Philippines? Would be interesting to know for sure.

USAID is also contributing to the Philippines drug war! Don't forget that USAID is a CIA front! Don't tell Thinking Pinoy or he might have a heart attack.  Imagine the government receiving USAID money! I wrote about NGO's receiving USAID money before. Read about it here. 

How about the PDEA and the USA collaborating to establish Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group?  What does the PDEA have to say about this?

Cacdac thanked the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (US-DEA) and the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force-West (JIATF-W) for their support to the project through funding the establishment of the CRK-Operations Center, equipment provision and trainings. 

“The CRK-IADITG is a collaboration that will demonstrate once again closer working relationship among its member-agencies with interrelated mandates concerned with the safety and security of the country’s airports from illegal drugs,” Cacdac noted.

http://pdea.gov.ph/10-news/57-pdea-leads-drug-interdiction-task-group-at-clark-international-airport

Right on their website the PDEA thanks the US DEA for helping them out in the drug war for providing funding for the CRK-Operations Centre at Clark airport! That is not NAIA!  That means the US has been helping out in more than one airport!!

Here is some news from 2016 when Dutere was president!

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Office at the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines received information that a traveler aboard an incoming international flight from Togo, transiting Addis Ababa, was suspected to be carrying contraband. DEA shared this tip with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group (NAIA IADITG), a task force led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Upon arrival of the flight, the NAIA IADITG identified the Malaysian passenger, and the Philippine Bureau of Customs discovered approximately 4.6 kilograms of cocaine pellets in his luggage. The subject was arrested. 

The NAIA IADITG is a multi-agency task force led by PDEA that was established in a cooperative effort between the Philippine government and DEA. The task force receives training, equipment, and infrastructure support from the U.S. government.

https://ph.usembassy.gov/us-philippine-cooperation-leads-counternarcotics-arrest-naia/

The task force received training, equipment, and infrastructure support from the U.S. government.  And yet Leni might be a traitor for going to the US embassy for help in the drug war. How ridiculous is that??  Did the media ever report on the US's involvement in the establishment of the NAIA IADITG?  Here is a news story from 2013.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday inaugurated an inter-agency anti-drugs operation center at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport complex, Terminal 3. 

PDEA said the center shall serve as an operations, coordination and administrative hub of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group.
PDEA director general Arturo Cacdac Jr. said the inauguration and turn-over ceremonies was attended by US Ambassador to the Philippines HarryK Thomas Jr., who was also the guest of honor of the event. 

The ceremonies were also witnessed by heads and key officials of member-agencies of the NAIA-IADITG. 

Known as the NAIA-IADITG Operations Center, the center is created following a memorandum of agreement signed by PDEA, the Manila International Airport Authority, Office for Transportation Security, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice-National Prosecution Service, Bureau of Customs, Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force, Bureau of Immigration, and the PNP Aviation Security Group, on Sept. 29, 2011.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/04/19/932549/anti-drugs-ops-center-opens-naia

Why was the US Ambassador to the Philippines a guest of honour? Philstar does not tell us but now we know it is because the USA helped establish this task force. Just look at all the Philippine law enforcement organisations participating in this task force.  They are all working in tandem with the US.

During the brief time that Leni was the drug czar not a single government official made a peep about the collaboration between the USA and the Philippines in the drug war. Instead Duterte poisoned Leni in front of the whole nation by indicating she might be guilty of treason for revealing state secrets and he called her stupid for going to the Americans and not the barangay captains.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/715651/duterte-threatens-to-fire-robredo-if-she-reveals-state-secrets/story/

Duterte, in an exclusive interview with GMA News' Marisol Abdurahman on Balitanghali Weekend, made the pronouncement when asked regarding Robredo's meeting with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), community-based advocacy groups and U.S. Embassy officials to discuss the drug problem in the country. 

"There's a limit to that. I know that she's a lawyer and she has other advisers... There are certain matters that should be kept with the government, that classified matters cannot be shared. Once [she does] that, she's out, I would fire her. Because you jeopardized the security of the state," Duterte said.

This would have been an opportune time to inform the nation that the USA and the Philippines are partners in the drug war and have been so for years.  But he did not do that? Why not?  What did he do after he fired her?  He publicly insulted her.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/717181/robredo-made-an-a-hole-of-herself-as-icad-chair-says-duterte/story/

“Instead of talking to the law enforcement, instead of talking to the barangay captains, instead of talking to itong mga taong handling the rehabilitation, she made an asshole of herself,” Duterte told reporters in Malacañang.

