Rodrigo Duterte, a seven-term Philippine mayor, gestures while making a point during a ceremony proclaiming him as a presidential candidate at a hotel in Manila November 30, 2015. REUTERS/ROMEO RANOCO
Emily Rauhala, Washington Post: Rise of Philippines’ Duterte stirs uncertainty in the South China Sea
BEIJING — Rodrigo “the Punisher” Duterte looks poised to be the Philippines’ next president, news that could have a major impact on the standoff in the South China Sea.
With unofficial tallies giving him a commanding lead, the tough-talking mayor asserted a win. “It’s with humility, extreme humility, that I accept this, the mandate of the people,” Duterte told Agence France-Presse, the French news agency, as the results came in.
But Duterte’s rise has been anything but humble and quiet, with the longtime mayor making international headlines for threatening to kill suspected criminals, joking about the rape and murder of a missionary, and promising to ride a Jet Ski to plant a Philippine flag on disputed reefs.
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WNU Editor: It is hard to say what Rodrigo Duterte will do on the South China Sea dispute with China. But for China .... it will not make a difference. They are still reclaiming islands and building and extensive infrastructure in the region, and will continue to do so even if the new Philippine government protests.
1 comment:
WNU,
You're right, the Chinese will remain, unless they are physically removed and I don't see that happening in the near future.
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