Philippines Election - BBC: Hardliner Duterte 'Set For Presidency'

• 59 minutes ago
 
• From the sectionAsia

Jump media player

Media player help

Out of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue.

Media captionRodrigo Duterte has a persuasive story to tell, Jonathan Head reports

Hardline anti-crime candidate Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte looks set to become president of the Philippines after polls gave him an unassailable lead.

Mr Duterte, who stirred controversy during campaigning with his incendiary comments, said he accepted the apparent mandate with "extreme humility".

An accredited poll monitor said he led with most ballots counted, but this does not represent an official result.

The 71-year-old credited his success to his tough stance on law and order.

His record as the crime-crushing mayor of the southern town of Davao, once notorious for its lawlessness, earned him the moniker The Punisher and resonated with voters.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Duterte Harry" - front-runner in quotes

The Philippines elects its first transgender politician

Populism, celebrity and ugly realities in the Philippines

Cards Against Corruption: A game about the Philippines

Who are the candidates in the Philippines' elections?

Image copyrightAP

Image captionElection officials have said there was a record turnout at polling stations

Other driving issues of the election campaign were pervasive corruption, as well as the poverty and inequality experienced by many Filipinos despite economic growth under outgoing President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino.

---

Analysis: Jonathan Head, BBC News, Manila

Rodrigo Duterte, a man dubbed by his rivals as an executioner who would bring terror to the Philippines, has won the presidency by a clear margin, polling nearly twice as many votes as his nearest rivals.

But what is less clear is what he will do with the job. His blunt promise to sweep away criminals and corrupt officials won him the backing of millions of Filipinos weary of ineffective governments.

But he has so far offered few policy details. A spokesman has already pledged a radical overhaul of the political system. Human rights groups have warned he may repeat what happened in the southern city of Davao, where as mayor he is accused of allowing death squads to murder hundreds of alleged criminals.

Mr Duterte has a formidable task in a country still hampered by poverty and poor infrastructure - just meeting the lofty expectations he raised during his campaign will be hard enough.

---

'I will do my best'

Election officials have said there was a record turnout at polling stations, with more than 81% of the 54 million registered voters casting a ballot. Senators and about 18,000 local officials including mayors are also being elected.

The vice president looks likely to be Leni Robredo, a social activist who is currently slightly ahead of Bongbong Marcos, the son of a former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting) poll monitor said that with 90% of the presidential ballots counted, Mr Duterte had more than 14.8m votes - about 39%. The PPCRV is accredited by the election commission to monitor counting but its reporting does not represent an official tally.

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionGrace Poe said it was time to give Mr Duterte "a chance"

The winner is decided on a simple majority of votes cast. Manuel Roxas is in second place with 9m (23%). Senator Grace Poe had been considered a frontrunner but looked set for third place. She has conceded defeat, promising to "co-operate with the healing process" after a turbulent campaign.

'Extreme humility'

Mr Aquino is standing down as the constitution limits presidents to one six-year term. As Mr Duterte rose in opinion polls ahead of voting, Mr Aquino had tried to unite other candidates against him, warning his election could mean a return to dictatorship for the Philippines.

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionThis election represented the highest voter turnout in the Philippines, but in one village in Muntinlupa there was a protest rally over a poll dispute

But on Monday, as his lead extended, Mr Duterte told AFP news agency: "It's with humility, extreme humility, that I accept this, the mandate of the people."

---

Duterte: From 'Punisher' to president

• Born in 1945 into a political family but with a more modest background than many Philippine politicians.
• Married twice but now single, he says he has several girlfriends.
• A lawyer, he became vice-mayor of Davao in 1986 and mayor in 1988. He has also previously held a seat in congress.
• Built a reputation fighting crime, militancy and corruption. He has promised to continue his tough stance as president, but has offered few specific policies.
• Well known for incendiary comments, such as saying he would kill thousands of criminals without trial.

---

Mr Duterte has made many controversial statements during his campaign, saying that he would massacre criminals and drug-users, joking about the rape of an Australian missionary and saying he would dissolve congress if it didn't agree with him.