Again instead of acknowledging that the USA collaborates with the Philippines in the war on drugs he chose to ignore this fact and insulted her. Does he not know the PDEA and the USA collaborate?  Does PDEA head Aquino not know this? Is there anyone in the government that knows this fact? Why did no one mention it? Why did it take the US embassy to quietly release this fact sheet to set the record straight? 

The damage has already been done.  All across social media Leni was maligned by DDS as a potential traitor.

I never thought there was anything funny about Leni going to see the US embassy because the US is close partners with the Philippines in the war on terror among so many other things. On this blog I have written many times about Operation Pacific Eagle. The USA is an important ally and partner with the Philippines. The most recent SWS survey says Filipinos think it is more important to cultivate ties with the USA than with China.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/12/7/us-china-philippines-relationship-sws.html

Whatever the validity of this survey it is indisputable that behind the scenes Duterte has continued the tradition of courting the USA in matters of national security. From Operation Pacific Eagle to the signing of the EDCA pact to the Marawi siege.

The USA has always been intimately involved in the affairs of the Philippines. That is a fact that continues to the present day. Why won't Duterte admit this? More importantly why can't his supporters see through his lying rhetoric?

Retards in the Government 131

It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/28/19/duterte-says-robredo-made-an-aole-of-herself-in-anti-drug-stint

An irate President Rodrigo Duterte slammed Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday over her brief stint in his drug war, saying she only made an "a***ole" of herself. 

The President criticized Robredo's actions during her 18 days as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) from which he fired her last Sunday. It was Duterte who gave Robredo the assignment.  

"She made an a***ole of herself," Duterte said.

Robredo took Duterte's offer, was formulating a plan on how to go about doing the job, was fired because Duterte said he did not trust her and she is the asshole? Now that is what I call gas lighting! 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/717186/duterte-yet-to-find-honest-man-to-serve-as-pnp-chief/story/

President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to choose the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), adding that the PNP had a lot to improve on. 

And if he could not find the right person to lead the national police, Duterte said he might just do it on his own. 

“Unless I think that I see the very best guy there, you show me. Kayong mga pulis, tell me who is the best... Just give me an honest man, period,” Duterte told reporters in Malacañang. 

"Even a single case of corruption, wala ka na. I would rather not appoint anybody for that matter. Ako na ang hahawak. I will be the one directing," he added. 

"Guidance and direction lang naman ako. But that is in the event I couldn’t find somebody I can trust," Duterte said.

Duterte might have to lower his standards in order to appoint a new PNP Chief. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1195968/ex-village-chief-slain-in-cagayan-province

Unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants on Thursday shot dead a former village chief in Santa Ana town, Cagayan province. 

Police Major Stanley Banan, Santa Ana police chief, said Dionilo Romero Poblete, 57, of Barangay Patunungan, was also riding a motorcycle and was heading home when he was attacked by the gunmen. 

Poblete suffered bullet wounds from a .45-caliber pistol and died on the spot, Banan said. 

Investigators recovered from the crime scene two spent shells and P272,500 cash inside Poblete’s bag.

Another LGU official, ex-LGU official, shot dead. Certainly it was political or else the killers would not have left behind P272,500 in cash.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/272624/4th-family-member-killed-daughter-of-slain-ex-village-chief-of-bohol-shot-dead-inside-home-in-cebu-city

The case of the 40-year-old woman who was shot dead inside her home at Block 3 Missionaries, Barangay Suba, Cebu City at around 12:30 a.m. Friday, November 29, 2019, is not one that maybe solved immediately. 

This is because Vicenta Abaño, the victim, is not the first in her family to have been killed in such a manner. 

Personal grudge  against her family stands out a possible motive, as she is the fourth member of her family who met a violent death in a span of five months, according to Police Corporal Carlo Irizari. 

Her father, Alejandro Abaño, former captain of Barangay Jagoliao, an island-village of Getafe, Bohol, and a relative, were the first and the second victims. Her younger brother, Ninolito Abaño, was the third. 

Her father and relative were shot by two men who barged into their home in Barangay Jagoliao at around 4 a.m. last June 28. 

