strike, he and the rest of the opposition wanted these elections to be a referendum on the georgia dream government. they did not get the decisive result . they were hoping for. although election observers have noted many instances of frauds and intimidation, government misuse of resources may also have tilted results in its favor. george's western allies have grown increasingly concerned that the political parties here must start settling their differences in the interests of their country. the outcome of the selection suggests voters want the same robin 1st year walker al jazeera tbilisi. ah, and let's take you through some of the headlines here. now just here, now the secrets of the rich and powerful of been exposed in the biggest trove of

leaked off shore dancer in history. 12000000 files have been released in what's being dubbed the pandora papers. the king of jordan is among those named at least 13 table have been killed in an explosion in afghanistan's capital. the bombing targeted the entrance of the 2nd largest mosque in cobble i morial service was being held for the mother of taliban spokesman's abbey. hello, janet, thousands of tennesseans are holding a rally in support of their president and wednesday chi psi. it named the new prime minister was now working to form a government. the opposition as a q side of conducting a coo bernard smith has more from tunis. there are many thousands of people on the streets of tunis and on the streets of other towns and cities in june as you're showing the support for president case saeed. that's an attempt to month on from when the president suspended parliament and subsequently started to rule by decree . an attempt to show there is continued support for the path, the country,

the path. the president is taking this country down at because they have been increasing grumblings, particularly from civil society groups from the political elite that there is still no plan to pull tunisia out of the dia, economic crisis. it's in libby as coast guard as intercepted about carrying around $500.00 refugees and migrants to europe becomes a day after security forces, detain thousands and the biggest crackdown in recent years. the un says one person was killed. george is opposition is alleging vote of fraud after official results from saturday's election showed the governing party george and dream while ahead. the vote took place a day after former president mc came sir, cash billy was arrested those he had lines. the news continues after inside story stay with us. ah,

outspoken and controversial rigor. the 30 says that he's retiring from politics. the philippine president leaves a legacy marked by a harsh crack down on drugs. but how has his trial in office shaped politics and will his successor keep his policies? this is inside story. ah hello, welcome to the program. i'm adrian finnegan. philippine presidents can only serve a single 6 year term in office, and that's created a bit of an obstacle for president rodrigo to 30 who many had speculated was hoping

to run for the vice presidency. but he's just announced that he's retiring from politics altogether. a recent poll had suggested that many filipinos disapproved of his reported bid for the vice president seat. now there are reports that his daughter sala, to take a pill is running for president. she is expected to join her father's former aid sen, bongo who's running for vice president, president de dirty, endorsed sen bongos candidacy. when he announced his retirement on saturday. oh, i said no sentiment. oh, the filipinos that i am not really bad and it would be a 1000000 of ignited 1000000. simpson read the man with nancy to him. or president of 30, came to power in 2016, promising to reduce crime. but his violent campaign against drugs as spart,

controversy at home and abroad rights groups accused his forces of carrying out extrajudicial killings and murdering suspects. they estimate the billy, 30000 people have been killed in 230 so called war on drugs, but government figures put that number at no more than 6000. while the international criminal court has opened an investigation for possible crimes against humanity. ah, well let's bring in our guests. all of them. joining us set from the philippines to day from manila are joined by a chris elliot as a journalist and author in marchina at danilo or our professor of journalism at the university of the philippines. and also in manila, richard to he darian an academic and author of the rise of de tirty, a populace revolt against elite democracy, a warm welcome to you all chris, other. let's start with you. so to today's, going to retire from politics. ha. but we've heard that before,

should we believe in this time? i would say by quick answer would be no. but maybe there is a slight to do it. i mean, he's been known to lie to have something up pcs. so the best thing to do is to just wait and see, but it's become like, you know, a running drama in the political scene because the electrons are coming up and, and it kind of diverts the very important topic of today, like the pandemic, the corruption that's been going on related to the pandemic. so that's, that's the only thing that, that basically gets in the way danilo will deter, to his vision of retirement. look like if his daughter wins the presidency. can we expect him to be in the background? the wizard of oz, like still pulling the strings most definitely he can still be part of the new site

