Philippine news

AlJ has an article on the Abus: fighting while high on Shabu, kidnapping to get ransoms to buy guns, and of course, sharing the wealth with relatives and local politicians etc to stay protected.

related item: Local ex mayor drug lord arrested.

Adrian Alvaro, PDEA Northern Mindanao chief, told reporters that the former mayor heads the Abinal drug ring, described as the biggest supplier of shabu in the regions of Southern Mindanao, Northern Mindanao, Caraga, Central Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“They (Abinal drug group) are dealing drugs in bulk,” Alvaro said.
“If the orders are huge, [the payment is done] through bank to bank transactions, and on consignment basis,” Alvaro said.
Alvaro said the group obtains its supply from Chinese drug lords in Manila and has been in the illegal drug trade for the past 15 years.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/798554/narcs-arrest-ex-mayor-tagged-as-mindanao-drug-queen#ixzz4FN7UR9MK Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

Remember that massacre of all those reporters?

Well this relates bribes paid to protect the perpetrators

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StrategyPage on Japan's investments in Burma, that replace China's investments. This means they won't be punished if they defend the Philippines at ASEAN. It's the democracy stupid so they have to pay attention to the locals.

 Currently China is eager to buy some regional allies (especially Thailand, Burma and Malaysia) to get some support for Chinese expansion efforts in the South China Sea. China is willing to pay a lot for such support. But Burmese officials knew that most Burmese feared China and backed cracking down on illegal economic activity on the Chinese border and punishing Chinese firms that behave badly while building large new mines and power plants in thinly populated rural areas.

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The eal danger: If Zika spreads to SEAsia.

The DOH plans to test athletes when they come back from the Olympics.

But what if the virus comes back with visitors? There has been a Dengue epidemic in SE Asia for decades, and it is the same mosquito.

And no, I haven't seen anyone spraying the open ditches albeit the main drainage canal is now covered.

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Reports are that the President is going around on his motorcycle checking out problems in Manila.

his hard line on drugs is "splitting the public".

Translation: Human right folks are worried as is the Catholic church but hey, the ordinary folks are happy.