Manila artists Tammy China, PH coast guards Brown, Marya Sunga meet despite sea row 02perform at ‘Awit 05 Saya 2016’ www.kuwaittimes.net SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 Duterte insists on public debate with UN special rapporteur Page 4 Philippines nixes Trump associate’s project over concerns MANILA: Philippine environment officials have canceled a compliance certificate for a housing project by President-elect Donald Trump’s busi- ness associate, saying it would endanger a water- shed that supplies drinking water to 12 million people. Century Communities Corp. seeks to put up the 58-hectare (143-acre) housing project within the 2,000-hectare (4,942-acre) La Mesa Watershed in the capital. It is the source of metro- politan Manila’s drinking water. “That’s the watershed of 12 million people and I cannot see the possibility that a business interest is more important than the water our people drink,” said Environment Secretary Regina Lopez. The certificate issued by the previous adminis- tration has been canceled because of scientific recommendation against any kind of develop- ment inside the watershed, she said. —AFP Duterte defiant LAS PINAS: Catholic faithful brave rain as they attend the first of nine dawn masses at a church in Las Pinas, suburban Manila to over kill admission signal the official start of the Christmas season. The tradition of dawn masses dates back to the Spanish era, which culminates on Christmas Eve and it is a popular belief that anyone who attends all nine masses will have his wishes granted. The Philippines, the SINGAPORE: Philippine President Rodrigo bastion of Christianity in Asia, is more than 70 percent Catholic. —AFP Duterte boasted again Friday he had killed criminals, as he vowed no let up in his war on drugs that has already claimed thou- sands of lives. Duterte warns US of ‘tit-for-tat’ response In an hour-long speech to Filipinos in MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Millennium Challenge Corporation to promote eco- Singapore, Duterte referred to international threatened yesterday to end a military pact with the nomic growth and reduce poverty around the world. news coverage of his claims this week that United States in a “tit-for-tat” response to American However countries can only qualify if they “demon- in his previous role as mayor of a major aid being deferred because of concerns about his strate a commitment to just and democratic gover- southern city he killed suspects to set an deadly crime war. nance, investments in its people, and economic free- example for police. Duterte reacted angrily to the announcement by dom”, according to the corporation’s website. “To spare you embarrassment about the the US government this week that a decision on a The United States has been a vocal critic of crawlers on television that have been run- multi-year aid package potentially worth hundreds of Duterte’s war on drugs, which has claimed about ning on CNN and even the BBC since yes- millions of dollars had been put off. 5,000 lives since he took office in late June, with terday that says Duterte admits killing or “Bye bye America,” Duterte said, after threatening President Barack Obama urging Duterte to prosecute shooting the criminals: they were not mis- to end a 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement that gives the it “the right way”. taken,” he said. legal framework for US troops in the Philippines. The criticism has severely strained ties between People in the 6,500-strong crowd “Tit-for-tat. If you can do this, so do we, it ain’t one- the longtime allies, with Duterte angered at what he way traffic.” insists is unfair interference in the Philippines’ sover- cheered as Duterte used his trademark Rodrigo Duterte strong language to promise his drug war The American Millennium Challenge Corporation eign affairs. would continue. “Sons of whores I will really announced this week that a decision had been “This decision reflects the Board’s significant con- Duterte has made repeated threats to downgrade kill these idiots,” he said. deferred over whether to continue giving aid, after an cerns around rule of law and civil liberties in the or even end military and diplomatic ties, while moving Continued on Page 2 initial five-year package worth more than $430 million Philippines,” US embassy spokeswoman Molly Koscina to establish closer ties with US rivals China and Russia. expired in May. said on Thursday. The US government set up the Continued on Page 3 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2016 2 China, PH coast guards meet despite sea row MANILA: The Chinese and Philippine coast Vietnam — and Chinese coast guard vessels guards met for the first time on Friday and have become an ever-growing presence in the agreed to move forward on maritime coopera- waterway. Balilo said territorial issues were not tion, officials said, as relations between Beijing