. them, and he was filming things some in fluids and that just in politics, but in various aspects of social they've been so we expect that to still be having a prominent role and a space out of the set. everything despite uncertain, this is not the 1st time that he said that he spent, i eating and he's sick and tired and it makes but you know, something new comes along for now. he says that he said i, but in my opinion that there will come, i find that he will still be very influential. whether or not i make no mistake about it. the deadline for the findings and this is in the philippines, he's on the 8th, but people are watching what will happen on november 15, where that, that line or we are, wasn't shown still happen. so the waiting period is quite long. it's not just october 8. it's november 15 and most probably may even be may 9 where there are and i once asked for last we need some speaking shocks,

although. busy there are some restrictions on election day richard, or do you agree with that? the, to perhaps we, we shouldn't believe to touch a, what he says he's going to retire just yet. but if he, if he wants to stay in politics, what would his motivations be for doing so? i mean, one thing that we have learned about populace is not to take them necessarily literally, but to take them seriously. and a problem with present that there it is that sometimes you don't think you should also take him literally at all or even seriously at all. but i think in this case, there are reasons to believe that president authority, sensing that the tide is turning and shoot them against him. or if you look at it in mental east, we are reaching a kind of a peak to tampa, or he's approval rating. sov. software to double digit decline since last year. yes, it's still popular by western standards perhaps, but it's on a downward trajectory. or in the latest survey on the vice presidential candidates, he's 11 points behind against someone who was way behind him just few months ago.

so or in terms of his competitiveness, a heading into a vice presidential race to somehow hob a back door into the millennium palace. that's also not looking very good for him. and by the way, a survey came out where by 60 percent of filipinos or post him, i'll post his plan to ron as a vice president. because that could potentially give him a situation or by he could still become the president and violate the spirit. and that even the letter of the constitution, in fact, even he's in his home island of me than all more than 50 person, said they don't want him to run as a vice president. so maybe he's reading the writing on the wall of 1st to 3rd to being to tear dale tried to always pull off some maneuver at the 11th hour passed it. but i think he's beginning to sense that perhaps it's better if he has these anointed successors. ron at the number 2, a number on one level and the number 2 he up. his 1st preference really for presidency, was his longtime 8 and protege, senator christopher bungle but his numbers are not good. so he's encouraging that guy to run for vice presidency. and now saying, my daughter, you should run for the presidency, but while, sorry,

saying maybe i want to run for mayor. so these dramas been going on for a while, but the fax is an on the ground tight. is she ok? yes. present to 30 were and is definitely sensing richard. you say the child is turning if i mean, if the constitution, let's just assume for them over the constitution allowed to try to run for a 2nd term. would he of one ah, well did realities that present the theory, the still has a lot of advantage on his side. right. i mean, this is a guy who has a lot of emergency powers because of the pandemic. a yes, tremendous amount of access to state resources. there have been corruption scandals right and left. and critics are saying maybe that has a lot to do with you know, money that has to go to election. so he has a lot of advantages, i think present to 3rd that if he could have, i mean he would have push for changing the constitution. but the fact that he was not able to change, change the constitution, a lot of even se alice were against him. and now saw his former allies like sen, money, but yell is turning against him and positioning himself as a crusader against corruption. i mean, he may be popular,

but things can turn against him. let's not forget. i think the feudal president, the 3rd there is that the thing that he did his predecessor present aquino could happen to be in prison. aquino, delay present, you know, had a 5060 percent approval rating, heading into the elections there that the 60 so neighbors and approval rating. but things can turn people are fecal enders, a lot of anger and frustration with the mismanagement of the cove it night and pandemic. and not even his, our laser turning against him. so even if he had a, you know, the da da right to run for reelection, which is barred by our constitution, things would not look as well for him. and i think as far as filipinos are concerned, perhaps, as they, since the did, they did the chance for change their being more expressive about her disapproval, the president and the climate of theories withering away. what we'll get into what sort of president he's been in just a few moments, but criselda, 1st of all, just just one more question on the tour to his motivations for perhaps staying in the game either was vice president or somewhere in the background is that perhaps to ensure that he remains out of reach of the international criminal court. yeah,

