Duterte Ultimate News!

A masterpiece: Filipino folk artist paints Duterte portrait using own blood

Duterte top officials surprised by FVR resignation President Duterte (center) presides over a Cabinet meeting. (Photo courtesy of the Davao City Mayor’s Office) MANILA — Former President Fidel V. Ramos’ resignation as special ambassador to China has caught members of President Duterte’s Cabinet by surprise and all they could say was Duterte would have the final say on Ramos’ resignation. Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Ramos had submitted a letter to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea expressing his decision to resign from his post. “But it will be up to (the President) whether to accept it or not,” Abella said in a text message. Ramos’ resignation caught members of the President’s Cabinet by surprise, among them Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, a close associate of both the former president and Mr. Duterte. Dureza, who was in Davao City for the Halloween break, said he has not spoken with either the President or Ramos regar...

Duterte to visit parents' grave in Davao MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte is set to visit the grave of his parents at the Davao Public and Roman Catholic Cemetery between late afternoon and early evening of All Saints' Day, Tuesday. Duterte is known for regularly visiting his parents' resting place on Undas, election days, and their birthdays and death anniversaries. His father, Vicente, was the last governor of the undivided Davao and had served and was the Cabinet Secretary for General Services of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Duterte's mother, Soledad, was a teacher involved in the socio-civic projects of her husband. She led Davao's Yellow Friday Movement, which was crucial to the success of the EDSA Revolution that toppled Marcos' rule. Throwback: Mom said Duterte 'has the making of a leader' Duterte is known to be close to his mother Soledad. Video captured by ABS-CBN News showed him crying at his mother's grave hours after p...

Duterte favors free equipment for farmers MANILA, Philippines –  President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said he supports farmers and vowed to buy more farming equipment for distribution to them. Duterte said his administration will not ask for counterpart funding from farmers for tractors. The president was reacting to information from Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol that farmers who were given tractors by the past administration needed to raise a certain amount of money to pay for a portion of the cost of equipment. Duterte said in his speech at the launching of the comprehensive reform and development agenda for Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and other conflict areas in Regions 9, 10 and 12 that the government will provide the equipment.  Close ad X “Kind of stupid at hindi ko talaga maintindihan. Why would you come up with a program which would be asking a counterpart? Binibigyan mo na nga kasi mahirap. So the next acquisition, y...

Duterte visits wounded soldiers in Sulu SULU - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday visited soldiers who were wounded in recent clashes with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). Two ASGs were killed in an early morning clash Sunday with members of the 11th Scout Ranger Company in Indanan, Sulu.  Another six rebels were killed in a separate clash between the ASG and the 21st Infantry Battalion in Patikul, Sulu.  At least eight soldiers were injured in a clash with Abu Sayyaf rebels in the Patikul clash. A total of 44 Abu Sayyaf rebels were killed in Sulu since intensified combat operations were launched in July, the military said.  Fifteen soldiers have been killed in action in Sulu since July, and 36 others have been wounded in action. The successive encounters were the result of the cooperation of local residents against the ASG for their "brutal killings and illegal activities," the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said in a statement. Six wounded soldi...

'Duterte is greenest president since Cory' MANILA—President Rodrigo Duterte may be considered as the “greenest” president the country has ever had since former President Cory Aquino, an environment coalition said Monday. Alyansa Tigil Mina National Coordinator Jaybee Garganera said Duterte is living up to his campaign promises and has made very clear pronouncements particularly with regards to the mining industry. “We have seen the direct actions including the audit of the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and the suspension. Quite frankly we are surprised that he has been delivering on his campaign promises but we also know that there are still a lot of reforms that needs to be done,” Garganera said on Mornings @ ANC. Earlier this year, Duterte backed DENR Secretary Gina Lopez's nationwide audit on mining firms and told mining companies to comply with environmental rules or risk being shut down, saying the country does not need mining reve...

FVR quits as Duterte’s special envoy to China Former President Fidel V. Ramos has resigned as the Philippines' special envoy to China. President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Ramos as special envoy in July to thaw Philippines-China relations after years of tension over claims in the South China Sea. "The moment the President came back from China from a successful state visit I resigned as special envoy to China because the officials have taken over," Ramos told GMA News. "I've done my job to... break the ice and to help restore the ties of goodwill and friendship," he added in an interview after paying tribute to the departed Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Thai Embassy in Makati City. Ramos made the disclosure after writing several opinion columns criticizing Duterte. In a column published by Manila Bullentin early this month, Ramos on occasion of Duterte's 100th day in office said the President did not hit the ground running during the fi...