The same execution-style killing also befell on her younger brother who was shot by two assailants inside his auto repair shop in Barangay Pahina San Nicolas, Cebu City last July 19. 

Police were also looking into the killing as drug-related because of the claim of some neighbors of Vicenta that she was allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, revealed Irizari.

The police might think this is a drug related killing but it seems this family is being picked off one by one just like the Kennedy's!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1195884/bong-go-suggests-making-tickets-for-most-sea-games-events-available-to-public-for-free

In an ambush interview on Thursday, November 28, Go said that he has suggested to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, also the chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), to make tickets for SEA Games activities accessible to the public for free, subject to their availability and set mechanics. 

Go emphasized that the goal is to make the games more accessible for the Filipino people, including the much-anticipated closing ceremony on December 11 to be held at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium. 

The senator clarified, however, that the government cannot provide free tickets for some sporting events, such as basketball, football and volleyball, as these sports will either be held in private venues or paid tickets are almost sold out. 

Upon consultation with PHISGOC after the interview, Senator Go said that the organizing committee is amenable with the suggestion and will make available to the public, free of charge and subject to availability, the tickets for all the sporting events in the various competition venues, except those for basketball, volleyball and football. 

He added that the President is pushing to make the tickets free, saying “If allowed… alam nyo kilala ko si Pangulo gusto n’ya libre.” Go recalled that during such events in Davao City, like sportsfests and other athletic competitions, then Mayor Duterte would always push that such activities be made accessible to the public for free.

If tickets are given away then how will the government make any money? How will they be able to repay the P11 billion loan from Malaysia? It's a very bad idea.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/28/19/duterte-wants-military-to-handle-sea-games-logistics-next-time

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the military would be better off handling logistics of the Southeast Asian Games next time following complaints from delegates ahead of the event's formal opening. 

Duterte said the military are better organizers as he expressed his dismay over transportation and accommodation woes encountered by foreign participants. 

"Itong mga ganito (These things) should be handled by the military. They are better organizers," he told reporters in Malacañang. 

"Kaya next time itong mga ganun (Next time we host), the military will handle it kasi ang (because the) military is structural," the President added. 

Malacañang earlier said President Duterte is "not pleased" with reported snafus in relation to the hosting of the Games and would launch an investigation into irregularities related to it. 

The President explained that he wants to find out how the budget for the hosting of the Games was spent given that there were reported flaws. 

"To me, personally, there was a lot of money poured into this activity now and I suppose that with that kind of money you can run things smoothly. Apparently, mayroong mga palpak (there were lapses)," he said. 

"If that is the money there, what happened to the money?" he added. 

Duterte, however, said House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who heads the organizing committee, could not have been involved in corruption pending the probe. 

A few things here. First the Philippines won't be hosting the SEA Games for a long while and it is simply not the military's job to put it all together.  Second Duterte admits there have been snafus and wants to know just what happened which is contrary to all the DDS types on social media calling any reportage of snafus "fake news." Thirdly even before an investigation and when he has said there are no sacred cows Duterte has already cleared Cayetano of any blame. In fact Duterte's proposed investigation is already tainted by the way he is planning to run it.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1195852/seag-mess-duterte-sure-alan-not-involved-in-corruption

Mr. Duterte said he would not be investigating Cayetano, but others who were delegated tasks by the Speaker. 

The President said he would tap people who retired from the Commission on Audit, lawyers, prosecutors and his fraternity brothers to conduct the investigation. 

Mr. Duterte exonerated Cayetano on the same day that presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said no one would be spared from the government probe even the President’s known allies, such as Cayetano. 

“There is no sacred cow in this government,” Panelo said. “We’ve been repeatedly saying that those who transgress the law will be accountable.”

What need is there to have his fraternity brothers on the investigation team? Sounds biased from the start. But Duterte has surrounded himself with his frat bros from the beginning including men such as former DOJ Secretary Aguirre.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/18/1969873/commuters-told-pray-rosary-multitask-fight-stress-during-traffic-jams

Health Secretary Francisco Duque on Monday gave tips on how commuters and motorists can keep themselves busy while traveling on congested roads. 

“Say the rosary. It would take about 15 to 30 minutes. Don’t rush the prayer, then you contemplate, then you meditate after that. That way you will feel more relaxed,” Duque said in an interview on GMA News’ "Balitanghali." 