that's exactly one reason that he might want to stay in power or at least have an influence with someone. so there is a possibility that if he wants his daughter run a precedent and we think that she might man, because for her all her ratings are quite right on that with his sure his safety i out of jail basically on. so that's one thing. and if not, is maybe an ally like his right hand man senator was richard mentioned earlier on or if not him another ally, but that's the thing which is don't know how far he would go to to really keep his, you know, is his hands on, on the political play that, you know, the situation with the i c, c could be difficult for him in the sense that well, the cases are running their more there. it's very likely that the investing, the more people testify against him. so you know it's, it's, it's from,

it's one of the main reason that i'd want to say, let's go to his legacy, danilo, has he been good for the country? he said when he came into office that he'd improve the lives of the poor through land reform through free education, healthcare, half people, prostate prospered on book to 30 of their lives, improved worse than i receive off the government. that things would have been going well as up and then may not happen, but i believe i would show that even prior to that. and then there is economic hardship among many people on what is ation is still happening and their new job insecurity. the labor migration was still up and on time high, prior to that me and things you know, went on a downturn when lockdown square. he bo, starting in march 2020. and the government cannot deny the fact that they are focus more on i said that i make on the stamps that would run through the people's

interests, like red bagging, right. focusing on bill bill, bill programs, infrastructure development or vacation programs like the controversial gone to my beach along with b r. so this things are l. l signs that the government really doesn't care much about this being that like the people they go for broke down and back for vacation campaigns that would look good in terms of optics in the media. but it's actually, it actually doesn't thread down in terms of improving the lights and light of the so if we're talking about with the legacy, it's a legacy of feelings of murders, often impression of the media and the violation of b c rights. and that would quite explain why we can do something like a balancing we're in we, we nobody the good and we but i to annual but i also that bad because when you get down to it, feelings are killings and no amount off, you know,

beautification campaigns and then i the fact that people have di, activists, and journalists have been, i've aesthetically pain story short and gale most especially the activists. so these are signs of the items that we need the m well share of the unity and that ain't the of any there are certain openings and opportunities provide that by them eat 20 brent elections. but the problem in the philippines is fairly systemic. and structural and a bigger farm or social change would be necessary to ensure that it will not prosper again. me, richard, average g d p growth should the short teens in the to total years is 3.4 percent. that's not bad. the lowest 5 year average since the early 19 ninety's. it is though, to what extent is the pandemic been used as an excuse for the failure of duties

economic policies. the economy was slowing consistently before the pandemic, but it's now suffolk, 5 consecutive quarters of gdp decline. yeah, i mean, of course, that's that. and then it is right, that's the kind of narrative that the going once to run, that, you know, we were in a pyre days. and then this pandemic happened. but the pandemic is really exposed. the incompetence of this administration. it has really exposed the performative ness of president. the 3rd is very good in terms of, you know, performing as the kind of a supposed concrete and leader. but when crisis happens, we see, you know, the paucity of that. but the reality is that even before the pandemic, the philippines, economic growth was on a downward trajectory. it was slowing down for in their investments was among the lowest. he's not the lowest in the region. the philippines was on there performing on many fronts, to 3rd, to promise that he could bring in billions of dollars of investments from china. now that he's picking a fight with the americans and being nice of the chinese, none of that came not

a single beacon infrastructure project by the chinese really kicked off on their president that there to so things were not really looking good for him. all you know, heading to depend amick years he, they try to use the pandemic to consolidate power and create an excuse. but i think a lot of feet of been as a realizing, been why the philippines is doing worse, even in the region, even compared to a similar countries in the region, thailand, vietnam militia, indonesia, the philippines is not doing well. it has been called 19 hog. i'm yet a for quite some time it has, it has had suffered one of the deepest recessions on earth. next of countries like india, close to 10 percent. so, you know, there's a lot, i mean they can play this game of saying this is not our fault or not, but they're not very vulnerable to solve even their extra former allies going against st. for some one i didn't mention or de marquesas unit in the science of the former dictatorship. frida and mark was junior, wants to also run as a presidency and, and the serial increasing the training as rivals also to present it there. so that's why i'm saying you may be popular, you may have a lot of advantages,

but there are lot of vulnerabilities, an x r laced opposition, some new century, some new populace or a can't have a lot of vulnerabilities into their destruct record that they can really tweak against him, i think he's short. if you look at his legacy, it's it, it's blood and concrete, right? so in fairness, there has been lot of rows and infrastructure in the rural perry fil a region of the country, all the, no beek to get infrastructure projects, but a lot of development happened really in the peripheries of the country over the past 5 years. thanks to the fact that the 3rd, this predecessor saved a lot of money. so when he took power in 2016, he was in a very, very good position. and now he's going to leave as far more unstable, impoverished country than what he could of are, you know, be quite that are to his successor in comparison to the kind of good conditions macroeconomic and political conditions that he, that he inherited from the varied a form that he had thought throughout the years as supposedly incompetent incur up and so on and so forth. criselda, he said he tackle the oligarchs, as he called them, that he's been accused of settling political scores in of gagging the media wall.

