Debate the details all you want, fact is, power corrupts, and absolute power, corrupts absolutely. Sadly, the human condition requires that many of us must learn this lesson over and over, forever.
State of the Philippene's
- Thread starter chemrvos1972
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From what I know of most pool players, if he turned out to be a "politician", somebody is probably "in the middle"...if you know what I mean.
Well said.
I will pontificate a little more since it seems to please you so much. The Philippine people are some of the warmest, most welcoming people you will find anywhere on planet Earth (and yes, I've been to a lot of places!). They are typically joyful and happy in their daily lives and laughter is their common denominator. Walk through the malls and visit the stores and you will observe playful behavior by the employees. Foreigner or not, they will smile at you and greet you warmly.
They are quick to offer help and render aid if need be. Filipinos are a polite, considerate people and a pleasure for me to be around. True, there are some bad guys, but we can find them anywhere we go. I have so far had no trouble avoiding them in my many travels there. Overall, I find the Philippines to be much safer than most American cities, large or small. The more friendly environment over there is a big plus for me.
I do agree that their politics is rife with corruption, but by appearances Duterte is doing his best to clean it up. He is draining the swamp of the most corrupt of the bunch. Their political system is a model of ours, with a Congress, a court system and a President. It remains to be seen what will happen in the next election, but it's very doubtful given his popularity that Duterte will not get re-elected.
Now make that ugly face of yours and do your best to tear me down.
I don't know Jay. I have respect for your views and know this is all close to home
--and I actually know quite little about the Philippines-- Imelda's shoes Duterte's extrajudicial killings.... whatever...
I don't doubt your description of the people, and it is possible Duterte's approach is effective. But there is a reason we should see it as not OK. His approach HAPPENS to align with an outcome you favor. But it doesn't have to. The same approach could be motivated by ethnic cleansing, for example. There is a reason civilized societies have rule of law.
Thanks Mike for your thoughtful response. It's true that Duterte's response to the drug epidemic in the Philippines is heavy handed and brutal, but that's how he cleaned up Davao (the third largest city in the PI) when it was rife with corruption and violent criminals. Basically he killed all the bad guys who didn't reform. Now Davao is the safest large city in the PI.
This is what he knows and what's worked for him before and the "people" (80% of the population) believe in him. How it will all end up remains to be seen. To clean up an entire country of corruption and criminal activity is a big undertaking and I'm not sure that even Duterte can accomplish this. He is a target for the oligarchs who control most of the wealth in the country currently.
I'm in the south of the Philippines right now.
Spent a week in Palawan last week.
I've been going out almost nightly and dining out in the open air restaurants my brother is a partner to.
Folks, I don't care what you hear . Here in Davao City, where Duterte was a former mayor, it's very peaceful. No traffic accidents even despite the chaotic flow of traffic here .
In Palawan, you'd be hard pressed to see one cop during the day. They have ALMOST ZERO crime rate. Yes, almost zer. Tons of Europeans backpack, snorkel and dive there. Some of them stay for MONTHS.
Davao City is safer than LA, I bet. No drive by shooting here that you hear of. No mass shootings that happen often in the states for sure .
Most of Mindanao is relatively safe. Just don't go to the heavily rebels infested areas down SW of Mindanao where they have an open sea to get away there.
Spent a week in Palawan last week.
I've been going out almost nightly and dining out in the open air restaurants my brother is a partner to.
Folks, I don't care what you hear . Here in Davao City, where Duterte was a former mayor, it's very peaceful. No traffic accidents even despite the chaotic flow of traffic here .
In Palawan, you'd be hard pressed to see one cop during the day. They have ALMOST ZERO crime rate. Yes, almost zer. Tons of Europeans backpack, snorkel and dive there. Some of them stay for MONTHS.
Davao City is safer than LA, I bet. No drive by shooting here that you hear of. No mass shootings that happen often in the states for sure .
Most of Mindanao is relatively safe. Just don't go to the heavily rebels infested areas down SW of Mindanao where they have an open sea to get away there.
I'm in Davao now as I posted earlier. Went out for breakfast this morning. Was mildly amused tons of motorcycles parked in a mini mall . Unlocked helmets everywhere . Nobody steals helmets here anymore.
Downtown business is slow around midnight now as you don't see that many druggies going out for munchies at midnight anymore.
Gen San is pretty safe too. They're gonna have a tournament there next week. Dennis's Surigao town is going to get busy this summer. They're gonna have direct flights from Manila, Cebu, Clark and Davao this summer . Great eating down there. Best seafood in the islands. Surigao is very peaceful. The people are extremely nice. Was there in 2016. Holy week is gonna be a huge week there. Airbnb places popping up all over.
