Duterte renews attack vs critics of his war on drugs

August 18, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte has renewed his warning of killing those involved in illegal drugs as he also again slammed human rights advocates, the church and other critics of his administration's bloody war on drugs.

In a televised message on Monday night, Duterte once again brought up his litany against illegal drugs and his critics, noting that Filipinos see almost everyday reports about buy-bust operations, resulting in the confiscation of million-peso worth of illegal drugs and arrest or death of those involved in illegal activities.

He said the human rights advocates should not only be involved in counting the number of deaths of those involved in illegal drugs.

"It does not begin and end in the life of a criminal. Are you fool? It should be something like you would also do a campaign around the Philippines, warning the citizens about being killed, about being slaughtered if they do drugs. That's the right thing you should do," he said.

"Then if they are killed despite or in spite of your education them, then you can always investigate and file cases," he said.

"But these drug addicts - and most of them are really not from the Philippines - I cannot say, I cannot pinpoint - sometimes it comes from China, Malaysia. Sometimes they are being made here," he said.

He wondered that despite the death penalty in some countries like China, Malaysia and Indonesia, still some were able to smuggle illegal drugs to the Philippines.

"Come to think of it, if it's really effective, if prayers do, if the shouting inside the church, the pulpit, everywhere, if they can help, why is it up to now the drugs are flooding?" Duterte said.

He wondered if the human rights advocates and the church would rather want those involved in illegal drugs to live instead of those who have been victimized by drug addicts.

"I said I will kill you if you destroy my country and I will really do it," he added.

Duterte told the Filipinos to avoid drugs and make a clean living, such as through farming.

The Philippine National Police has reported that over 5,000 drug suspects have been killed in the government's war on drugs. Celerina Monte/DMS