War on Drugs in the Philippines

Flo

The current president, Rodrigo Duterte, spent his campaign and current term fighting the "war on drugs". He has constantly called for drug dealers and users to be slaughtered.

Since Duterte took office on June 30, 2016, about 2,000 people have been killed by the police, with others being killed by vigilantes who have taken Duterte's words of "slaughter them all" to heart. Duterte boasted in October to expect another 20-30,000 more deaths.

They're being killed in the streets and in their homes. The police claim if people surrender and enter into rehab programs they will be safe, yet police still break in and gun these people down. The police kill suspects before questioning and claim in police reports they "nanlaban" - fought it out. Vigilantes drive by in tandem on motorcycles shooting people down leaving signs labeling the victims as dealers or addicts.

With the influx of deaths, funerals are part of daily life. With the influx of arrests, jails are overcrowded to the point that they must scavenge to find a place to sleep.

Many Filipinos in the US and in the Philippines have shown support for this "war on drugs," stating simply "just don't do drugs then". Explaining that they deserve it and Duterte is cleaning up the streets. Trump supports this "war on drugs", commending Duterte for his work.

Others, especially those who have lost loved ones or witnessed these murders, feel that they are being "slaughtered like animals".

How do you feel about Duterte's "war on drugs"?

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Photos are by Daniel Berehulak.

For more insight read Daniel Berehulak's NY Times article "They are slaughtering us like animals". He witnessed 57 homicides in his 35 days in the Philippines.