going about that he said that he tackled drugs within his 1st 6 months and we didn't hit that target. but as we heard at the beginning of the program rights group, say that 30000 people have died in the war on drugs or state sponsored murder. as some will describe it, do you think that the war on drugs will be his is legacy? what a negative one definitely. i mean, what he did in the southern city of the vote where he was mayor for 20 years, was something that he wanted to replicate for the entire country. and that didn't work. i mean, the situation and of all, it's not that all the same in the rest of the rest of the country. so ah, yeah, that's his legacy. but it's, it's, it's a bad one. it's something that people will remember for, for years to come. and on that, the thing there is, the sad thing that's happening now is that there doesn't seem to be a move and an effort to really hold him accountable to that on the senate.

didn't stop him really, from withdrawing from the i. c. c. and the supreme court did the same thing, the supreme court basically, you know, it's hands off from that issue. so it's now at the i c c, depending on the next president who every that will be to see that this cases will prosper against him. danilo, what are the chances that of his daughter, sorrow succeeding him utterly explain her popularity in the opinion polls? how similar are her politics to her dad's what's her record is mer of double. ok, that's a good question. i mean, within the realm of possibilities, i thought it showed me the residency very much possible, even if i showed up the final her certificate than to the c s. may yard. now go see . now one thing about opinion was during the embed me is that people are very

anxious. they're very stressed. and even one high ranking official of a survey for in the philippines mentioned that the field interview, where sense someone saw you'd be whenever people would. but i to be, you know, responsive and call that the reservation that there be them. so naturally, there is some steel by yes or that ministration or certain remarks that would be favorable for those in power for the simple reason that. 6 around 70 to 80 percent of the population will be dependent on i will back or you know, in english. so they are dependent on government grants, no matter how high or how low, even if such amounts may not be enough. and they may just be a bit on compared to the high cost of living. so in that particular context, some things are we have to understand that sir based, they're still reliable. but we have to think that it's all to the rate of. so

because there are certain quantity shots that would happen, for example, majority of the population will host out there on the again. but he would still be 2nd in terms of, you know, that ranking for vice president in the same way i, there will be people, majority of the people agreeing that a, b, c, b and which was shut down, needs to have a franchise. but at the same bank, robot rate being done, i don't the same video for that. it would still be high. it's that level of, i'm sorry, the and stress of respondents during the fun that me, that would have to be they get me back on. so in that so many words, what i want the stress here is that why is there is popularity e, okay, we give them that on the white off that likes with that there and other bro administration candidates. we have looked at the survey results done during the anatomy or with a grain of salt because it, because we have to take it back on the downside, the instrument that went with the responses made by people who are interviewed

during the survey. so i would rather be in a more while we ate the analysis, rather than just the can on that one, did they give empirical b as present by the survey? cricket, richard, you touched on foreign policy a few minutes ago, a deterrence, his presidency was marked by shift away from the u. s. and towards china, you think that's going to continue on the, the next president, how indebted to china has the philippines become under 30? has it submitted to chinese expansionism in the south china sea and the, the west philippine sea? yeah. absolute down the foreign policy front. we also see a kind of a peak the terror to situation. as you may know, in recent months, the philippines in united states have somehow been making up right, a prison, to turn to finally a sent a, sent it to the restoration food. restoration of the visiting force is agreement that he tried to abrogate a previous years of because of disagreements with the u. s. on human rights issues

