When Rodrigo Duterte came into power in the Philippines in June 2016, he promised to rid the country of corruption, crime, and illegal drugs. As a result, police and unknown armed people with links to the government have claimed responsibility for killing thousands of individuals from poor and marginalized communities. Duterte and the Phillipino government's measures to enforce the "war on drugs" have received heavy criticism from local and international human rights groups.
The "command circular" received by police forces includes ominous language and terms like "neutralization" and "negation" of drug suspects. The Philippino government has also provided verbal encouragement for police to kill suspects linked to illegal drugs. Duterte has promised impunity for killings and has facilitated the promotion of accused officers. Reports of falsification of evidence during raids conducted on private households without warrants has garnered even more skepticism from the international community over Duerte's methods.
The United Nations has noted that police reports often have the murders they commit, resulting from the "war on drugs" classified as "self-defense." Officers have also reportedly recovered guns with the same serial numbers at different locations. These allegations raise concerns about whether the reports are genuine and the credibility of the police and government.
However, despite the killings, Duterte remains very popular in the country. His overwhelming support has almost guaranteed that the United Nations report will not negatively affect how he is seen in the country. He won the presidency with his promise of crushing crime and fixing the country's drug crisis. Though the international community is raising eyebrows, his people seem to be backing him up and show no signs of letting up.
Written by Anushree Appandairajan Artwork by Zara Masood
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