He has also given forthright opinions on the Philippines' territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, saying he would sail to disputed islands and plant the Philippine flag there.

The Philippines has taken one of its claims to a court of arbitration at the Hague. On Monday, he said he would seek multilateral talks over the issue, to include the US and Japan.

Statement of Mayor Duterte Regarding His Recent Remarks

PRESS RELEASE

19 April 2016

Statement of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte regarding his recent remarks 

19 April 2016

I apologize to the Filipino people for my recent remarks in a rally. There was no intention of disrespecting our women and those who have been victims of this horrible crime. Sometimes my mouth can get the better of me.

However, I will not apologize for the things I've done to protect our people, especially the weak and defenseless, from crime. I know what it can do to the victims and their families. The anguish and pain they cause. The trauma that can't be erased. I have witnessed these myself numerous times.

This is why I am angry. I am angry because horrendous things like this continue to happen to our women and children all over our land. And sadly, government has failed to protect them.

If you will give me the chance to lead this country, I promise to all of you that I will protect our women, children and families from the horrors and disorder of crime. I will do this even if I lose my life, my honor and even the presidency.

My life is an open book. I am a man of many flaws and contradictions. But when it comes to securing the lives and future of our countrymen and women, you can trust me to do the right thing. I will fight for the people until my last breath. ###

The Filipino crowd is for Duterte

FROM A DISTANCE By Carmen N. Pedrosa (The Philippine Star) 

I can understand why the Dutertistas are focused on showing how big their crowds are compared to Roxas’, Poe’s or Binay’s. It will be the protective shield against cheating. If the Liberal Party cheats the sovereign voters no matter what tactics they will use, the fact is the Filipino crowd has already chosen Duterte. He is the candidate who can restructure our political system and government that have served us so badly. To make that change we will have to change the Constitution for a parliamentary federal government. Only then will the poor and marginalized sectors play an active role in our society. They must be given every opportunity to live decently, even excel through their capabilities.

*  *  *

And yet a year ago getting people into the streets to protest against bad government did not seem possible. Dedicated constitutional reformers just shrugged and said hindi na uso ang EDSA (massing people in the streets is no longer in fashion).

We will just have to be content with discussions in our living rooms and around dining tables to continue the work. In other countries in the Middle East, in Wall Street etc. people were protesting, dying and hurting using their numbers. We looked at them with envy and exasperation. What has happened to the Filipinos? Have they lost their will to fight for change by gathering in the streets? Until Duterte appeared as a shocking surprise.

We needed a leader and he came with no money and no machinery, but he was from troubled Mindanao.

The first one I attended was his launch in Century Plaza Hotel with the crowded hall unable to include all those who wanted to come in. They greeted him at the door cheering Duterte, Duterte. He made a shocking speech, cussing and speaking in the language of the poor and the unlearned. That speech reverberated to the millions who have been left out of mainstream media that wrote only of the “Philippines as the fastest growing economy in the region.” From then on, the Filipino crowd for Duterte was born. It was a hurricane. The masses became conscious of themselves because of this man who came forward to say p.i we cannot continue like this electing governments that oppress the people.

Opinion ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

*  *  *

The establishment were shocked but they could only put up candidates who would carry on with their “business as usual.” It was ironic that they all represented the very evils we needed to expunge – Roxas the oligarch who has not liquidated DILG funds, Poe a young woman with no experience but had the name of an actor and dubious citizenship. We must not forget Binay the vice president, the typical trapo who started well to lift up the poor but soon realized there was money to be made too and he would expand his Makati rule to the whole country. How could we have a choice for the change we wanted? None.

That is one of the reasons why Duterte’s entry into the race changed the election game. He was a different type of candidate, one who could emote with the people. The crowds came to show the world that Filipinos were not hopeless bystanders. The battle has just begun but the Dutertistas have made a powerful pitch. Still danger lurks. I called my friend Glenn Chong, an activist against election fraud with the hacking of 55 million voters’ details by a group calling itself Anonymous Philippines. Would these affect the elections?

