Philippine attorney Jude Sabio says he hasn’t been home for a year, steers clear of public events and is forever looking over his shoulder after accusing President Rodrigo Duterte of crimes against humanity. Sabio, a stocky 51 year-old, says he lives in constant fear of reprisals after filing a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the wildly popular Duterte, whose administration Filipinos rate as the best performing since opinion polls started in the 1980s. A little-known lawyer until he filed the complaint last April, Sabio argues that the deaths of thousands of Filipinos in a brutal war on drugs is Duterte’s method of controlling crime, and that he used the tactic effectively during his 22 years as the mayor of Davao City in the south of the country. Duterte has repeatedly denied ordering extra-judicial killings while mayor or president and reiterated this month that he would “gladly” go before the ICC. Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had earlier said her office had started a preliminary examination into whether any crimes against humanity had been committed and if ICC had jurisdiction. The step is the first in a process that could take years to complete, if at all. Since it was set up in 2002, the ICC has received more than 12,000 complaints or communications, just nine of which have gone to trial. Sabio’s move is unpopular in a country where, despite the bloodshed, Duterte enjoys a cult-like status and has a loyal online following which hounds and harasses his… [Read full story]
Incoming Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte on Monday hit out at "stupid" human rights campaigners, as he defended his imminent war on crime and emphasised the death penalty was for retribution. Duterte gave a lengthy speech in his southern hometown of Davao to outline his vision for the nation once he takes office on Thursday, with a heavy focus on his controversial plans to fight crime. "These human rights (groups), congressmen, how stupid you are," Duterte said, as he highlighted their criticism of his plans to impose late-night curfews on children being out on the streets and to reintroduce the death…... [read more]
'Just to show to the guys (police) that if I can do it why can't you.' Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he personally killed suspected criminals when he was mayor of a southern city to set an example for police. Duterte made the comments in a speech late on Monday night to businessmen as he discussed his campaign to eradicate illegal drugs, which has seen police and unknown assailants kill thousands of people since he became president on June 30. After speaking about police killing suspects during the current crime war, Duterte said he led similar efforts when he…... [read more]
Clarita Alia, 62, stands at her home while talking about her four sons which have died in execution-style killings in Davao, Philippines May 14, 2016. On May 14, five days after voters in the Philippines chose Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as their next president, two masked gunmen cruised this southern city's suburbs on a motorbike, looking for their kill. Gil Gabrillo, 47, a drug user, was returning from a cockfight when the gunmen approached. One of them pumped four bullets into Gabrillo's head and body, killing the small-time trader of goods instantly. Then the motorbike roared off. The murder…... [read more]
SEOUL: The impeachment trial of South Korea's President Park Geun-Hye got under way Thursday (Jan 5), with her lawyers arguing there is no evidence to back the corruption allegations that threaten to force her from office. Parliament voted to impeach Park last month over an influence-peddling scandal that has brought hundreds of thousands of protesters onto the streets every week demanding her removal. Park is accused of colluding with a longtime friend, Choi Soon-Il, to strong-arm donations worth tens of millions of dollars from top firms which were then funnelled to dubious foundations. She is also accused of using her…... [read more]
A special court in Lima on Tuesday convicted Peru's former president Alberto Fujimori of "crimes against humanity" carried out by an army death squad during his 1990-2000 rule, and sentenced him to 25 years behind bars. But an impassive Fujimori, 70, immediately said he would appealappeal the finding. And his daughter, Keiko, a congresswoman herself considering a run for the presidency in 2011, called for peaceful protests against what she said was an "unjust" verdict. "They've won the battle but not the war," she told AFP. More than 2,000 Fujimori supporters demonstrated after the result, to show their anger. "If…... [read more]
