Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday said that his bloody anti-drug campaign that has left nearly 1,800 people dead does not amount to genocide, but added that he is ready to go to jail to defend his men from lawsuits.
Duterte drew a line between the widespread killings sparked by his anti-drug war and the brutality under Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the atrocities committed by the Islamic State.
“Genocide? Who did I kill? I did not kill any child. I did not drop barrel [bombs] just like Assad,” Duterte said in a speech to war veterans, ambassadors and top officials marking the Philippines’ National Heroes’ Day. “I’m fighting ... criminals.”
Photo: EPA/Presidential Photographs Division handout
Referring to Islamic State militants, whom he called “idiots,” Duterte said: “I do not burn women because they refuse to have sex.”
At least 1,779 drug suspects have been killed in Duterte’s campaign, including 712 who were gunned down in clashes with police, with the rest being slain in still unclear circumstances, the national police chief told a Philippine Senate inquiry last week.
At least 3.7 million Filipinos have become addicted to methamphetamine, a prohibited stimulant known locally as “shabu,” with about 600,000 drug users and dealers surrendering to authorities, Duterte said.
Human rights groups have expressed alarm over the spate of killings, and UN-appointed human rights experts warned steps should be taken to halt the violence, adding that the government and police could be held responsible.
“Claims to fight the illicit drug trade do not absolve the government from its international legal obligations and do not shield state actors or others from responsibility for illegal killings,” UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions Agnes Callamard said in a statement this month.
Duterte, 71, built a name with his deadly crime-busting style as a long-time mayor of southern Davao city. He described his campaign against drugs as a harsh war that would involve the military, because the problem has worsened into a crisis and claimed the lives of law enforcers.
“We might still end up like the South American countries and their fractured governments. I am declaring war,” he told an audience at a national heroes’ cemetery that included ambassadors, war veterans and security officials.
The drug menace, “has infected every nook and corner of this country involving generals, mayors, governors, barangay [village] captains” and policemen, he said.
Pressing his campaign, Duterte announced bounties of 2 million pesos (US$43,044) for information that would help the government identify any police officer protecting drug syndicates.
He repeated his pledge to defend the police and military, but warned law enforcement against colluding with criminals.
“In the pursuit of law and order, pursuant to my directions, you do not have to worry about criminal liability,” he said. “I will go to the prison for you. I take full legal responsibility, you just do it according to the books.”
“But for those in government, the police, the corrupt police and the corrupt judges and the corrupt prosecutors, there will be a day of comeuppance, there will always be a day of reckoning,” Duterte said.
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