PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE has vowed to continue his war on drugs, saying “it will be as relentless and chilling as on the day it began.”
Speaking before members of the Senate and House of Representatives for his third State of the Nation Address, Duterte also accused the country’s human rights advocates of failing to criticize “drug-lordism, drug dealing and drug pushing.”
“Let me begin by putting it bluntly: The war against illegal drugs is far from over,” Duterte said two minutes into his 48-minute speech. He noted how drug trafficking had become rampant. “That is why the illegal drugs war will not be sidelined,” he said.
Since Duterte’s first day as president on June 30, 2016, up to June 30, 2018, more than 4,500 people have been killed in what the Philippine National Police (PNP) calls lawful anti-drug operations, alleging that the suspects fought back during raids.
Thousands more have been killed by unidentified assailants throughout the country. The Human Rights Watch said Duterte’s attack on human rights advocates for being silent on drug dealers is merely an attempt to deflect their criticism of his abusive campaign.
It said Duterte’s promise to relentlessly pursue the war on drugs can only mean more suffering for poor urban Filipinos who account for most of the campaign’s victims. “It can only mean the perpetuation of impunity and zero accountability,”
Carlos Conde, of the Human Rights Watch, said. He said the President thumbed his nose at the International Criminal Court, which has launched a preliminary examination on the complaints filed against Duterte in relation to the killings.
“The ICC, as well as the United Nations Human Rights Council should take this open challenge and ensure that the president and his chief subordinates in the drug war are held to account,” Conde said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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