Philippine Drug War

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte strongly defended his deadly drug war as he testified on Monday at a senate probe of the crackdown.

Police said the campaign left more than 6,000 people dead, but rights groups estimate tens of thousands of mostly poor men were killed by officers and vigilantes, often without proof they were linked to drugs.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte drew outrage Sunday after saying he "touched" his maid when he was a teenager, with women's rights groups accusing him of attempted rape and encouraging sexual abuse.

A Philippine mayor accused of involvement in narcotics trafficking survived an ambush on May 13, police said, four months after President Rodrigo Duterte publicly threatened to kill him.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked other countries to abandon the International Criminal Court because it is “rude.” Duterte is
facing a possible complaint before the world tribunal for the thousands of killings of drug suspects during his time in office.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he stabbed a person to death as a teenager, in a defiant speech to promote his drug war ahead of a summit of world leaders in Manila.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte admits he underestimated the drug problem and reiterated orders for law enforcement to “destroy” criminals dealing narcotics.
Speaking at the opening of a solar energy facility on Wednesday, Duterte said he made a mistake in promising during his election campaign that he could eradicate drugs within a matter of months.

The Philippine police said today that they have killed 32 people in operations aimed at terrorists among drug traffickers, the France press reported.

The U.S. and Russia on Tuesday separately reiterated their support for the Philippines in its fight against terrorism and illegal drugs, Anadolu Agency reports.

The Philippines said Aug. 4 it would tell visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson his concerns over its drug war that has claimed thousands of lives were due to "exaggerated media reports."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hit back on July 21 at U.S. lawmakers opposed to the prospect of his visiting the White House, saying he would never go to the United States, which he called a "lousy" country.