Philippine president Duterte orders the arrest of top critic

The Hill

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday ordered one of his most vocal critics be arrested, marking the second time a sitting lawmaker has been legally targeted by Duterte, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The news outlet reported that Duterte revoked an amnesty granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. The president in a proclamation told law enforcement to "pursue all criminal and administrative cases" against the lawmaker, who received amnesty in 2003 for his role in a failed military coup.

Trillanes has spoken out against Duterte's violent crackdown on drugs and alleged corruption. In June, Duterte said "there will come a day that someone will shoot (Trillanes)," The Wall Street Journal reported.

Duterte previously approved of the ouster of a Supreme Court chief justice earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Duterte has been widely condemned by the international community for alleged human rights abuses, specifically ones related to a national crackdown on drugs. Paramilitary forces have allegedly carried out thousands of killings of suspected drug dealers and users since Duterte took office in 2016, according to Human Rights Watch.

The Filipino leader appeared in Jerusalem on Sunday, where he called President Trump a "good friend" who "speaks my language." He credited that relationship with positive relations between the U.S. and the Philippines.

Considering where Duterte's party leans and after everything Trump and his supporters say about the "left", how does Duterte get a pass? Because he fits the description they say about the "left".

Is this even news? This is the same psychopath who thinks that executing drug users is going to solve a drug epidemic, does the whole world not already know that he's a power-hungry, murderous lunatic who will do anything he can to hold his position? If Trump talking sweet about him didn't cause brainwashed Trumpettes a moment of cognitive dissonance in the past then I don't see why this would do the same now. If anything, it only serves as a cautionary tale to people still on the fence about Trump and his agenda. This is what he's hoping for when he talks about tamping out "fake news" and rewarding loyalty.

Maybe not, but still, it bugs me quite a bit, so I had to make the thread.

I try not to read stories that fall under the category of "terrible person does or says terrible shit" or "shitty situation to remain shitty because no one in power gives a ****." Lately, though, it seems like almost all of the stories I come across fall under that category. I can't tell if I'm becoming more informed or just desensitized.

Duh, he only wants to stop one source of fake news about him. Nothing biggie :P

Politicians taking out politicians is a great thing

To be expected when you put a lunatic in office.