Aside from praying the rosary, Duque also suggested that motorists and commuters should multitask. 

(Make your vehicle your mobile office, transact business using your iPhone, iPad, laptop)
(Just watch Netflix on your laptop or watch anything on YouTube so that you’d be entertained) 

Duque reminded the public that anger may lead to high blood pressure and risks heart problems. 

The Metro Manila Development Authority earlier warned residents and workers of heavier traffic during the holiday season. Meanwhile, Google-owned navigation app, Waze, earlier said Manila remains as the world’s worst city for drivers.

Saying the rosary out loud or silently is one thing but watching Netflix on your laptop and turing your car into a mobile office is absolutely stupid and dangerous because it diverts your attention from the road and makes traffic even worse. If you are in a jeepney only a fool would mess with their laptop. It's an invitation to steal.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1196108/duterte-to-robredo-dont-run-for-president-you-know-nothing

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday gave his unsolicited advice to Vice President Leni Robredo: Do not run for president, you know nothing. 

He even warned that the country won’t be in good hands if Robredo becomes the nation’s top leader. 

(Don’t run for president, you know really nothing.) 

(You’re in for a disaster if Leni Robredo is elected…just try.)

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1196234/i-fired-robredo-in-my-mind-as-early-as-day-1-duterte

“I fired her in my mind. Noon pa. First day pa lang nung sabi niya punta siya sa U.S. Embassy.” 

President Rodrigo Duterte said this Friday night, days after he fired Vice President Leni Robredo as co-chairperson of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

Duterte has been hurling a torrent of insults at Robredo ever since he fired her from the ICAD. At least now he has confirmed that Robredo never had a chance because he did not want her there from day one.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1196380/duterte-threatens-to-kill-illegal-recruiters

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday threatened to kill anyone who would engage in illegal recruitment. 

[I am telling you, you illegal recruiters, don’t get into that. If my patience runs out, I will simply kill you.] 

Duterte added that he would go after illegal recruiters with the same intensity as illegal drug dealers. 

“There are so many vultures [in this] illegal recruitment and one of these days I will raise you to the level of a drug problem and I will take care of you,” he said. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/30/1973139/duterte-dumping-bodies-remark-only-meant-scare-drug-lords

President Rodrigo Duterte clarified his earlier remark that he dumped bodies of drug lords in Manila Bay and Laguna Lake. 

“Tinatakot lang kita para huwag na lang sana (I just scare you to prevent the actual act)...I will scare you, or would you rather that I will not scare you? I just kill you already,” Duterte told CNN Philippines in a Friday evening interview. 

The president also said it’s just his manner of speaking and that he would not change it.  

(My mouth is foul. Definitely…But when I’m mad, I will not you know, I will not change my whole being.) 

“It's not just my penchant to use cuss words. Ugali... Ano ko na ito, part of my being.”
(Attitude... That’s just me, it’s part of my being.)

More empty and violent rhetoric coming from Duterte because that just how he is. Nothing new here.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087414

The city government here is set to clear one-third of the city’s controlled dumpsite, specifically tons of garbage some 15 meters away from the beach, as part of its intensified waste management in 2020.

In an interview on Wednesday, Mayor Marc Brian Lim said they have increased the fund of the city’s Waste Management Division (WMD) for next year.

“The dumpsite is now controlled. We wanted to remove one-third of it because its distance to the beach is already alarming. We increased WMD’s funding next year. They will have a little bit of budget to spare to clean the dumpsite,” he said.

He added the WMD has been earmarked a PHP57-million budget to procure heavy equipment and to dispose of the dump to be removed from the area to a sanitary landfill.

“Part of the budget (is) for sanitary landfill and it will undergo a bidding process,” Lim said.

There is a dumpsite a mere 15 meters away from the ocean and they only want to remove 1/3 of it? That is crazy. They should move the whole thing!

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087521

The municipal government here will soon start cracking the whip on business establishments and individuals who would defy the ban on the use of plastics based on the local ordinance passed 10 years ago. 

The local government has stepped up its campaign on non-biodegradables as it struggles with the rising volume of plastic wastes. 

Mayor Augusto Manuel Ragragio in a meeting at the municipal hall said the sale and use of “sando bags” will be strictly prohibited as embodied in Municipal Ordinance No. 05-2009 which prohibits the use of plastic wrappers, plastic bags and Styrofoam. 

