October 25, 2016
Vol.236
by Jason Grenier, special correspondent
Philippines President Duterte and his Controversial War on Drugs The new President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, says he is determined to rid his country of crime and drug abuse, no matter what the cost. Since he was elected by a popular majority of Philippine voters in May, over 3000 people have been killed by police and the military. Most of the dead were suspected of being involved in the drug trade. Critics of his ongoing “war on crime” say Duterte is encouraging nothing less than state-sponsored murder. In effect, they allege the President has given police the power to judge the guilt or innocence of Filipinos and to act as his personal “hit-squad”. What is most alarming from a human rights standpoint is that individuals suspected of using or trafficking drugs are being executed without a proper trial. Once they are presumed to be guilty, they have no chance to mount a legal defense to prove their innocence. Some observers are calling the President a murderer with innocent blood on his hands. Yet Duterte is quick to defend himself and his methods, and is definitely unafraid to speak his mind in plain, direct language. At his press conferences, he has used rude language to insult American President Barack Obama, has cursed the Pope, and has mocked the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He has even boldly claimed that the Philippines will cease its military partnership with the U.S. in the near future. This is a potentially worrying development since such a split could seriously affect the balance of power in the Asia Pacific region. Taking things even further, in a recent speech Duterte shocked many by comparing himself to Adolf Hitler, the infamous Nazi leader. After mentioning that Hitler had killed three million Jews, Duterte said he would gladly slaughter three million drug addicts in similar fashion if it would save future generations of his country. Human rights watchers allege Duterte is on his way to becoming a dictator. There’s also growing concern about the impact his bloody law and order campaign 1