Director-General Ronald dela Rosa told a Senate hearing that about 1,100 deaths were still being investigated and there was no declared policy to kill drug users.
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Of 301 police personnel on the PNP watch list, he said, 11 have been killed, seven slapped with criminal charges, six facing administrative cases, 20 arrested, and 26 surrendered, among others.
Almost 700,000 drug users and drug peddlers have turned themselves in to escape the crackdown, Mr dela Rosa said. Murders and homicides, however, increased.
President Rodrigo Duterte, nicknamed “the Punisher”, came to power promising to wipe out drugs and warning traffickers they risked death at the hands of the state.
“The United States believes in the rule of law, due process, and respect for universal human rights, and that these principles promote long-term security”, U.S. Department of State Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner said.
“Otherwise, it’s hard to envision when these killings will end”, it said.
Yasay called a press briefing to clarify the statement made by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday that the Philippines will “separate” from the United Nations after the world body criticized his war on illicit drugs.
He had been aggravated with the comments, prompting the threat to leave the world body.
“I’m just going to say that we continue to work with the Filipino government on a broad range of bilateral and regional issues, while at the same time making clear that as the Philippines addresses issues that touch on human rights we’re going to make our concerns clear”.
“If you (China) enter here [in the Philippine territory], it will be bloody and we will not give it to them easily”.
“However, this number included people who died since Duterte won the May 9 presidential election”, explained an ABS-CBN News report. According to Yasay, the president was merely expressing his “profound…frustrations”.
Richey-Allen did not comment on Duterte’s comment that he would not raise the issue at September 6-8 Laos summit, which U.S. President Barack Obama is due to attend.
Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said late Tuesday that police in China and in the Philippines have exchanged visits recently for joint training and intelligence sharing in the growing anti-drug cooperation between the countries.
“I don’t give a sh*t about [the UN]”, Duterte said.
Senators and officials from the Philippine National Police attend a senate inquiry at the Philippine Senate in Pasay City, the Philippines, Aug. 22, 2016.
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At a press conference held in Manila Tuesday, Duterte said he would rather conduct diplomatic talks with China over sovereignty issues in the South China Sea than take an aggressive position that would infuriate Beijing and jeopardize the chance of possible talks.