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I am married to a Filipina for 21 years now. I ask why they were called Filipino not Philipino. Well the real native name of the country is Filipinas, from Rey Felipe of Spain. Since Philippines has no "F" in their alphabet, hence they spelled it as Pilipinas for the country and Pilipino for they natives, and also Pinoy is just a nickname for Pilipino so no derogatory or malice about the name.
Pangit
Banned
Due process is alive and well in the RP along with bounties under the outstanding leadership of the Hon. Rodrigo Duterte. He must be a front runner to be the next Secretary-General of the UN.
Manila, Philippines – The Philippine president offered a nearly $500 bounty for each communist rebel killed by government forces to save on anti-insurgency costs and said insurgents are easier to hit than birds because they have bigger heads.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest crass remarks, which the government issued to reporters late Wednesday, came after human rights groups condemned him this week for saying troops should shoot female communist guerrillas in the genitals to render them “useless.”
“You kill an NPA today and I’ll pay you 25,000” pesos, Duterte said in a speech at an air base in central Cebu city, referring to New People’s Army guerrillas.
“I was computing that if this drags on for four years … it’ll be very expensive because it’s war. If I’ll just pay 25,000 for a life, I can save about 47 percent,” he said to laughter from the crowd.
There was no elaboration on how he came up with those figures and whether or how the government would pay for claimed kills. Backing up his offer, the brash-talking president encouraged state forces to go for the kill.
“If you work really hard to crawl across the forest, you’ll surely be able to shoot even just one. If you can shoot a bird above you, then how much more an NPA whose head is so big?” Duterte said, again eliciting laughter from the crowd.
Regional rebel commander Jaime Padilla, who uses the nom de guerre Ka Diego, said Duterte wouldn’t scare the guerrillas into ending their uprising even if he offers a million pesos for each rebel killed because the rebellion has been fueled by deep social ills such as poverty for nearly a century.
“These are not remarks of a sane president,” Padilla said by telephone. “These are words of a thug or a goon, who reigns like a king in our country.”
He said the guerrillas remain open to resuming stalled talks with the administration despite the president’s “fascist” style.
Human Rights Watch said Duterte’s remarks encourage government forces to commit war crimes instead of instilling a culture of accountability in accordance with international law.
“Duterte’s pronouncements normalize the idea that government security forces can do as they wish to defeat their enemies, including committing summary executions and sexual violence,” said Carlos Conde of the U.S.-based rights group.
The volatile president turned up the rhetoric against the communist guerrillas after peace talks brokered by Norway collapsed last year when he protested continuing rebel attacks on government forces. When a rebel leader recently warned that the guerrillas could kill one soldier a day, Duterte countered by threatening to kill five rebels daily and offering to train tribesmen as militias and give them bounties to kill the insurgents.
Duterte is already under international criticism and facing a preliminary investigation by the International Criminal Court for thousands of deaths in the war on drugs he initiated after becoming president two years ago.
He lashed out at his critics and asked why the ICC was focusing on him when atrocities were occurring elsewhere.
“There are Rohingya who are being slaughtered, but they only chose to indict me. OK, you asked for it, let’s have a trial. I will cross-examine you,” said Duterte, a former state prosecutor, referring to Muslims fleeing from violence and persecution in Myanmar.
173 NPA rebels surrender to Armed Forces field units
Published December 14, 2017, 10:53 AM
By Mike Crismundo
CAMP BANCASI, Butuan City – Field units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have received more rebel surrenderees than attackers, according to the regional spokesperson and Public Affairs Office (PAO) chief of the Army’s 10th Infantry (Agila) Division (10th ID).
Capt. Jerry S. Lamosao, in a statement on Thursday ,said that some 173 members of NPA have surrendered to 10th ID through 1001st Infantry (Pag-asa) Brigade since July 1, 2017."
https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/12/14/173-npa-rebels-surrender-to-armed-forces-field-units/ Just look at them in full battle gear.
That's Duterte scaring the hell out of these rebels.
Published December 14, 2017, 10:53 AM
By Mike Crismundo
CAMP BANCASI, Butuan City – Field units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have received more rebel surrenderees than attackers, according to the regional spokesperson and Public Affairs Office (PAO) chief of the Army’s 10th Infantry (Agila) Division (10th ID).
Capt. Jerry S. Lamosao, in a statement on Thursday ,said that some 173 members of NPA have surrendered to 10th ID through 1001st Infantry (Pag-asa) Brigade since July 1, 2017."
https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/12/14/173-npa-rebels-surrender-to-armed-forces-field-units/ Just look at them in full battle gear.
That's Duterte scaring the hell out of these rebels.
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Pangit
Banned
So, Pang, how would you have handled the situation?
...or did you like it just the way it was?
Douglas MacArthur, General of the Army, was quoted paraphrased, " if he were a Pinoy, I might be a commie too ".
