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WORLD NEWS Monday 13 May 2019

Duterte allies seek to dominate Philippine midterm polls

By JIM GOMEZ popular presidency,” Ma-
Associated Press nila-based analyst Richard
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Heydarian said. “Are we
Philippine President Rodri- going to affirm or are we
go Duterte’s name is not on going to reject the 2016
the ballot, but Monday’s elections? Was that an ab-
midterm elections are seen erration and historical ac-
as a crucial referendum cident that we have to fix,
on his rise to power with a or is this actually the begin-
brutal crackdown on ille- ning of the kind of new era
gal drugs, unorthodox style or new normal?”
and contentious embrace A May 3-6 survey by in-
of China. dependent pollster Pulse
Nearly 62 million Filipinos Asia showed 11 of Duterte-
have registered to choose backed senatorial candi-
among 43,500 candidates dates and four other aspi-
vying for about 18,000 con- rants in the winning circle,
gressional and local posts including only one from
in one of Asia’s most ram- the opposition. The survey
bunctious democracies. of 1,800 respondents had a
The most crucial race is for margin of error of plus or mi-
12 seats in the 24-mem- nus 2.3 percentage points.
ber Senate, which Duterte In this Friday, May 10, 2019, photo, activists are flashed on a screen as opposition senatorial Duterte himself remains
wants to fill with allies to candidate Florin Hilbay addresses them during their rally at the People Power Monument, three hugely popular, topping
bolster his legislative agen- days before the May 13 mid-term elections in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, ratings surveys with about
Philippines.
da. That includes the return Associated Press 70 percent approval. q
of the death penalty, low-
ering the age for criminal position senators moved to enforced the crackdown
liability of child offenders block proposed bills they when the president took
and revising the country’s feared would undermine office in mid-2016.
1987 constitution primarily civil liberties. Aside from the drug killings,
to allow a shift to a federal Duterte’s politics and key Duterte’s gutter language
form of government, a pro- programs, including his and what nationalists say is
posal some critics fear may drive against illegal drugs a policy of appeasement
be a cover to remove term that has left more than toward China that may
limits. 5,200 mostly urban poor undermine Philippine ter-
Opposition aspirants con- suspects dead, have been ritorial claims in the South
sider the Senate the last scrutinized on the cam- China Sea, have also been
bastion of checks and bal- paign trail and defended hounded by protests and
ances given the solid domi- by close allies running for criticism.
nance of Duterte’s loyalists the Senate, led by his for- “This is very much a refer-
in the lower House of Rep- mer national Police Chief endum on his three years
resentatives. Last year, op- Ronald dela Rosa, who first of very disruptive yet very

South Africa chief vows to purge ANC

of ‘deviant tendencies’

Associated Press showing for the African Na- Zuma to resign last year un-
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — tional Congress, which has der party pressure. Current
South Africa’s president is ruled since the apartheid President Cyril Ramaphosa
vowing to purge his party system of racial discrimina- in his first speech to sup-
of “bad and deviant ten- tion ended 25 years ago. porters since the election
dencies” as he prepares to Low voter turnout also re- win said Sunday he will not
appoint a new Cabinet fol- flected the frustration of appoint leaders who work
lowing a victory in national many South Africans af- “to fill their own pockets.”
elections. ter corruption scandals Ramaphosa is believed to
The 57% share of the vote around the ANC that led be facing a revolt within
was the worst-ever election former president Jacob the party by Zuma allies.q