Politics
The war goes on
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte delivered his annual State of the Nation address yesterday with the grim resolve for which he has become notorious. During the speech, he declared that the war on drugs, which has to date caused upwards of 12,000 Filipino deaths, was far from over, and will be “as relentless and chilling... as on the day it began”. While this doesn’t make for comfortable listening – the news is likely to dismay human-rights organisations – the US administration is unlikely to flinch. Duterte’s tough talk about defending his country’s rights in the South China Sea will be welcomed by Washington in light of a more assertive Beijing. Predictably enough, the US president has shown an admiration for Duterte’s strongman-style leadership in recent years. And while there have been a few spats in bilateral relations, a bizarre “salute” to Abraham Lincoln at the end of Duterte’s speech signifies an intent to remain friends.