Philippines: President Rodrigo Duterte expresses anger with Miltary

(Manila) President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines likes to play the play the part of a hard talking, hard walking man who will get his way. This we have seen in how he has addressed the drug problem in the country by instigating a shoot to kill policy on drug users.  (As of last month around 20,000 people have been presumed to have been killed by the security forces since July 2016) THis has naturally caught the eye of the world including the ICC whom he has just called “a bunch of criminals” for wanting to investigate his war on illegal drugs. He's fallen out with the US (His biggest sponsor) and has had no problem getting into bed with China and Russia.

A natural bully he has no problem attacking anybody who stands in his way be it legally or illegally. For example  Senator Leila de Lima, is Duterte's chief government critic. He in turn has no problem playing dirty in which to silence her, she was arrested and charged for being linked to the drug trade during her stint as justice secretary. Funny enough all her accusers are prisoners who have been granted freedom if they are willing to accuse her. She is still locked up in jail, but continues to carry out her work as a appointed senator fighting corruption found within the current administration.

Which brings me to Duterte and the Military. You see he has publicly expressed his displeasure with them in a national address over how they refused to do as they were told by him, which was to arrest his chief opposition critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes. on a warrant-less arrest order and launch court martial proceedings agaisnt him . He lashed out at the military in his televised address for disrespecting his democratic mandate and being ungrateful for the significant boost he has administered to armed forces’ salaries and benefits.

 “I’m not trying to win you over. It’s because I was elected president. Now you have the mandate to protect the people and preserve the nation. You want to destroy that? That’s okay,” he complained in the address referring to the armed forces.

Strange how a dictator in making plays the 'democratic' card when he doesn't get his own way.