THE strained relations between the Philippines and the United States became evident when Washington terminated its plan to sell firearms to Manila.

A Reuters report said Sen. Ben Cardin, the top Democrat in the Senate foreign relations committee, blocked the deal to sell some 26,000 to 27,000 assault rifles to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Citing Senate aides, the report added that the official opposed the provision of weapons to the Philippine police because of increasing concerns on human rights violations.

Cardin and Sen. Patrick Leahy earlier said the US Congress will take the policies of President Rodrigo Duterte into account when deciding on the grant of assistance to Manila for the current fiscal year.

The arms deal was halted after the Senate foreign relations committee informed the State Department that Cardin opposed the transaction during the department’s pre-notification process for the sale of weapons.

Duterte had kept up a string of verbal attacks against the US. When he visited China last month, he announced his “separation” from the US.

The President had been criticized by the US and United Nations for his tough anti-drug campaign that had left thousands of drug suspects dead.

Records showed that since July 1, over 4,700 drug suspects have been killed and 1,700 of these were slain during legitimate police operations.

The government, however, maintained that it does not tolerate extrajudicial executions.

The San Francisco Police Department earlier announced that it is ending its 16-year training program with the PNP because of concerns on allegations of civil rights violations in the Philippines.

US law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been providing equipment, training and intelligence to the PNP for years.

Senators, however, were not worried by the decision of the US State department to stop the sale of 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP.

“Since it’s a planned sale of assault rifles by the US to the Philippines, we do not stand to lose anything. There are tens of other countries that manufacture better and probably cheaper assault rifles than the US,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson said in a text message.

Lacson, who heads the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, noted that he is yet to see an investigation with the conclusion that massive human rights violations were committed by the police during implementation of an intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

“So I would take US Sen. Cardin’s statement as his own opinion and nothing more,” the senator said.

The State department’s move, according to Lacson, justified the need for the country to revive its self-reliance defense program (SRDP) to enable the Philippines to produce its own military hardware.

The RSDP was implemented during the time of President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree 415 issued on March 19, 1974.

The main purpose of the proclamation was to enable the Philippines to develop a local defense industry that can supply the materiel requirements of the Defense department.

The program, however, did not take off because the companies that participated allegedly got involved in corruption.

Another plan to revive the SRDP was raised during the administration of President Benigno Aquino 3rd.

 “There is now more reason for our Defense department to revive our self-reliance program so we can produce our own weapons and ammunition and other military hardware,” Lacson said.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto 3rd also was not bothered by the decision of the State department.

 Instead, he questioned Washington’s double standard on the human rights issue.

Sotto said more than 1,000 people were killed last year in the Mexican drug wars but the US was silent about it.

“Dito one thousand plus lang ang dami na nilang sinasabi [Here only one thousand plus [were killed]and yet they [US] were saying many things already,” Sotto pointed out.

He said the Philippines can acquire weapons from Israel.

But to Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, the US decision to stop the arms sale was a way to show that it is slowly flexing its muscles.

But Ejercito, like Lacson and Sotto, said the country can buy weapons elsewhere.

“There will be other opportunities. The US does not have monopoly of good firearms manufacturers. The PNP can now look at Israelí, Austrian or German made high-powered rifles, which are even superior,” he said in a text message.

Sen. Leila de Lima said the US action was expected.

“The Duterte administration saw this coming and of course was most probably indifferent to its consequences as its social media support groups and fake news sites will now drum this up as an opportunity to be independent of the US, and its support weapons supplies and technology,” de Lima added.

She maintained that Duterte’s so-called independent positioning is hollow and would only lead to the further isolation of the country from its allies in the region like Japan, Australia and South Korea. </s> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department halted the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines’ national police after Senator Ben Cardin said he would oppose it, Senate aides told Reuters on Monday.

A member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) stands guard while residents look on near the scene where two suspected drug pushers were killed during a police operation, in metro Manila, Philippines October 8, 2016. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco

Aides said Cardin, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines.

News of the thwarting of the weapons sale was met with disappointment among the Philippine police and government on Tuesday, but they said alternative suppliers would be found. Police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said the Philippines had yet to be notified about the sale being stopped.

The relationship between the United States and the Philippines, a long-time ally, has been complicated lately by President Rodrigo Duterte’s angry reaction to criticism from Washington of his violent battle to rid the country of illegal drugs.

More than 2,300 people have been killed in police operations or by suspected vigilantes in connection with the anti-narcotics campaign since Duterte took office on June 30.

The U.S. State Department informs Congress when international weapons sales are in the works. Aides said Foreign Relations committee staff informed State that Cardin would oppose the deal during the department’s prenotification process for the sale of 26,000-27,000 assault rifles, stopping the deal.

U.S. State Department officials did not comment.

Ronald dela Rosa, the Philippine national police chief and staunch supporter of the war on drugs, said he liked the American rifle, but suggested China as an alternative small-arms provider.

“We really wanted the U.S. rifles because these are reliable,” he told broadcaster ABS-CBN.

“But if the sale will not push through, we will find another source, maybe from China.”

In October, Duterte told U.S. President Barack Obama to “go to hell” and said the United States had refused to sell some weapons to his country, but he did not care because Russia and China were willing suppliers.

According to some U.S. officials, Washington has been doing its best to ignore Duterte’s rhetoric and not provide him with a pretext for more outbursts.