Ragragio on Friday told the attendees composed mainly of business owners and barangay officials that they would start strict implementation of the ordinance by January especially on the sale of plastic bags which are widely used in the market, groceries and stores.

A whole decade has passed and this LGU has not enforced its own ordinance. Do they really expect it to go into force next month? Will businesses suddenly comply with a law they have neglected for a whole decade? 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1196924/police-officer-shot-dead-in-laguna-2

A police officer was shot and killed Sunday night near the regional police headquarters in Calamba City in Laguna province. 

The victim Lt. Ramil Gonzalez had just left the police Officers’ Basic Course training at the Camp Vicente Lim when he was killed. 

According to a police report from Calamba City, Gonzalez left the camp around 8:30 p.m. Sunday when he was shot by a still unidentified gunman in front of a food stall in Barangay (village) Mayapa.

Another policeman shot dead. Nothing new here.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1197327/husband-of-pangasinan-mayor-slain-in-gun-attack

The husband of Mayor Susan Casareno was gunned down after attending a wake here at dawn on Tuesday, police said. 

Reynaldo Casareno, 56 , the barangay chairman of Tomana East, died from gunshot wounds in his head and body. 

Witnesses said the victim was about to enter his house when the unidentified assailants shot him about 1 a.m.

Another barangay chairman shot dead. Nothing new here.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/12/03/sandiganbayan-convicts-ex-masbate-town-mayor-of-malversation/

Former Milagros Mayor Bernardito Asibuque Abapo of Masbate has been convicted by the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division of his malversation charge and was sentenced to a maximum of 20 years imprisonment and pay a fine for his failure to liquidate cash advances amounting to P26.5 million. 

From January 2002 to December 2004, Abapo had in his possession and custody public funds worth P26,509,594.04, representing his cash advances which he was accountable to liquidate. But despite demands from the Commission on Audit (COA) of Masbate City for him to liquidate it, he failed to do so.

Another ex-Mayor convicted of malversation of funds.  To the tune of P26.5 million! Nothing new here.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1197788/ill-see-to-it-that-youre-out-president-tells-abs-cbn

“Your franchise will end next year. If you are expecting that it will be renewed, I’m sorry. You’re out. I will see to it that you’re out,” he said, addressing ABS-CBN. 

Since he took office, Duterte has repeatedly threatened ABS-CBN’s franchise because the network allegedly ran a negative ad against him when he campaigned for President in 2016 and for refusing to air his own propaganda. 

“There were several of us candidates from whom you took money but never aired our propaganda. Me, Chiz Escudero, all of us,” he said in Malacañang at the oathtaking of the executive committee of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines. 

On the other hand, he said the network aired the ad of one of his sharpest critics, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, that portrayed children allegedly in violation of the election law.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1197915/cayetano-we-have-enough-time-to-tackle-abs-cbn-franchise-next-year

“Walang hearing sa December 10, walang hearing (There will be no hearing on December 10, there will be no hearing) for the year,” Alvarez said. 

The chamber would go on a Christmas break from Dec. 21 until Jan. 19. 

“I reiterate that Congress would be fair, will always have a fair hearing. Alam naman ito din ng management ng ABS-CBN na uunahin namin ang budget atsaka mga revenue bills,” Cayetano said in an interview. 

(I reiterate that Congress would be fair, will always have a fair hearing. ABS-CBN management knows this also that we will prioritize the budget and revenue bills.) 

“Pero we have more than enough time to tackle it in January, February dahil March pa naman ‘yung expiration ng franchise,” he added. 

(But we have more than enough time to tackle it in January, February because the expiration of the franchise will still be in March.)

Duterte and Cayetano are determined to play a game of chicken with ABS-CBN and out thousands of jobs and lives at risk over a perceived slight during the 2016 election. Cayetano is also reneging on his promise to hold hearings by the years end.

Jeepney Art 26

I have not posted one of these compilations in quite a while. Let's take a look at some of the art pieces driving up and down the roads.

Duterte's Contradictory Statements About His Drug War

Make no mistake the drug war is the defining policy of Duterte's presidency. It's not that there was no war on drugs before Duterte. The PDEA was formed in 2002 with the task of combating the illegal drug problem. The Dangerous Drug Board or DDB was founded in 1971 with the same task as the PDEA, combating illegal drugs. Contrary to what disinfo agents would have the people believe large amounts of shabu were seized during the Aquino and previous administrations. The point is the Philippines has always been at war against illegal drugs. 

