US Unlikely to Take a Strong Stance Against Duterte

For the first time, President Obama is scheduled to meet with Philippine’s newly elected President Rodrigo Duterte at next week’s G20 summit. Duterte has been widely condemned for his hard line campaign against drugs. Tom Pepinsky, a Southeast Asia expert and associate professor of government at Cornell University, says despite previous criticism by the U.S. administration, bilateral issues might overshadow domestic human rights concerns.
Bio: https://tompepinsky.com/
Pepinsky says:
“The Obama administration has expressed serious concerns about the recent spate of extrajudicial killings of illegal drug users and traffickers in the Philippines, where the new administration of Rodrigo Duterte has taken a strong stance against such perceived social ills.
“Although Pres. Obama will likely press Duterte to reign in these excesses, other bilateral concerns – including Chinese encroachment into the South China Sea, continuing operations against militants in the South, and trade and investment relations with the former U.S. colony – will almost certainly prevent the U.S. from taking a stronger or more principled stand against Duterte.”
Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.
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