Duterte’s anti-drug crackdown has been the deadliest and most massive in recent Philippine history, with almost 2,000 suspects dead so far and more than 673,000 others surrendering for fears they may be killed, according to police.
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The rest of the dead were people killed in police anti-narcotics operations, dela Rosa said.
The officers are also accused of protecting the syndicates involved in the production and distribution of narcotics.
In his previous job as mayor of Davao, Mr Duterte developed a reputation for blunt supporting and talking the extrajudicial killings of suspected offenders.
Some of those killed outside of police operations were found wrapped in duct tape while others were found with cardboard signs alleging their involvement in the illegal drug trade, he added. “My participation there is to listen to the issues confronting the Asean”, Duterte said.
The war on drugs has widespread support, with Duterte enjoying a 91% approval rating at the end of July, largely due to his hard-line position. “Blatant disregard for human life has to stop”, she said.
War on drugs out of control? It’s like he’s really bent on destroying me at all costs. “I hope this hearing will help bring a resolution to the drug problem”, he said.
However, the policies are not without their critics and this weeks hearings were convened by Senator Leila De Lima, one of the president’s most outspoken critics. She declined to comment on the issue.
The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said it was “deeply concerned” by the reports, and US State Department spokesman Mark Toner urged Duterte’s government to ensure that law-enforcement authorities abided by human rights norms.
“But we will chart our own course in the national interest of this country”, Phil Star quoted Duterte as saying. On Sunday, he threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the United Nations after the global body criticized his violent efforts to curb drug use in the country.
Duterte also said he would “not raise hell now” about an worldwide court ruling that China had no legal right to claim a large swath of the South China Sea, in a case brought by the Philippines.
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“This fight against drugs will continue to the last day of my term”, Duterte told the news conference.