What separates Duterte from past presidents is his violent rhetoric against users and dealers and the actual violence which follows. Thousands have been killed all because Duterte has directed the PNP to do so with the promise of protection. Of course those same disinfo agents would howl at that statement and say there is no correlation between Duterte's words and the real world violence which follows his pronouncements.

Maybe they are right. At any rate Duterte's rhetoric about his drug war is so confusing that nothing he says can be taken at face value. Recently Duterte has said his drug war is not a failure.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1087511

The national government's crackdown on illegal drugs is not a failure, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday. 

The President said it was "stupid" to claim that his anti-narcotics campaign is a failure, stressing that his fight against illicit drug sale is a "never-ending war." 

"Anong palpak? Kailan naging palpak? Kayo ang palpak (What do you mean failure? When did it become a failure? The failure is you)," Duterte said in an exclusive interview with CNN. 

"All stupid remarks coming out from an empty head. Anong palpak (How does it become a failure)? The war on drugs is a continuing one in all countries, even in America. You know that. Do not pretend. If you are not stupid, do not pretend to be stupid. Alam ninyo iyan (You know that). It is a never-ending war," he said.

When did the drug war become a failure? Good question. I will let Duterte answer that.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/04/03/news/latest-stories/duterte-drug-war-in-ph-failed/534895/534895/

Rather than quote from this article I will quote from the speech on which this article is based.

Kaya unang-una ‘yang droga. It’s swallowing the country. Mababasa mo everyday, everyday ‘yang crawler ng lahat ng networks TV, meron talaga ‘yan droga bilyon, bilyon. Noon titingi-tingi lang by the thousands. Ang droga hindi ko nga makontrol, p***** i** pinapatay ko na ang mga hindot na ‘yan.[cheers]Nandiyan pa rin ‘yung droga. Mas lalo tuloy tumindi. Kaya ang tanong naman ng mga ibang opisyal, ito ba’y tagumpay?  

Now sabihin ko sa inyo hindi because worldwide ‘yan. It’s a worldwide problem ngayon ang droga pati China, Taiwan; at marami na ang tinamaan. Kaya itong isang siyudad ‘pagka pumayag ang mayor pati pulis, patay na. Kasi kung ayaw ng mayor, ayaw ng chief of police, walang droga.

That roughly translates to:

So first the drug. It's swallowing the country. You can read everyday, every day the crawler of all TV networks, there are actually billions, billions. At that time only by the thousands. The drug is out of my control, p ***** i ** I'm killing the damn thing. So much the more. 

So the other officials ask, is this a success? Now I tell you not because it's worldwide. It's a worldwide problem today as well as China, Taiwan; and many were hit. So it was a city 'when the mayor and police agreed, they were dead. Because if the mayor doesn't want it, the police chief doesn't want it, no drugs.

https://pcoo.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/20190402-SPEECH-OF-PRESIDENT-RODRIGO-ROA-DUTERTE-DURING-HIS-ATTENDANCE-TO-THE-PARTIDO-DEMOKRATIKO-PILIPINO-LAKAS-NG-BAYAN-PDP-LABAN-CAMPAIGN-RALLY.pdf

Right there he says the drug war is not a success and that drugs are swallowing the country. There you have it. The drug war is a failure.  So much so that during a speech Duterte gave in February he proclaimed that 7-8 million people are now on drugs. 

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/02/24/7-8-million-filipinos-enslaved-by-drugs-duterte/

Again this is an article based on a speech and it will be best to quote from the speech.

I’d place it about seven to eight million now. Now tell me. There are seven to eight million Filipinos reduced to slaves to a drug called shabu. Seven to eight million lost souls.

https://pcoo.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/20190224-Speech-of-President-Rodrigo-Roa-Duterte-during-the-Partido-Demokratiko-Pilipino-Lakas-ng-Bayan-PDP-Laban-Laguna-Campaign-Rally.pdf

This figure contradicts his previous pronouncement of 4 million and shows an incredible growth in the number of addicts. If the number of addicts has increased then how can the drug war be considered a success by any means?  The PNP, the PDEA, and the NBI even agreed with Duterte that 7-8 million Filipinos had become addicted to drugs.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/02/28/1897470/pnp-pdea-nbi-agree-dutertes-estimate-8m-drug-users-has-basis

Agencies involved in the government's campaign against illegal drugs believe President Rodrigo Duterte "has basis" to say that there are now seven to eight million drug users in the Philippines, up from 4 million claimed in 2017. 

