Duterte has found international infamy for his foul-mouthed tirades, but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country's dysfunction and elite politicians.
MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to strengthen his grip on power in midterm polls next week, experts say, clearing a possible path to restoring the death penalty and advancing his pledge to rewrite the constitution.
Duterte's tough-on-crime platform - which also includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 - was key to his landslide election victory in 2016. Duterte has also pledged to rewrite the constitution, which would open avenues to prolonging his power beyond a legally-mandated single term that ends in 2022.
"The Senate has acted as some sort of institutional check on the worst instincts of the president," political analyst Richard Heydarian told AFP - warning, however, that could change in the midterms.Historically, the nation's 24 senators - who serve six-year terms - have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house.
The first enforcer of Duterte's drug war, former national police chief Ronald dela Rosa, is also well positioned despite some of the crackdown's most well-known abuses happening on his watch. A capital punishment bill that passed the House in 2017 allowed execution in cases where suspects were caught with 500 grams of marijuana, or 10 grams of cocaine, heroin or ecstasy.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brunei puts gay sex death penalty on hold after outcrySultan extends a moratorium on the death penalty
Read more »
Brunei won't enforce gay sex death penalty after backlash | IOL NewsBrunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah has announced death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced after a global backlash.
Read more »
Brunei won't enforce gay sex death penalty after backlashBrunei's sultan has announced death by stoning for gay sex and adultery will not be enforced after a global backlash.
Read more »
WATCH: The ACDP takes your questions on the death penalty, capitalism and corporal punishmentThe death penalty, capitalism vs Christianity and the need for corporal punishment were the issues that came up when ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe sat down with News24's Social Media Editor Kelly Anderson to answer your questions. Watch.
Read more »
LIVE: Five voting stations still to open their doorsFollow the action of today's big polls to decide who governs the country and each of its nine provinces for the next five years.
Read more »
Lost world: UN report shows Nature at death's doorCrop production has surged 300% since 1970, meaning one-third of all land is now used to make food -- an industry that uses 75% of all fresh water on Earth.
Read more »
Lost world: UN report shows Nature at death's doorA landmark UN report on the state of Nature shows how humanity has wreaked havoc on the environment, undercutting Earth's essential life-support systems.
Read more »
UN report shows nature at death’s doorThe authors stress that whatever losses humans inflict on nature will in turn be inflicted upon us.
Read more »
Polling stations opening late, voting hours to be extendedIEC CEO Sy Mamabolo says voting kicked off on a positive start.
Read more »
2019 Elections: Newsflash: Minor protests delay opening of polling stationsThe day of what has been called the most important election in South African history post-1994 has finally arrived. Millions of South Africans have gone out to vote. However, in some provinces there has been some unrest, leading to disruptions in voting.
Read more »