discussed, but the meeting was a “confidence- and Manila warm under Philippine President building measure” resulting from Duterte’s trip Rodrigo Duterte. to China in October. The two-day meeting in Manila on establish- Duterte, 71, has pivoted his nation’s foreign ing a Joint Coast Guard Committee (JCGC) came policy away from traditional ally the United just days after new images showed China had States towards China and Russia. apparently installed defensive weapons on arti- His predecessor, Benigno Aquino, had ficial islands in the hotly contested South China angered China by asking a UN-backed tribunal Sea. In a joint statement, the coast guards said to outlaw Beijing’s claims to most of the South possible areas for cooperation included fighting China Sea. drug trafficking and other maritime crimes, A July ruling gave Manila a sweeping victory environmental protection and search and res- but Duterte vowed not to “taunt or flaunt” it as cue. “This is a milestone because it opened the he sought to improve economic relations, while communication lines between the two agen- praising China’s support for his deadly drug war. cies involved in the (South China Sea),” Philippine ambassador to China Jose Philippine coast guard spokesman Armand Santiago Santa Romana said “sensitive” issues Balilo told AFP. would be tackled separately. China claims most of the strategic South “It will be discussed using quiet diplomacy as China Sea — despite partial counter-claims by well as high-level diplomacy,” Santa Romana the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and told ABS-CBN television. —AFP MANILA: This handout photo taken and released by the Philippine coast Guard- Public Information Office (PCG-PIO) shows Philippine coast guard commander Commodore Joel Garcia, right, shaking hands with Chinese coast guard deputy director general Yun De at the end of their meeting in Manila. —AFP Duterte ... Continued from Page 1 outlined how, as city mayor in 1988, he and two policemen had shot dead three men “My campaign on drugs will not end, until who had collected a ransom payment for a the end of my term six years from now when kidnapped local woman. “Maybe my bullets every drug pusher is (killed),” he said, making killed them, maybe not, but after the broom a throat-cutting gesture. broom (shooting) they were all dead,” he Duterte easily won presidential elections told a news conference, adding the suspects in May largely on a promise to eradicate ille- had aimed a carbine rifle at him and the gal drugs in society by killing tens of thou- policemen. “I had an M-16 (assault rifle), car- sands of people. More than 5,000 people ried one because Davao was then a wild have been killed since Duterte took office in country. I took the bull by the horns,” late June, leading to fears of mass extrajudi- Duterte added. cial killings and a breakdown in the rule of law. Duterte’s comments this week about Just ‘hyperbole’? personally killing people when he was may- Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre has or of Davao city triggered fresh outrage from said Duterte did not violate any law, and rights groups. Long-running efforts by a either was making up the claims or had United Nations rights rapporteur, Agnes killed people only in self defence. “The presi- Callamard, to probe the drug war hit another dent always uses hyperbole, is always exag- hurdle on Friday when she said she had gerated to put his message across,” Aguirre rejected three conditions for her visit set by said Wednesday. Duterte’s government. “If the suspect fought back, he must have Callamard said she had written to the been forced to kill him.” Surveys show many government urging it to reconsider the con- Filipinos endorse Duterte’s campaign, and ditions, which included a public debate with some of those who turned up to listen to Duterte. Philippine Foreign Secretary him in Singapore on Friday expressed senti- Perfecto Yasay, speaking to reporters in ments felt by compatriots back home. Singapore on Friday, said the government “When the president promises that he will would not make any concessions. solve the drugs and crime problem, it’s very “If she cannot comply with it (the hopeful for us,” said Eloisa Lopez, 50, a Philippine conditions), then that’s the end of domestic worker who had taken time off to it,” Yasay said. Duterte has repeatedly insist- volunteer at the event. Singapore’s leaders ed neither he nor his security forces are also gave Duterte a warm welcome during breaking any laws in prosecuting the crime his two-day state visit, that began early war. Duterte’s aides and political supporters Thursday. this week shrugged off his statements about Duterte enjoyed a state dinner and had personally killing people. an orchid named after him — an honour But after flying home from Singapore to often accorded to world leaders visiting his southern hometown of Davao, Duterte Singapore.