The figure of four million was itself higher than an estimate by the policy-making Dangerous Drugs Board of 1.7 million users based on its survey. 

Senior Superintendent Bernard Banac, Philippine National Police spokesperson, said Thursday at the "Real Numbers" press briefing that the president "has wide access of information and unlimited sources of intelligence," which, he said makes the PNP inclined to say there is basis for the estimate. 

On Wednesday, Director General Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief, said that the police do not have a verified number of drug users in the Philippines, stressing that "an estimate is just an estimate."

The president has access to information the PNP does not. The makes total sense. In February the PNP may have had no verified number of drug users but by October they had something close to that.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1183440/pnp-records-1-5-million-drug-users-in-3-year-drug-war

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said 1.5 million drug users have been “accounted for” since the start of the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign in 2016. 

This is different from President Rodrigo Duterte’s estimate of 7 to 8 million drug users. 

“We have accounted for 1.5 million drug users for the last three years,” PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac told ABS-CBN News Channel on Wednesday when asked about PNP’s records on drug users. 

Banac said their records were based on the drug users who “users voluntarily surrendered and made themselves accounted for.” 

Asked if Duterte was misinformed, Banac said the President may have a wide source of information. 

“Well we can always say that because the President has wide source of information so when he makes that estimate there could be a basis on that,” Banac said.

1.5 million is a far cry from 7-8 million and very close to the DDB's estimate of 1.7 million back in 2016.  Of course the PNP will never say publicly that Duterte is misinformed. He would immediately dismiss the person who said such a thing. And it's not true either. Duterte is not misinformed. He is bloviating, pontificating, taking just to talk, blowing a lot of hot air. And he admits that is just how he is.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/30/1973139/duterte-dumping-bodies-remark-only-meant-scare-drug-lords

President Rodrigo Duterte clarified his earlier remark that he dumped bodies of drug lords in Manila Bay and Laguna Lake. 

“Tinatakot lang kita para huwag na lang sana (I just scare you to prevent the actual act)...I will scare you, or would you rather that I will not scare you? I just kill you already,” Duterte told CNN Philippines in a Friday evening interview. 

The president also said it’s just his manner of speaking and that he would not change it.  

(My mouth is foul. Definitely…But when I’m mad, I will not you know, I will not change my whole being.) 

“It's not just my penchant to use cuss words. Ugali... Ano ko na ito, part of my being.”
(Attitude... That’s just me, it’s part of my being.)

In his castigating of Robredo Duterte says the drug war is a never ending war. Presumably that would mean the drug war will never end. And if the drug war will never end there will always be drug lords.  Why then does Duterte insist that the next PNP Chief must guarantee he will eliminate all the drug lords?

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/273409/duterte-wants-next-pnp-chief-to-guarantee-end-to-drug-lords

The President said recommendations were not enough for him to name the next PNP chief, and that he wanted a guarantee that all drug lords would be killed to end the scourge of illegal drugs.

“I mean they’re all good, but I want a better deal. It’s not enough that you recommend to me. If you tell me, ‘sir, if you choose me, all the drug lords are dead,’ then it’s you. If you cannot give me that guarantee, never mind,” he added.

Why would Duterte require this guarantee when he has already said the drug war is not winnable?

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/08/12/Duterte-war-on-drugs-cant-control-drug-problem.html

"Hindi makaya nga ng iba, tayo pa kaya? Iyong drugs na iyan (Others can't do it. How can we? Those drugs), we can't control it," Duterte said.

Interestingly enough the transcript of this speech on the PCOO website leads to a 404 error page. If Duterte says drugs cannot be controlled and if he calls his drug war not a success how can he expect the next PNP Chief to eliminate all the drug lords?

I am sure I could go on and on posting contradictions Duterte has made about his drug war but these will suffice for now. Why does Duterte constantly make so many contradictions when he talks about the drug war? I think it's because there is no firm policy in place except to kill drug users and dealers. That is what he has said over and over in speech after speech and one is forced to take a hard look at his words and the violence which follows.