Glenn said well it had the name, the address, the contact details etc of the voter. Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials said these were not sensitive? These are not sensitive? And nothing can be done about it? We will now have two sets of voters’ data – one for Comelec and another for anonymous hackers. We don’t really know what it will be used for, yet for the moment there is nothing we can do about it.

Security researchers warn that with the entire database of the Comelec exposed, anything goes. The Comelec website was compromised and defaced on 27 March by Anonymous Philippines before a second hacker group, LulzSec Pilipinas posted Comelec’s entire database online days later.

Interestingly, the data spill is just weeks before May 9. “Comelec ought to harden the security of its vote-counting machines at the time the hacktivists defaced its website,” Anonymous Philippines warned. Isn’t that warning a bit too late?

As usual Comelec is “playing down the significance of the breach, telling local media that no sensitive information was accessed and that election-related systems will be run from a separate website.” Huh?

Chris Boyd, a senior malware intelligence analyst at Malwarebytes who has lived and worked in the Philippines, said “the hack and subsequent breach are the product of a politically charged local hacking scene as well as widespread security flaws in the country’s infrastructure.”

“There are a lot of talented hacking groups in the Philippines, and it’s no surprise that a hack like this has happened. Whether in hospitals, airports, or shopping malls, every terminal you see there is running Windows XP,” Boyd told El Reg. “Additionally, most conversations at hacking events in the country tend to turn political, with many attendees frustrated with what they feel is underinvestment in the nation’s security infrastructure.”

Add to that: the receipts problem has not yet been resolved even with the Supreme Court voting 14-0 in its favor. With less than two months to go before elections Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista had to issue a warning that we may have to postpone the elections. He said the printing of vote receipts would have many complications.

He hopes he can still ask the SC to reconsider its decision.

“The risks of committing a mistake are higher when things are rushed, so the proposal to delay the elections is an option they are looking at.

“But that requires a law. Under Section 4 Article 7 of our Constitution, unless otherwise provided by law, regular elections shall be held on the second Monday of May,” he said.

Now you know why the Federal Court of Germany just chucked out the automated election systems. It is unconstitutional because a voter does not understand the technological process it involves. Filipino voters are mostly techno-illiterate. Therefore come May 9 voters have been thrown to the winds.

“The Comelec website also shows real time ballot count during the actual elections. While Comelec claims that this function will be done using a different website, we can only speculate if actual data will be placed here during the elections and if tampering with the data would affect the ballot count,” the security researchers added.

“Every registered citizen is at risk – regardless whether the hacking could affect the elections.”

Netizens and Social Media News Proclaim Cayetano Winner of VP Debate

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

11 April 2016

Netizens, social media news proclaim Cayetano winner of  VP debate Social media was abuzz with the first and only Vice Presidential Debate organized by the Commission on Elections and CNN Philippines last April 10, especially with the performance of Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.  Cayetano swept the seven (7) rounds of Rappler's online polls, mirroring the performance of his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte, in the two previous presidential debates. The figures Cayetano obtained were as follows: Round 1 – 47.17% Round 2 – 50.78% Round 3 – 47.62% Round 4 – 41.12% Round 5 – 54.88% Round 6 – 41.57% Round 7 – 51.3% "Editors' pick" Cayetano was also picked by Rappler's editors as the overall winner of the debate, citing his consistency in talking about his platform of government with Duterte, as well as his clear message of political will and leadership.  Cayetano leads CNN online polls The Senate leader also took the lead in CNN Philippines' online polls. During the debate, the news outlet asked online readers who their VP bet is. Cayetano was the top choice, garnering 41 percent of the votes.  In a separate statement, Duterte congratulated his running mate, describing him as the clear winner in the debate. "Alan was able to show the political will, courage, and strength of character that we are offering to the Filipino people. He was able to distinguish himself from the others and put forward our bold solutions to end the country's disorder and realize meaningful change. His performance affirmed my decision to pick him as my running mate. He will truly fight for the people," Duterte said.   This was echoed by Atty. Paola Alvarez, spokesperson of PDP-Laban, Duterte's political party. "Sinusuportahan talaga namin si Sen. Alan bilang ka-tandem ni Mayor Duterte. Lubhang nagustuhan namin ang kanyang debate performance. Naipakita niya kung ano talaga ang agenda ng tambalang Duterte-Cayetano. Pinamalas talaga niya ang tapang ng loob at political will na kailangan sa ating mga namumuno," Alvarez said.  Cayetano is running with Duterte under a comprehensive platform of government, which aims to end the country's disorder caused by crime, illegal drugs, and corruption.

