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WORLD NEWS Thursday 30 March 2017

Duterte to US: Why didn’t you send armada vs China islands?

JIM GOMEZ Oriental Mindoro province
Associated Press a day after concerns were
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — raised over a report by a
Philippine President Rodri- U.S. think tank that Chi-
go Duterte said Wednes- na has nearly completed
day he has asked the U.S. construction work on three
ambassador why America man-made islands that will
did not deploy an armada allow it to deploy combat
of warships to pressure Chi- aircraft and surface-to-air
na to stop constructing missiles.
man-made islands that are The Washington-based
now at the heart of region- Center for Strategic and
al concerns in the disputed International Studies ana-
South China Sea. lyzed recent satellite pho-
Duterte said in a speech tos and concluded that
that U.S. Ambassador Sung runways, aircraft hangers,
Kim was unable to reply radar sites and hardened
to the question when they surface-to-air missile shel-
met Monday in southern ters have either been fin-
Davao city, where the ished or are nearing com-
president had a separate pletion.
meeting with the Chinese One of the islands men-
ambassador. While criticiz- tioned in the report, Phil-
ing the U.S., Duterte did not ippine-claimed Mischief
berate China’s behavior in Reef, was seized by Chi-
his speech. na in 1995, drawing protests Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte reacts during a press conference in Manila, Philippines.
Duterte said he told Kim from Manila then. Another Duterte says his militarily inferior country can’t stop China’s actions in contested waters, respond-
that he was surprised by island, Subi, is very close ing to a reported plan by Beijing to construct an environmental monitoring station in a disputed
what he described as U.S. to a Philippine-occupied shoal off the Philippines’ northwest coast. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
inaction when newspapers island in the Spratly chain,
were publishing pictures which is claimed in whole Duterte repeated that flict. wan,” Duterte said, refer-
of China’s construction of or in part by China, the he would not go to war “The first thing that will be ring to the western Philip-
runways and other struc- Philippines, Vietnam, Ma- with militarily superior Chi- blasted away from this pine island province facing
tures on the newly built is- laysia, Taiwan and Brunei. na over the territorial con- planet Earth will be Pala- the disputed waters. “q
lands in the disputed wa-
ters. South Africa activist’s funeral exposes divide over future
“Had America really want-
ed to avoid trouble, early STUART GRAHAM in prison with Nelson Man- fighters.” But the growing tion as a bulwark against
on ... why did you not send Associated Press dela for opposing the for- frustration over the coun- corruption has raised inves-
the armada of the 7th Fleet JOHANNESBURG (AP) — mer white minority govern- try’s leadership burst out tor fears that Zuma will soon
which is stationed there in The funeral of one of South ment, died Tuesday at age among the aging activ- fire him. The rand currency
the Pacific, you just make Africa’s leading anti-apart- 87. He stepped into the ists, including Mandela’s has dropped, further wor-
a U-turn and go there heid activists on Wednes- spotlight last year to urge ex-wife Winnie Madikizela rying residents of a lead-
and tell them right on their day exposed the angry Zuma to quit after numer- Mandela, 80. They rose in ing African economy that
face, stop it?” Duterte said divide over the fate of a ous corruption allegations a standing ovation when has stalled amid high un-
he asked Kim, referring to country he fought decades against him shook the faith Kgalema Motlanthe, a employment. Many South
the U.S. naval fleet based to see exist. President Ja- of many in the ruling Afri- former deputy president Africans have shown their
in Japan. cob Zuma said he wouldn’t can National Congress, the under Zuma, quoted from impatience with the presi-
Kim, who arrived in Manila attend after Ahmed Kath- country’s former liberation Kathrada’s letter urging dent, who was found last
last year as American am- rada’s family asked him to movement. The ANC flag Zuma to leave to avoid year by the country’s high-
bassador, replied that he stay away, while funeral- covered Kathrada’s coffin deepening the “crisis of est court to have violated
was assigned elsewhere goers rose in a standing Wednesday, and a state- confidence in the govern- his oath of office by refusing
at the time and could not ovation for Kathrada’s re- ment from Zuma’s office ment.” There was another to pay back some of the
give an answer, Duterte cent call for the scandal- said South Africa had lost standing ovation for Fi- millions of dollars in public
said. ridden Zuma to step aside. “one of its valuable and nance Minister Pravin Gord- money spent on upgrading
Duterte spoke in a visit to Kathrada, who spent years most respected freedom han, whose strong reputa- his rural home.q