Amid allegations of human rights violations committed in the name of the government’s war against drugs, Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa revealed that there have been around 1,800 drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte officially started his stint.
On Mon, Aug 22, Dela Rosa revealed in a Senate inquiry that from Jul 1 to Aug 21, 712 drug traffickers and users had been killed in police operations.
They are also investigating 1,067 other drug-related killings.
The number that Dela Rosa cited is a big surge in the bloody statistics.
Prior to Dela Rosa’s revelation, the death toll count had been at had been put at about 900 by Philippine officials.
“However, this number included people who died since Duterte won the May 9 presidential election,” explained an ABS-CBN News report.
But even before Dela Rosa’s revelation of the four-digit death toll, various entities have already expressed alarm over the government’s intensified war on drugs.
The reality is local critics and Philippine media are often attacked by believers of the drug war for highlighting human rights violations.
Another disturbing detail is that many people often no longer recognize the distinction between official police operations and vigilante-style killings.
These days, when a person is gunned down, the assumption is that he or she was involved in the illegal drug trade.
Some of those slain may have been innocent or they may have been the wrong people — but many of those who have put their faith in the so-called war against drugs dismiss these tragic lapses as “collateral damage.”
It won’t be hard to find several people who will even justify the death of bystanders just because, as they insist, it’s “normal for some innocent people to die during a war.”
In his East Asia Forum article, journalist Jason Lamchek observed, “The war on drugs has greatly benefited Duterte when it comes to projecting his power and solidifying his reputation for toughness. But it has come at the cost of a debased Filipino society willing to go along even with the deprivation of poor people’s right to grieve — and live.”
Lamchek’s pronouncements echo that of the United Nations, the organization that Duterte has threatened to pull out of for its alleged interference in the country’s affairs.
A BBC report recalls that UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime have both condemned Duterte’s “apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killings, which is illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and freedoms.”
More recently, as indicated in a CNN report, the new UN special rapporteur on summary executions, Dr. Agnes Callamard, stated, “We call on the Philippines authorities to adopt with immediate effect the necessary measures to protect all persons from targeted killings and extrajudicial executions.”
Callamard added, “Claims to fight illicit drug trade do not absolve the government from its international legal obligations and do not shield state actors or others from responsibility for illegal killings.”
Apparently, Callamard’s statement set off Duterte’s tirade last Sun night, Aug 21, wherein he said, “I do not want to insult you. But maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations.”
For good measure, Duterte also called the UN “stupid.” He also accused the organization of not doing anything for the Philippines — a statement that is easily disproved.
Philippine Daily Inquirer listed some of the UN’s efforts in the Philippines in an opinion piece titled, “Grossly misinformed.”
In the aftermath of Duterte’s outburst, Department of Foreign Affairs chief Perfecto Yasay Jr. did some form of damage control at an Aug 22 press conference.
The Philippine Star quoted Yasay as saying, “We are committed to the UN despite our numerous frustrations with this international agency.”
Yasay explained that the President never threatened to withdraw membership to the UN and that he was only “expressing his disappointment” over the comments made by Callamard.
“The President was tired, disappointed, hungry when he made the statement. We must give him leeway. He is also human,” Yasay said.
Ironically, no “leeway” was given to the multitudes who have been killed in the country’s drug war. It probably won’t apply to the multitudes more who will be gunned down in the name of cleansing the country of drugs — never mind if they haven’t been proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
At this point, we don’t know if the death count indicates the success of the drug war or our failure as a country to adhere to the rules of democracy. In any case, the drug war believers can simply tells us, “There are no rules when it comes to war.”
We’re at war, alright. But it’s not just drugs we’re fighting — it’s also the paralyzing fear and terrifying blood lust that seems to have taken over the nation.
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