D. Mac spent a lot of time in the PI along with tons of folks in the US armed services.
There was that golden period of the " Army Navy Club " before the Japanese destroyed all the colonial charm of the old city of Manila.
D. Mac had the Japanese generals and admirals that did bad things in the PI pay the ultimate price. He never forgave them for setting fire to his extensive library.
D. Mac lived in his own special penthouse in the Manila Hotel. Ike was his right hand man.
Its one of the most dramatic stories in history. He was retired from being Chief of Staff of the US army and had taken over the leadership of the Philippine forces.
After an heroic defense of the Islands against the Japanese assault he was forced to leave. Then the US came back and reconquered the entire archipelago.
As many as 350,000 Japanese soldiers are buried in the PI. When I was there I went out to Corregidor and the boat I was on was filled with Japanese veterans and their wives. They were a very reticent group for sure.
D. Mac spent a lot of time in the PI along with tons of folks in the US armed services.
There was that golden period of the " Army Navy Club " before the Japanese destroyed all the colonial charm of the old city of Manila.
D. Mac had the Japanese generals and admirals that did bad things in the PI pay the ultimate price. He never forgave them for setting fire to his extensive library.
D. Mac lived in his own special penthouse in the Manila Hotel. Ike was his right hand man.
Its one of the most dramatic stories in history. He was retired from being Chief of Staff of the US army and had taken over the leadership of the Philippine forces.
After an heroic defense of the Islands against the Japanese assault he was forced to leave. Then the US came back and reconquered the entire archipelago.
As many as 350,000 Japanese soldiers are buried in the PI. When I was there I went out to Corregidor and the boat I was on was filled with Japanese veterans and their wives. They were a very reticent group for sure.
You can definitely tell that by reading the comments on NPR.
I'm going to mainland China via Hong Kong for my dayjob at the end of March. I might be able to piggy back a trip to the Philippines on the cheap from HK. If I go by myself, and walk around with a pool cue on my back, and only want to play pool, will I be kidnapped and held for random, or some other crazy stuff like that?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Stay up North and you'll be okay. Mindanao in the South is a very large island and about half of it (the Western side) can be extremely dangerous for foreigners. There is a U.S. travel advisory about visiting Mindanao. You would probably enjoy getting out of Manila and taking the bus to Angeles City, about two hours away. There are thousands of foreigners living there and every bar has a full sized 9' table and guys looking for a friendly game. You might even meet a nice filipina girl there. It can happen!
General Black Jack Pershing used to live on a massive coconut plantation in S. Mindanao. He was always resplendently attired in whip cord jodhpurs and cavalry boots. He was a cavalry soldier.
He fought the Moro tribesmen that were Muslim. This was in the very early 1900s.
The Moro tribesmen would tie off all their extremities with tourniquets and then attack infidels with their razor sharp kris swords.
American military personnel would shoot them with their .45 long or .38 caliber pistols and still be cut to ribbons.
This is the principal reason the .45 ACP round was developed to deal with these deadly situations.
Pershing tried to be as benevolent as he could but he was forced into a war with these Moro tribesman.
It didn't turn out to good for them as the retired to forts they had up in the hills. So many of the great generals and admirals in the 20th century in American history served in the Philippines.
Pershing's wife and three daughters were killed in the Presidio fire of 1915. He dated George Patton's sister for a while after his wife passed away.
He fought the Moro tribesmen that were Muslim. This was in the very early 1900s.
The Moro tribesmen would tie off all their extremities with tourniquets and then attack infidels with their razor sharp kris swords.
American military personnel would shoot them with their .45 long or .38 caliber pistols and still be cut to ribbons.
This is the principal reason the .45 ACP round was developed to deal with these deadly situations.
Pershing tried to be as benevolent as he could but he was forced into a war with these Moro tribesman.
It didn't turn out to good for them as the retired to forts they had up in the hills. So many of the great generals and admirals in the 20th century in American history served in the Philippines.
Pershing's wife and three daughters were killed in the Presidio fire of 1915. He dated George Patton's sister for a while after his wife passed away.
Several of my close friends are from PI. Several of my clients are from PI.
One of my clients is a PI doctor that I am training to qualify in the US. He comes to my office every day. I'll show him your post tomorrow.
In the mean time, your question seems to boil down to the fact that you smoke pot. Can you not smoke pot? If you can't or won't stop, that would seem to be an issue you might want to address personally rather than politically.
.
This one? Looks like it might have been rather nice: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johntewell/11285651165/
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Pangit
Banned
No, it's not nearly as crazy here as some people make it seem (including El Presidente.)
As a Kano (foreigner) you're not a threat to the current regime.
Walking around as a Kano with a pool cue on your back WILL make you an easy target for the local pool "hustlers" to take your money.
"8-balls", "9-balls" or what ever game you want to try. All with a smile on their face. Mabuhay. :grin-square: