VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Leaders of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's political party have endorsed him to be a vice presidential candidate in next year's elections, paving the way for him to stay in power for six more years after he steps down in 2022.

The move needs to be approved by the party general assembly, which meets next month.

In the Philippines, the president is limited to one six-year term. Duterte's term ends in June next year, but he has said he is seriously thinking about running for vice president, which political observers and critics say could be a backdoor to the presidency. read more

Next year's polls will be a referendum on Duterte's policies, including his bloody war on drugs, in which thousands of people have been killed, and the handling of the pandemic, many political analysts say.

The backing for Duterte was announced by Melvin Matibag, secretary-general of the ruling PDP-Laban party, who said the endorsement by the key officers will be presented to a national assembly of the party next month for approval.

For its presidential candidate, the party leadership endorsed Duterte's top aide and incumbent senator Christopher "Bong" Go, Matibag said, describing Go and Duterte as a "formidable" team.

"We are hoping the entire membership can carry it. That is the popular and logical choice of PDP-Laban leaders," Matibag told a media briefing.

Duterte, who has portrayed himself as a reluctant president with no desire for power, has on several occasions said he wanted Go to be his successor. His endorsement in 2019 helped Go to become a senator, a job he combines with being Duterte's personal aide.

Go has repeatedly said he was not interested in the presidency, and the only thing that could change his mind was if Duterte agreed to be his running mate.

Duterte's daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, the mayor of the southern city of Davao, has outshone Go in opinion polls among possible presidential contenders. But Sara and her father have both said they are against the idea of her running.

The filing of candidacy papers for next year's polls will start in October. Until then everything is just speculation and "every noise could just be posturing," said political analyst Victor Manhit. (Reuters)

Myanmar's ruling military has offered to waive charges against some protesters involved in demonstrations or strikes if they come forward to authorities, state media reported on Friday, prompting a sceptical response from several facing charges.

The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the army toppled the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi six months ago, sparking a wave of protests and a civil disobedience movement that has paralysed parts of the state.

Since the coup, security forces have arrested more than 7,000 people, while 1,984 warrants are outstanding, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an activist group.

No amnesty would be offered to anyone wanted for crimes such as murder, arson or attacks on troops, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported, blaming incitement by members of Suu Kyi's party for the civil disobedience campaign.

"Hence, those wishing to return home of their own accord... may trustfully contact the following telephone numbers or nearby police stations, district and township administration bodies," said the state media report

Security forces have brutally suppressed protests, killing hundreds since the coup, and the idea of surrendering to military authorities was dismissed by some currently in hiding and facing charges.

"It might be a set up," said Khin Myat Myat Naing, 35, who has been charged under section 505A of the penal code, which criminalises comments that could cause fear or spread false news and is punishable by up to three years in jail.

"They keep changing what they say all time. For example, their election promises," added the 35-year-old travel blogger and influencer.

Myanmar's military ruler Min Aung Hlaing this week pledged to hold elections by August 2023.

Shortly after the coup junta leaders promised elections within two years, so the reference was interpreted by some local media as extending the timeframe for polls by six months. read more

Sai Tun, 33, a freelance journalist, who is in hiding and facing charges under section 505A after taking photographs at protests, said he also did not plan to turn himself in.

"As long as the army is there, we will be fugitives," said Sai Tun, who was shot in the leg at a protest and is pinning his hopes on local militias opposing the military eventually seizing back power. (Reuters)

South Korea will extend its social distancing curbs by two weeks as the government contends with outbreaks nationwide and more people fall severely ill, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said on Friday.

The government tightened restrictions last week across most of the country ahead of the country's peak summer holiday period. read more

Seoul and surrounding regions have banned private gatherings of more than two people after 6 p.m. and any gatherings of more than four people are prohibited in the rest of the country.

Kim said the restrictions were crucial to stamping out cases and ensuring a safe reopening of schools in two weeks.

Health experts had called for tougher social distancing rules as the number of severe COVID-19 cases has doubled in three weeks, driven largely by young, unvaccinated people and a slow vaccination drive. read more

The mortality rate remains relatively low at 1.02%, while severe cases rose by 7 to 376 as of Thursday.

With the spread of the more transmissible Delta variant, a rise in movement of people despite the restrictions, and mobilised health personnel focused on the vaccination drive rather than contact tracing, epidemiological work seems to have struggled to catch up, Lee Soon-young, president of the Korean Society of Epidemiology, told Reuters in an e-mail.

“It is true that the momentum for contact tracing is diminishing due to more movement, a surge in infections from new variants and due to overlapping tasks for vaccination adverse reaction checks, which has resulted in an increase in the number of cases of unknown transmission routes,” Lee wrote.

The country has administered at least one shot to 40% of its 52 million population, while 14.7% have been fully vaccinated, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) data showed.

It aims to push up that number to 70% by next month.

The KDCA on Friday reported 1,704 cases for Thursday, bringing the total to 207,406 infections, with 2,113 deaths. (Reuters)

Taliban militants have switched strategy from targeting rural areas of Afghanistan to attacking provincial cities, in response to increased U.S. air strikes after the United States said it was ending its longest war, three militant commanders said.

The Taliban have stepped up their campaign to defeat the U.S.-backed government as foreign forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of conflict.

A regional U.S. commander said late last month the United States had increased air strikes to counter growing Taliban attacks, a move condemned by the Islamist group.

Fighting has been particularly heavy inside the city of Herat, near the western border with Iran, Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province in the southwest, and Kandahar in the south.

The three Taliban commanders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that they were focused on capturing Herat and Kandahar, with Lashkar Gah in their sights.

"Mullah Yaqoob argued that when U.S. didn't fulfil their commitment why should Taliban be made to follow the accord?" said one of the commanders, based in Kandahar, referring to the group's military chief.

"Mullah Yaqoob has decided to capture Kandahar and Herat and now Helmand and then it could be Kunduz, Khost or any other province," said the commander, saying the military leader’s arguments had won over the group's political office.

A Taliban spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Taliban negotiator Suhail Shaheen told Reuters the group was continuing its policy of seizing control of rural areas and implementing Islamic Sharia there, rather than focusing on cities.

The Taliban, who ruled with an iron hand from 1996 until 2001, had said previously they would focus on lucrative border crossings and large rural areas, though they have encircled and at times entered provincial capitals.

The group has been waging a massive nationwide offensive since April when President Joe Biden announced troops would withdraw by September and as officials warned peace talks in Doha were failing to make substantive progress.

In recent weeks, there have been sustained attacks on Herat, Kandahar and Lashkar Gar, stretching Afghan special forces thin and killing dozens of civilians.

FIGHTING 'NOT LIMITED TO PERIPHERIES'

"The operations in Kandahar and Herat are very much important to us and our priority is to capture the two crucial airports or airbases in Kandahar and Herat,” the Taliban commander in Kandahar said.

Officials and experts said they saw signs of a change in strategy last month.

"Taliban are pushing against the provincial capitals ... not just to exert pressure but to capture them," said Asfandyar Mir, a South Asia analyst from Stanford University.

"The main evidence is the extent of their breach of these cities. Fighting is not limited to the peripheries any more. This switch in Taliban strategy has been formalised after Eid, though Taliban forces were putting serious pressure on Kandahar even before Eid."

The Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha was celebrated last month.

Kandahar and Herat are the second- and third-largest cities of Afghanistan by population. Experts said their loss would be a major political blow to the government and could potentially trigger major realignments in favour of the Taliban.

"Capture of Kandahar means a lot to the Taliban. It was their capital and occupying the city is great morale boost for the Taliban... This is something they cherish and for Kandahar, Taliban can risk international ire," said an Asian diplomatic source closely following the Taliban.

A Western security official said: "The fact they are attacking (cities) is a sharp reaction to air support offered by the U.S. ... The Taliban have proven that now they will not just stop with controlling trading points."

It is not clear whether U.S. airstrikes would continue after foreign forces complete their withdrawal.

A spokesperson for U.S. forces in Afghanistan and the U.S. embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Experts and officials say that for now a military takeover of Kabul would be much more difficult for the Taliban than provincial capitals, but that the group could increase bombings and attacks to undermine security and public morale.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack at the acting defence minister's residence on Tuesday and warned of further violence. (Reuters)