Where were you when we fought corruption?

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

11 April 2016

Cayetano to Bongbong: Where were you when we fought corruption?

“Senator Marcos. Nasaan ka kapag korapsyon ang pinag-uusapan?”

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said this as he slammed his rival, Senator Bongbong Marcos, on issues about corruption during the PiliPinas 2016 Vice Presidential Debate hosted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on April 10.

During the first part of the debate, candidates were asked to explain their stand on the issue of corruption and how they intend to solve the problem.

Cayetano, for his part, took a swipe at Marcos for claiming that he and his family had never been involved in any corruption anomaly. He then raised issues about the plunder allegations that the family faced during the Martial Law Era as well as Senator Marcos’ alleged involvement in the infamous pork barrel scandal.

“Tingnan niyo po ang interview ng nanay ni Senator Bongbong, sinabi niya they practically own the Philippines. I-search niyo po sa Google ang PCGG recovered money,” Cayetano stressed. “$1 billion ang pinaglalabanan pa rin ng gobyerno at Marcos family,” he added.

Cayetano also chided Marcos for his lack of sincerity to fight corruption. Cayetano said that, despite being a member of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, Marcos never took the initiative to attend any of the committee’s hearings involving corruption anomalies.

“Anong hearing sa corruption nakita niyo nag-appear ang isang Bongbong Marcos? Kahit anong isyu sa corruption, wala siya doon,” Cayetano stressed. “Nasaan ka kapag corruption ang pinag-uusapan? Naalala ko noong hearing ni (pork barrel queen Janet-Lim) Napoles, galit si (Sen. Marcos) sa akin dahil pinapalapit ko ang isang Maya Santos, ngayon ko lang nalaman iyon pala ang middleman niya kay Napoles,” he added.

Cayetano, the running mate of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, runs under a strong anti-corruption platform. During the debate, Cayetano stressed that of all the candidates in the upcoming polls, only he and Duterte have the political will to eradicate corruption in the country.

“Buong buhay natin may corruption, unless we change the system. Only a Duterte-Cayetano leadership can bring real change," Cayetano ended. 

Duterte Congratulates Cayetano on VP Debate Performance

PRESS RELEASE

11 April 2016

Duterte congratulates Cayetano on VP debate performance

(Statement of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on the CNN Vice Presidential Debate)

I would like to congratulate my running mate, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano for his wonderful performance in the CNN Vice Presidential debate hosted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) at the University of Santo Tomas on April 10. Alan was the clear winner in the said debate.

Alan was able to show the political will, courage, and strength of character that we are offering to the Filipino people. He was able to distinguish himself from the others and put forward our bold solutions to end the country's disorder and realize meaningful change. His performance affirmed my decision to pick him as my running mate. He will truly fight for the people.

As we near the elections, I am again asking for your support to help Alan and I win this election. The challenge is daunting and we cannot do it alone. But with your help, nothing is impossible. 

Duterte/Cayetano: Day 3 on Bank Secrecy Challenge

PRESS RELEASE

16 March 2016

"Day 3 on bank secrecy challenge"

Call to open bank accounts gains ground, Cayetano draws similarities between Binay's ill-gotten wealth and $81-M money laundering scheme

The call of vice presidential bet Senate Majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano for fellow candidates to open their bank accounts as part of their commitment to transparency continued to gain ground. This was after the administration's presidential candidate, former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas signified intention to make public his bank records.

