UNITED States President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, refused to condemn President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal crackdown on illegal drugs in a confirmation hearing at the US Senate on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). “America and the people of the Philippines have a longstanding friendship. I think it’s important that we keep that in perspective in engaging with the government of the Philippines,” he said in Washington. I will go with the facts on the ground. I’m sure there’s good and credible information available through our various government agencies,” he said.

Source: Manila Times January 12, 2017 17:09 UTC