Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa said on Monday that there have been 1,800 drug-related deaths since Duterte took over as president, with 712 of those at the hands of the police.
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In a press conference one day prior, President Duterte, nicknamed “Duterte Harry” for his tough, crime-busting reputation, defended the extrajudicial killings of more than 500 drug suspects by police and vigilantes in the eight weeks since he was sworn in.
According to Sanho Tree, director of the Washington-based Drug Policy Project, the 1,900 figure includes more than 700 confirmed killings by police officers, as well as hundreds of additional murders committed by vigilantes.
Senator Frank Drilon told Reuters that the amount of departures was “dismay” and had “a chilling effect”.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte vows there will be no letup in his hard-line crackdown on drugs and related crime despite global concerns over the alarming death toll and possible human rights violations.
“I admit many are dying but our campaign, now, we have the momentum”, dela Rosa said.
He said about 750 people had been killed by authorities operations, but the other deaths were being investigated.
Durterte, known for his colourful language, has also threatened to withdraw the Philippines from the United Nations, later cushioned by his foreign secretary, disparaged the pope, human rights advocates, and other countries who controvert his worldview.
Duterte handed the media a diagram purportedly showing links between officials and politicians and big drug dealers locked up in the country’s main prison.
According to Reuters, two United Nations human rights experts recently urged the Philippines to stop the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers that have escalated dramatically lately.
PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte says he will walk the extra mile for peace but warns China “it will be bloody” if the militarily-superior Asian neighbor infringes on his country’s territory. “I am not a President who would enjoy waging war against the citizens of this Republic”, he added. She declined to comment on the issue.
Duterte said China has been conciliatory and he does not want any fight, but he fears what will happen if peaceful efforts fail.
“It is highly irresponsible on their part to exclusively rely on such allegations based on information from unnamed sources without proper substantiation”, he said of the United Nations. “I do not really care”, Duterte said.
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The two sides should also “initiate capacity-building initiatives … against the transnational trafficking of drugs”.
