[Washington Times] Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of ordering hundreds of extrajudicial killings in the government's war on drugs, is a threat to democracy in the Asia-Pacific region, U.S. intelligence officials say. Aside from Duterte’s counternarcotics campaign, Malacanang also instituted martial law in the country for the first time since the mid-1970s. Such actions have drawn concern from the intelligence community, who labelled Duterte’s government as a destabilizing force in the Pacific, where democratic governments allied with Washington are already coming under threat from China and its proxies in the region.
“Duterte has suggested he could suspend the constitution, declare a ‘revolutionary government,’ and impose nationwide martial law,” according to an annual report to Congress issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence earlier this month.
On Wednesday, Philippine officials dismissed such claims of autocratic tendencies. “He adheres to the rule of law and remains loyal to the constitution,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.