Cayetano welcomed Roxas' statement but urged him to prove his sincerity by immediately signing the manifesto they prepared pledging to open all bank accounts in local and foreign currencies, both here and abroad. Roxas agreed to open his accounts after Duterte and Cayetano wrote a letter to them urging them to sign the waiver.

"I welcome the response of Sec. Roxas to our challenge. Since 2007, when I scrutinized the bank accounts of then first gentlemen Mike Arroyo, I already called for the lifting of the bank secrecy provisions of the Bank Secrecy Law for public officials. I'm glad that the administration is finally with me on this issue," Cayetano said.

"Extremely similar"

Meanwhile, amid the Senate Blue Ribbon investigation into the $81 million money-laundering operation involving the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), Cayetano drew attention to Binay’s own “money-laundering scheme” using the same bank.

Cayetano cited an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report where Gerardo Limlingan, an alleged dummy of Binay, had transactions with the RCBC amounting to P3.1 billion. The senator said Limlingan’s transactions alone are equivalent to $68.1 million or just $12.6 million short of the $81 million allegedly withdrawn from Bangladesh’s bank account in the United States.

The one-page portion of the report Cayetano distributed to the media showed that Limlingan had one transaction of P2 Billion, and two transactions of P500 Million through the RCBC, the same bank in question in the ongoing Senate probe.

"The similarities are extreme. Like Binay's ill-gotten wealth, the same bank is involved on both cases. Both involved dummy accounts. And unscrupulous people are hiding behind the same banking law. The only difference is, Binay doesn't need hackers to amass ill-gotten wealth," Cayetano said. "I hope the government has the same enthusiasm in holding the vice presindent and his accomplices accountable for stealing from Filipinos as it now has in probing the $81-million money-laundering scheme," he added.

Day 3: Still Duterte and Cayetano

The duo signed a manifesto committing to open their bank accounts and challenged all candidates to do the same. To date, only Duterte and Cayetano are the only candidates who have actually signed the document.

Cycle of Corruption Hurts Philippines' Tourism Sector

PRESS RELEASE

12 March 2016

Duterte-Cayetano: Cycle of corruption hurts PH tourism sector

If the next leaders intend to create significant improvements in the country's tourism sector, they must first address the systemic corruption in government, Vice presidential bet Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said on Saturday (March 12).

As part of their “Ronda-Serye” listening tour, Cayetano visited Vigan, Ilocos Sur to conduct an informal dialogue with local tour guides, kalesa drivers, and market vendors in the city. He presented to them the bold solutions that he and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, plan to implement to rid government of corruption, which he says hinders the growth of local economies.

Cayetano lamented that while billions worth of money are stolen from the nation's coffers every year, the Philippine tourism industry continues to lag behind its ASEAN counterparts. In 2014, the country only welcomed 4.8 million tourists, while Malaysia recorded 27.43 million tourist arrivals. The administration is also far from reaching its 10-million target for tourist arrivals by the end of Aquino's term, with only 5.3 million tourist arrivals recorded in 2015.

“Sobra na ang paghihirap sa bansa, nauunahan na tayo ng mga karatig bansa pagdating sa pag-unlad, pagtapos ay nanakawan pa ng mga korap na opisyal ang kaban ng bayan. Paano maaayos ang gulo,” Cayetano said.

"We all know that corruption prevents the inflow of investments and negatively affects economic growth. So if we want our tourism sector to boom, we first need to cleanse our system of dishonest officials who enrich themselves at the expense of our nation's progress," he added.

Cayetano said if elected, he and Duterte will resolve the problem by promoting transparency and accountability in government. Among these are the passage of several important measures such as the Freedom of Information (FOI) and Anti-dummy laws.

The senator also pushed for the creation of a Department of Culture and National Heritage, which will be responsible for the promotion and preservation of historical and heritage sites. The senator explained that the department will help spur region-specific tourism in different provinces and create employment and other livelihood opportunities.

"What we need is a clean and honest government that will end the disorder in the country, lure more investors, create more jobs, and generate more income for our people. With our political will and vision, Mayor Duterte and I will deliver," Cayetano ended.