Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 27 February 2020
Duterte says Philippines can survive without America

By JIM GOMEZ decision by the Duterte ad-
Associated Press ministration "unfortunate."
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Trump, however, reacted
Philippine President Rodri- dismissively, saying, "If they
go Duterte on Wednesday would like to do that, that's
said Filipino forces can fight fine. We'll save a lot of
insurgents and Muslim ex- money."
tremists without American Foreign Secretary Teodoro
military help, in a defense Locsin Jr., who signed the
of his recent decision to ter- notice of termination at
minate a U.S. security pact. Duterte's direction, has
Duterte also said in a proposed a review of the
speech that he would stick agreement to fix conten-
to a decision made early tious issues instead of abro-
in his presidency, when he gating it.
was enraged by then Presi- Duterte threatened to ter-
dent Barack Obama's criti- minate the agreement af-
cism of his deadly anti-drug ter Washington reportedly
crackdown, that he will not canceled the U.S. visa of a
travel to the United States. loyal ally, Sen. Ronald dela
The brash Philippine leader Rosa, who was linked to hu-
has often criticized U.S. se- man rights violations when
curity policies while praising he enforced the president's
China and Russia since tak- deadly anti-drug crack-
ing office in mid-2016 for a down as national police
six-year term. In this Feb. 25, 2020 photo provided by the Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division, chief in 2016.
U.S. President Donald Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his speech during the Presidential Security Group Duterte gave the U.S. a
Trump invited Duterte to Change of Command ceremony at the PSG Compound in Malacañang Park, Manila, Philippines. month to restore dela Ro-
join a meeting he will host Associated Press sa's visa, but U.S. officials
for leaders of the Asso- ists down south and control numbers in the Philippines, maneuvers include annual have not publicly reacted
ciation of Southeast Asian drugs?" in the most serious threat drills that Philippine secu- to his demand.
Nations in Las Vegas next "The military and police under Duterte to the two rity officials have credited Thousands of mostly poor
month. Duterte has better said, `Sir, we can do it,'" he nations' 69-year treaty alli- with helping beat back suspects have been killed
relations with Trump than said. ance. communist insurgents na- under Duterte's campaign
with Obama, but his re- "If we can't do it, we have The termination takes ef- tionwide and Islamic State against illegal drugs, alarm-
marks Wednesday support no business being a repub- fect after 180 days unless group-aligned Muslim mili- ing the U.S. and other West-
an earlier statement by his lic," Duterte said. "You might both sides agree to keep tants in the southern Philip- ern governments and hu-
spokesman that he would as well choose. We can be the VFA. The waiting period pines. man rights groups.
not attend the Las Vegas a territory of the Americans allows the allies to renego- The VFA specifies which Duterte rejected on
meeting. or we can be a province of tiate contentious terms of country has jurisdiction over Wednesday what he said
"Do we need America China." the 1998 agreement. American soldiers who are was the portrayal by some
to survive as a nation?" The Philippine government The accord allows the en- accused of crimes while in U.S. officials of his admin-
Duterte asked. "Do we notified the U.S. two weeks try and temporary stay of the Philippines, a sensitive istration as persecuting a
need ... the might and ago that it intends to end American forces along issue in the former Ameri- detained opposition sena-
power of the military of the the Visiting Forces Agree- with U.S. military ships and can colony. tor and being incapable of
United States to fight our re- ment, which allows Ameri- aircraft for joint training U.S. Secretary of Defense investigating extrajudicial
bellion here and the terror- can forces to train in large with Filipino troops. The Mark Esper has called the killings.q
Victims of New Delhi’s deadly communal clashes fill hospital

By SHEIKH SAALIQ and AN- relatives stood outside the watched as his 17-year-old
IRUDDHA GHOSAL mortuary, some crying as son was wheeled out of an
Associated Press they waited for hospital au- operating theater after sur-
NEW DELHI (AP) — Patients thorities to release the bod- gery for a bullet would in his
on stretchers crammed the ies following postmortems. chest.
emergency room, while rel- Rahul Solanki, a 26-year-old The teenager said he
atives of the dead wailed Hindu, died from a gunshot was shot on his family's
outside a morgue as in- wound, according to his apartment terrace as he
jured people continued to family. His younger brother, watched Hindu mobs enter
pour into a public hospital Rohit Solanki, said he was his neighborhood.
after three days of clashes shot walking to a shop to New patients continued to
between religious groups buy milk. pour into the hospital on
that coincided with Presi- The corridors of the Guru stretchers. Those with head
dent Donald Trump's visit to Teg Bahadur hospital at injuries were wheeled to
India. New Delhi's eastern border the overcrowded emer-
At least 20 people were Indian paramilitary force soldiers patrol as an ambulance are often crowded, but gency room.
killed in the clashes, includ- stationed at the area which witnessed Tuesday's violence in on Wednesday hundreds Mohammad Akbar made
ing at least one policeoffi- New Delhi, India, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. thronged its wards as doc- it to the hospital with his
cial and an intelligence bu- Associated Press tors worked through the head bleeding profusely
reau officer, and nearly 200 Hindus and Muslims, in the Indian capital in decades. night to treat injuries. after he was attacked ear-
people were injured, both worst communal riots in the On Wednesday, victims' Mohammad Akram ly Wednesday. q