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Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte says he personally killed criminals Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte says he personally killed criminals Rodrigo Duterte says he personally killed criminals
(35 minutes later)
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has said he personally killed suspected criminals when he was mayor of a southern city in order to set an example for police. Rodrigo Duterte has announced he used to personally kill suspected criminals as mayor of his home city of Davao in the Philippines, cruising the streets on a motorcycle and “ looking for trouble”.
Duterte made the comments in a speech late on Monday night to business leaders as he discussed his campaign to eradicate illegal drugs, which has seen police and unknown assailants kill thousands of people since he became president on 30 June. The country’s president made the comments in a speech late on Monday night as he discussed his campaign to eradicate illegal drugs, which has seen police and unknown assailants kill around 5,000 people since he became president on 30 June.
After speaking about police killing suspects during the current crime war, Duterte said he led similar efforts when he was mayor of Davao, the major southern city that he ruled for most of the previous 20 years. “In Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys [police officers] that if I can do it, why can’t you,” he was quoted as saying by AFP, talking of his two decades as major of the southern city of 1.5 million.
“In Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the guys [police officers] that if I can do it, why can’t you,” Duterte said in his speech at the presidential palace.
“And I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble also.“And I’d go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble also.
“I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill.”“I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill.”
Duterte also responded to criticism from human rights groups and US president Barack Obama about his brutal anti-crime tactics, vowing to continue his crackdown. The former mayor was nicknamed “Duterte Harry”, after a fictional and ruthless police inspector played by Clint Eastwood, for his support for vigilante death squads that killed hundreds of suspected criminals.
“If they say that I am afraid to stop because of the human rights and guys … including Obama: sorry, I am not about to do that,” he said in English. Duterte previously has both denied and acknowledged his involvement in the Davao death squads.
Rights groups have previously accused Duterte of running vigilante death squads in Davao that killed more than 1,000 suspected criminals. Duterte has variously denied and acknowledged his involvement in the death squads. Since taking his bloody anti-crime campaign to the nation level, he has been criticised by the United States and United Nations, whose concerns have drawn only angry rebukes.
As president, he has called on ordinary Filipinos as well as security forces to kill drug users and traffickers. But he has also said that he and his security forces would not break the law. “If they say that I am afraid to stop because of the human rights and guys … including Obama, sorry, I am not about to do that,” Duterte said in English during his speech this week.
In October, Duterte compared himself to Adolf Hitler and said he would be “happy to slaughter” three million drug addicts. Duterte has a better relationship with US president-elect Donald Trump, who he said had praised his war on drugs during a phone call this month. This was not confirmed by Trump’s team.
As president Duterte has publicly encouraged civilians to kill addicts and said he will not prosecute police for extrajudicial executions. But he has also said he and his security forces will not break the law.
In October Duterte compared himself to Adolf Hitler and said he would be “happy to slaughter” three million drug addicts.
He later apologised for the Hitler reference but said he was “emphatic” about wanting to kill the millions of addicts.He later apologised for the Hitler reference but said he was “emphatic” about wanting to kill the millions of addicts.
Since his election, police have reported killing 2,086 people in anti-drug operations. More than 3,000 others have been killed in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures. Since his election police have reported killing 2,086 people in anti-drug operations. More than 3,000 others have been killed in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures.
Often masked assailants break into shanty homes and kill people who have been tagged as drug traffickers or drug users. Rights groups have warned of a breakdown in the rule of law with police and hired assassins operating with complete impunity. Often masked assailants break into homes and kill people who have been tagged as drug traffickers or drug users. Rights groups have warned of a breakdown in the rule of law with police and hired assassins operating with impunity.
Duterte has insisted that police are killing only in self-defence and gangsters are murdering the other victims. A report by the Guardian in October cited a senior officer in the police force who claimed he led one of 10 special operations teams, each with 16 members, tasked with killing suspected drug users, dealers and criminals.
The officer claimed the hit squads are composed of active police officers and that the murders are conducted in such a way as to make them appear to be perpetrated by “vigilantes” to deliberately obscure police involvement and preclude investigation.
The report was later denied by the chief of police. Duterte has insisted police are killing only in self-defence while gangsters are murdering the other victims.
But he has also said he will not allow any police officers to go to jail if they are found guilty of murder in prosecuting his crime war.But he has also said he will not allow any police officers to go to jail if they are found guilty of murder in prosecuting his crime war.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report