The Philippines has recorded about 1,800 drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte took office seven weeks ago and launched a war on narcotics – far higher than previously believed, according to police figures.
Until Sunday, the number of suspected drug traffickers killed in Duterte’s war on drugs had been put at about 900 by Philippine officials. But this number included people who died since Duterte won the 9 May presidential election.
Duterte said in a bizarre and strongly worded late-night news conference on Sunday that the Philippines might leave the United Nations (UN) and invite China and others to form a new global forum, accusing it of failing to fulfil its mandate.
Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa gave the numbers in a report on the people killed since 1 July. The comments came a day after Duterte lashed out at the UN for criticising the wave of deaths.
However, his foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said on Monday the Philippines would remain a UN member and described the president’s comments as expressions of “profound disappointment and frustration”.
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Last week, two UN human rights experts urged Manila to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings.
Yasay said Duterte has promised to uphold human rights in the fight against drugs and has ordered the police to investigate and prosecute offenders. He criticised the UN rapporteurs for “jumping to an arbitrary conclusion that we have violated human rights of people”.
“It is highly irresponsible on their part to solely rely on such allegations based on information from unnamed sources without proper substantiation,” he said of the UN allegations.
Senator Leila De Lima, a staunch critic of the president, started a two-day congressional inquiry into the killings on Monday, questioning top police and anti-narcotics officials to explain the “unprecedented” rise in killings.
I am disturbed that we have killings left and right as breakfast every morning.Senator Leila De Lima
“My concern does not only revolve around the growing tally of killings reported by the police. What is particularly worrisome is that the campaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some law enforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murder with impunity,” De Lima said.
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