FVR hits Duterte admin's 'tokenism'

Former President Fidel Ramos on Monday unleashed a new set of tirades against President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, which he said resorts to "tokenism" or only making a symbolic effort.

"Tokenism — kunwari nagawa nila pero hindi, walang nangyari — 'yan ang kalaban natin yang tokenism. Sana maareglo yan Mr. President, with all due respect to you, wag ka magalit wag mo pagagalitan yung matatanda, mga kuya mo, malapit na kami," Ramos said in a report by GMA News' Maki Pulido on "24 Oras."

Ramos criticized Duterte's war on drugs, saying authorities should apprehend drug suspects and not kill them.

"Tama yung war on drugs, get the drug lords, get the masterminds, get the manufacturers but rehabilitate the addicts. Not everybody is to be killed," Ramos said.

"Naka-tsinelas, naka-short pants, nasa squatter house, yun ang target e bakit mo papatayin? You aim to disable unless the gun is pointed at you," he added.

Ramos also raised the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo, who was killed by rogue policemen inside the Philippine National Police's headquarters in Camp Crame.

Ramos said South Korea is one of the best partners of the country and yet policemen killed Jee inside Camp Crame.

"They're still the best official development assistance provider, the South Koreans, e sinasakal natin dun sa loob ng headquarters, nakakahiya yan," he said.

Meanwhile, Ramos urged Duterte to be more transparent regarding his health, similar to what he did during his administration.

"As soon as I entered Makati Medical Center, I instructed Secretary Ruben Torres, [former] Executive Secretary, to inform the four officials named under the constitution and brief them about my health condition and he did," Ramos said.

Ramos then expressed his disagreement over the termination of the peace talks with the communist rebels.

"Peace negotiations must continue and continue until you have final closure, regardless of temporary setbacks," he said.

Duterte terminated the the government's peace talks with the Reds earlier this month. He said the peace talks will remain canceled unless he sees a compelling reason to resume the negotiations. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/JST, GMA News