An open break with the Philippines could create problems for the United States in a region where China’s influence has grown. </s> WAR ON DRUGS. President Rodrigo Duterte remains under fire for his war on drugs that has killed thousands in the Philippines. Malacañang file photo

MANILA, Philippines – Two US senators filed a bill restricting the export of certain weapons and equipment from the United States to the Philippine National Police (PNP) as a consequence of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

The proposed Philippines Human Rights Accountability and Counternarcotics Act of 2017 was filed by Democratic Senator Benjamin Cardin and Republican Senator Marco Rubio on Thursday, May 4.

This is a bill "to restrict the exportation of certain defense articles to the Philippine National Police, to work with the Philippines to support civil society and a public health approach to substance abuse, to report on Chinese and other sources of narcotics to the Republic of the Philippines, and for other purposes."

Cardin is a ranking member of the US Senate foreign relations committee.

"President Duterte has unleashed a campaign of extrajudicial killings in his country that has horrified the international community," the senator said.

"Mr Duterte must handle criminal issues through the rule of law and allow drug addicts access to the public health services and treatment they deserve. In the absence of such actions, this legislation is clear in its support for the Filipino people and the importance of our alliance, but also the consequences if Mr Duterte's actions continue," he added.

Cardin earlier said, as well, that he was "deeply disturbed" by US President Donald Trump's "cavalier" invitation to Duterte to visit the US.

Rubio meanwhile described the war on drugs implemented by the PNP as "deeply alarming."

"This is not the right way to conduct an anti-drug campaign, and our legislation reflects our sincere desire to work with the Philippines to support human rights, expose narcotics networks emanating from mainland China and other countries, and use a public health approach to responsibly counter the dangers that drugs pose to our societies," Rubio said.

In November 2016, Duterte ordered the PNP to cancel the purchase of assault rifles from the US after Cardin reportedly wanted to block their sale.

In the same month, however, PNP chief chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said that the PNP has "the blessing of the President to continue the transaction as long as it's not barred."

Duterte's war on drugs has killed at least 7,000 people, from both legitimate police operations and vigilante-style killings. – Rappler.com </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte chided the United States on Wednesday for halting the planned sale of 26,000 rifles to his country, calling those behind the decision “fools” and “monkeys” and indicating he might turn to Russia and China instead.

Duterte’s tirades against the former colonial power are routine during his speeches and he said on Wednesday he once believed in Washington, but had since lost respect for the Philippines’ biggest ally.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said he regarded Duterte’s latest salvo as “inexplicably at odds with the close relationship that we continue to have with not just the Filipino people, but the Filipino government.”

The State Department halted the sale of the assault rifles to the Philippine police after staff from U.S. Senator Ben Cardin’s office said he would oppose it, Senate aides said Monday.

Aides said Cardin, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concern about human rights violations in the Philippines during Duterte’s bloody, four-month-old war on drugs.

“Look at these monkeys, the 26,000 firearms we wanted to buy, they don’t want to sell,” Duterte said during a televised speech.

“Son of a bitch, we have many homemade guns here. These American fools.”

More than 2,300 people have been killed in police operations or by suspected vigilantes as part of Duterte’s anti-narcotics effort, which was the linchpin of his election campaign.

Duterte has vented his anger at the United States for raising concerns about the extrajudicial killings.

“That’s why I was rude at them, because they were rude at me,” he said.

According to procedures in Washington, the U.S. Department of State informs Congress when international weapons sales are in the works. Aides said the State Department had been informed Cardin would oppose the deal during the prenotification process, thus effectively halting the sale.

“Committee staff told State that Cardin would block it if it was sent forward. They haven’t sent it. Does that mean it has been stopped? I guess that depends on your definition. It would be highly unusual for State to move it forward with explicit opposition,” a Senate aide said on Wednesday.

Kirby, the State Department spokesman, said he was barred from commenting on the status of the sale, while stressing the U.S. commitment to the U.S.-Philippines alliance.

Asked how the United States could have a close relationship with the Philippines’ government without also having such ties with its president, Kirby said in a democracy, the government “doesn’t rest on the shoulders of just one individual.”

Kirby denied Washington had any plan to circumvent Duterte but rather to stress that it has long and robust relationships with other parts of the government.

“Those are solid, they remain. But obviously, you also need to develop a good working relationship with the head of state,” Kirby said. “We’re committed to doing that.”

Speaking with troops at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the long-standing military alliance had benefited both nations.

“We continue to regard them as an ally. Obviously we’re having conversations with the government of the Philippines about the future of that. That has been good for the Philippines, it is good for the United States,” Carter said in response to a serviceman’s question.

The Philippine police chief, Ronald dela Rosa, who has expressed disappointment that police might not get the M4 rifles, held a news conference where he showed a letter from the supplier, SIG Sauer, saying it had been advised by the U.S. Department of State that the application for the export license was proceeding normally.

If it does not go ahead, dela Rosa said, “We have many options and it’s their loss, not ours, if the report is true.”

Duterte reiterated that Russia and China had shown willingness to sell arms to the Philippines, but he would wait to see if his military wanted to continue using U.S. weapons.

“Russia, they are inviting us. China also. China is open, anything you want, they sent me brochure saying we select there, we’ll give you.

“But I am holding off because I was asking the military if they have any problem. Because if you have, if you want to stick to America, fine.

“But, look closely and balance the situation, they are rude to us.”
United States senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) file a bill restricting arms sales to the Philippine National Police over its drug war.