Duterte

Note that the population of the Philippines is approximately 110 million, and the number of reported COVID deaths since February has been only 2,168 – statistically insignificant and nothing anywhere near to the level of ‘pandemic.’
What is becoming increasingly clear around the world, is that authoritarian governments are using the COVID crisis in order to consolidate state power and impose direct restrictions on peoples’ rights and freedoms – all under the unassailable guise of a “public health emergency.”

COVID-19: Present, Past, and Future
 

Originally published on the Strategic Culture Foundation
The Philippines President Duterte’s recent announcement that the 1998 U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) would be cancelled has renewed hope that not only would this former U.S. colony finally attain freedom from imperial manipulation, but also that a new emerging age of infrastructure development can usher in an end of poverty and war in the Pacific.

The Philippines President Duterte’s recent announcement that the 1998 U.S.-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) would be cancelled has renewed hope that not only would this former U.S. colony finally attain freedom from imperial manipulation, but also that a new emerging age of infrastructure development can usher in an end of poverty and war in the Pacific.

[Prefatory Note: The following text is the transcript of my presentation by video transmission to a Forum held in Manila on February 21, 2020 in support of Senator Leila De Lima who has been detained in prison for many months on spurious charges of drug trafficking. Such a case is an example of ‘weaponizing law’ (regressive lawfare) to carry out the anti-democratic policies of a fairly elected autocrat, which in the case of Rodrigo Duterte, despite leaving by now a long trail of blood-stained abuse, retains an approval rating of more than 80%.

[Prefatory Note: International law, as so much else of value, has fallen on hard times,

In EP 315 of the SUNDAY WIRE show, host Patrick Henningsen goes on the ground to Southeast Asia to speak with 21WIRE’s intrepid international political correspondent and best-selling author, Andre Vltchek, to discuss the historic announcement in Philippines by President Duterte, kicking out US military, and the country’s fluctuating relations with neighboring China. Can he survive after breaking with so many long-standing institutions and policies? A fascinating and deep analysis of the geopolitical affairs surround the Asia Pacific region. Listen:

Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Paul Antonopoulos, Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has announced his intention to terminate his country’s ‘visiting forces agreement’ with the United States.
Duterte is said to be threatening to end the 1999 agreement after the US government cancelled a visitor’s visa for Philippino Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a former national police chief, and close political ally of Duterte – supposedly over ‘human rights abuses.’
This is likely to set the scene for further geopolitical dramas between Manila and Washington, and in the shadow of China.

Modern diplomacy can generally be traced back to the late 19th century and the intercession of professional diplomats in the foreign relations between major and minor powers of the era. International negotiations to resolve problems were primarily handled by diplomats prior to politicians giving their assent to peace treaties and compacts. The Congress of Berlin of 1878 and 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth (New Hampshire) helped resolve the Russo-Turkish War and Russo-Japanese War, respectively.