State of emergency: ‘Rights unimpaired’ By Rey E. Requejo, Macon Araneta and Sandy Araneta THE public need not panic about President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of a national emergency following the bombing of a night market in Davao that killed 15 people and injured 70 others, the dean of the San Beda Graduate School of Law said Tuesday. “Our existing rights under the Constitution are not derogated or curtailed under a state of national emergency,” said Ranhilio Aquino, San Beda law dean. The safeguards set by law on human rights and civil liberties remain while the nation is under a state of national emergency, which allows the President to use military forces to curb heinous crimes such as terrorism.
VOL. XXX • NO. 207 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
Du30 rues ‘whore’ dig at Obama
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By John Paolo Bencito
V
IENTIANE— United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday called off his scheduled OBAMA meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit here, even as tensions continue to rise over China’s growing territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.
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Duterte expressed regret Tuesday after CALLAMARD GOLDBERG his obscenity-laden rant against the man whom he called “son of a whore” and the “most powerful man in the world,” but senior Palace officials once again insisted that the President was once “misinterpreted.” “While the immediate cause [of the meeting’s cancellation] was my strong comments to certain press questions that elicited concern and distress, we also regret it came across as a personal attack on the US president,” a statement released by Duterte said. The 71-year-old former prosecutor was referring to his remarks on Monday, when he warned he would not VIENTIANE, Laos—Philippine Presibe lectured by Obama over concerns about a brutal dent Rodrigo Duterte expressed regret war on the illegal drug trade that has claimed more Tuesday that his comments branding US Next page than 2,400 lives. leader Barack Obama a “son of a whore” came across as a personal attack. The insult on Monday was the latest offensive comment to raise questions about Duterte’s diplomatic skills, leading Obama to cancel a planned meeting with peace and progress, but Duterte Call for Consti- to acquire autonomy and him at a regional summit in Laos. then to decide whether at the same time effect- tutional Reforms. Here are 10 of his most undiplomatic ing the change without The transition from a or not to become a fedremarks from before and after his landbloodshed or through unitary presidential to eral state. slide election victory this year: Next page The provinces will be peaceful means via a modified parliamenCharter Change,” said tary system in the next given the final decision lawyer Raul Lambino, three years, Lambino to go for the opt-in or convenor of the PDU30 said, was meant to buy exit provision on federCORE or President time for the provinces alism, he said. Next page
Whore, gay and other global insults
REGRET AFTER CURSE. President
Rodrigo Duterte expresses regret after his obscenity-laden rant against US President Barack Obama, prompting the White House to cancel planned bilateral talks between the two leaders on the sidelines of the 28th and 29th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Vientiane, Laos on Tuesday. AFP
Here’s why Con-Com eyed to prelude Cha-Cha, federal shift Duterte hates US By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—President Rodrigo Duterte has consistently echoed anti-American sentiments even before he became a politician. As a student of the Lyceum of the Philippines, Duterte was a member of the Kabataang Makabayan, a leftist movement formed in 1964 whose leaders would later on form the Communist Party of the Philippines. CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison, who was Duterte’s professor on Political Thought,
THE 25-member Constitutional Commission will be tasked to set the transition parameters for the “modified parliamentary” system of government before eventually shifting to and going full-blast with a federal
form of government, according to a multi-sectoral group pushing for Charter Change. “President [Rodrigo] Duterte desires to drastically disturb the status quo to avoid gridlocks and delays in achieving
Tone down undiplomatic quips—solons
REP. Harry Roque welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s espousal of an independent foreign policy, but he expressed deep concern over his “undiplomatic language that may unnecessarily cause diplomatic wrinkles, much like the cancellation of his bilateral talks with President [Barack] Obama.” “An independent foreign policy need not result in the disturbance of friendly relations with our traditional allies,” Roque said. “Talk about starting off on the wrong foot,” Senator Franklin Drilon said on the cancellation of the meeting between Duterte and Obama following Duterte’s calling Obama a “son of a whore.” “We must remember that our foreign policy is shaped in accordance with our national interest. Unfriendly rhetoric and undiplomatic statements will not bring us anywhere,” Drilon said. Next page
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Narco-list came from FVR—Rody VIENTIANE―President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday the source of his “narco list” was former President Fidel Ramos, and that Ramos gave him the list to goad him to run for President. Speaking before the Filipino community here, Duterte recalled how Ramos tried to convince him even if he was still Mayor of Davao City to pursue the country’s highest position because of the illegal drug trade. Next page
VOW OF REVENGE. While President Rodrigo Duterte raises his vow of revenge for deadly attacks by Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants,
the 71-year-old former lawyer speaks in a crude language of the people. During the election campaign earlier this year, Duterte attracted widespread criticism for saying he had wanted to
VIENTIANE—Japan and Vietnam backed the country’s claim over disputed territories in the South China Sea in separate bilateral talks at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit here Tuesday. The two nations expressed the support when President Rodrigo Duterte met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Vietnam President Trần Đại Quang. Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza said that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his country’s support to the Philippine claim, vowing that Japan “will come to the
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an armed villager who has volunteered to fight against the rebel group cuts firewood while keeping his M-16 assault rifle by his side in Sulu’s Patikul town on Tuesday. AFP
WEATHER
‘I’ll eat you alive,’ Duterte warns Abu Sayyaf
THE Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, Zambales and Bataan will experience light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms, while isolated rain showers or thunderstorms will prevail over Metro Manila and the rest of the country, the weather bureau said Tuesday.
VIENTIANE, Laos—President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to tear apart and eat Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants, in a bloodthirsty vow of revenge for their deadly attacks. “They will pay. When the time comes, I will eat you in twitter.com/ MlaStandard
front of people,” Duterte told an audience of Filipinos on Monday night while in Laos for a regional summit. “If you make me mad, in all honesty, I will eat you alive, raw.” Duterte often hurls abusive
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insults at critics and is waging a brutal war on crime in which more than 2,000 people have been killed since he took office on June 30. His aides often urge reporters against taking Duterte’s comments literally, saying that
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Japan, Vietnam support PH case
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