Image Bloodiest week in the Philippines’ War on Drugs

Bloodiest week in the Philippines’ War on Drugs

August 21, 2017
1 min read

Manila, Philippines [LC]

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Manila today to condemn the killing of a 17-year-old student, Kian Delos Santos, and to voice opposition to the government’s ongoing violent drug war led by President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte’s campaign against drug suspects has claimed thousands of lives, with police killing an estimated 3,451 people from July 1 to July 26, 2017 alone. Another estimated 2,000 have died in drug-related killings, allegedly by masked policemen or hired hit men, according to human rights groups. Last week, police killed in one day a record 32 people in drug raids, according to Reuters.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines, which was initially silent about the anti-drug campaign, has in recent months criticized the government and called for its end. One of the country’s most influential Catholic clerics, Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, has openly condemned the crackdown, while Archbishop Socrates Villegas said Sunday that church bells would ring every night for the next three months to draw attention to it.

“The country is in chaos,” said Villegas, according to the Associated Press. “The officer who kills is rewarded and the slain get the blame. The corpses could no longer defend themselves from accusations that they ‘fought back.'”

Image An executed alleged drug dealer is surrounded by Duterte supporters bearing anti-drug placards. (Dondi Tawatao)
An executed alleged drug dealer is surrounded by Duterte supporters bearing anti-drug placards. (Dondi Tawatao)

In a statement issued by Cardinal Tagle he said, “all Filipinos agree that the menace of illegal drugs is real and destructive. We must face and act upon together, as one people. Unfortunately, it has divided us … Let us invite families, national government agencies, local government units, people’s organizations, schools, faith-based communities, the medical profession, the police and military, recovering addicts etc. to come together, listen to each other and chart a common path. The illegal drug problem should not be reduced to a political or criminal issue. It is a humanitarian concern that affects all of us.”

https://twitter.com/frsocvillegas/status/899092408784216064

According to a February 2017 Amnesty International report, since Duterte took office over a year ago his crackdown has killed over 6000 Filipinos. Duterte initiated the crackdown on June 30 last year, the very day he assumed office. In the election his campaign focused on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs.

“The president did not instruct me to kill and kill,” said National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa. “I also don’t have any instructions to my men to kill and kill. But the instruction coming from the president is very clear that our war on drugs is unrelenting. Those who were killed fought back.”

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