. and in fact, recently on the eve of this 70th anniversary of the mutual defense treaty of the united states and the philippines, filipinos, defense minister and foreign minister, we visited washington dc, and they agreed on even further deepening their security corporations. i think even the 3rd a sensing that you know, he doesn't want to be on the wrong side of americans as he heads into this very difficult and uncertain terrain, which is the transition period towards the next president. i mean, yes, sire that there they still number one in the survey but, but she's increasingly tied with other candidates. she was at their own 28 percent in the 2nd quarter of this year. and now she's down to 20 percent. and who knows if auditors are going to catch up, including the markers this and former alice la, fuck yell mir frandisco moreno in as if you're determined that you know, i think the target was smart enough to realize that the want to be under rank ross out of americans, it's not only because of the influence of americans, it's also all because of the fact that there many people in the philippines defense establishment in the foreign policy, elliott establishment who believe that china is a legitimate threat to the philippines and that keeping it strong with americans,

is it, you know, is, is a common sense. it's a scenic way, non for defending the philippine national interest and service after surveys throughout the years. whether to pandemic or not. whether we have a climate of fear or not, show that 9 out of 10 filipinos want the philippines to take a tougher stance in the sol genesee. so the issue of trying is inorder vulnerability for present. 3rd, and i expect a lot to office, even former. i like to go after him on the chinese listen, forget, few months ago, money pock yell went after the dirt and saying, you're not tough enough when china, that kind of patriotic nationalist, even anti china positioning will most likely see more of that in all from both centuries and definitely the d all position are in the coming upcoming presidential debates. lifestyle is going to run as the 3rd as proxy on the she, i see her is much more independent and quite different in her style of governance from her father. but she's going to run, she's going to be seen as a proxy. and she's going to be at the receiving end of every single criticism from every corner of the political spectrum. as for us to turn to domestic and foreign

policies, concern criselda to, to agree with that a how much trust is foreign policy factor in to the way in which people vote in the philippines flip president? well, the thing there is that if you ask annoying a person in the corner of the street, whether he knows anything about the west in see the answer, most likely will be no on but on a much broader scale. and in reference to, to the links that we have with the philippines has been with america. it's just something that can be broken. i mean, the filipinos are so attached to this kind of history that i don't think we've ever imagined a relationship, you know, friendship without america. so, yes, the china issue will also be a big factor most likely for the next elections. and that will probably fall on the security sector in the military. how the military will react to that. because for

so many years before the 30 came along, they've been so anti china, they would even, you know, when it comes to procurement of defense material, they would not, they would even make sure that the chinese, they're not ball. and suddenly they had, you know, they had to do with a commander in chief who was telling them, well, you know, we have to be friends with china. so yeah, i think, you know, at the end of the day for the elections, i think people which is go down to the basics like, you know, having good livelihood and stuff like that. i'm afraid we're going to have to leave it because we're out of time. thank you. all of you crystal, the others, but danilo ro address should hey, daren, to being with us today. and thank you for watching target. you can see the program again at any time just by going to the web site. i'll just hear a dot com for further discussion join us on facebook page. you'll find that at facebook dot com forward slash ha inside story. and you can join the conversational twitter or handle at adrian side story from adrian for the given the whole team

here. and thanks for watching. i'll see you with ah, along with a full, a much more those 2 times in the communities they live in. no matter how much it needs to presentation as much as anyone else's going to like the main, it's one of the most hideous the police that's part of the night at delta. and now it's people say they want a clean up all their deployed environment. but with the media lance, the coverage all covers you just when you suffer calamities. i don't think that's

right. but is what i want to change. i wanted to go further to cover story stuff, impact the lives of people to, to flip health disorders. that i was really passionate about. stories with fucks that governments would rather keep him in story stuff, drop the fixed narrative and only depend on the reality on the ground. but is why i became a gymnast. mhm adults ah housing has become a commodity instead of a human rights. thank you. some people the ability to take advantage of others, the elite, feel free to violate basic laws, the working classes that have lost a lot of ground in society. a un special reporter on adequate housing travels the world, investigating the global crisis as people are evicted to clear the way for investors and properties too often left empty. push a witness documentary on al jazeera,

unprompted, and uninterrupted discussions. from our london broadcast center on al jazeera. ah, this is al jazeera. ah, hello, i am sammy's a dan. this is the news. our live from dell are coming up in the next 60 minutes. the secrets of the rich and powerful exposed in the biggest trove of leagues off shore daughter in history. the king of jordan among $35.00 world leaders name.