During his campaign, the new president of the Philippines promised that fighting drugs would be bloody and dirty. After less than a week in office, President Rodrigo Duterte has already killed 30 drug dealers, sacked three police officials, and accused two other retired cops of corruption.
“Duterte Harry,” as he has been called in the Filipino press, accused the 5 cops of protecting drug syndicates from within the police force. Their crimes were tantamount to treason, Duterte said in a speech Monday.(RELATED: The New Filipino President ‘Duterte Harry’ Makes Trump Rhetoric Look Tame)
Police also say they’ve killed 30 suspected drug dealers since Duterte took office last Thursday. More than 100 alleged criminals have been killed since Duterte won the election May 9.
Five drug dealers were killed over the weekend in a raid of a methamphetamine ring not far from the presidential palace in Manila.
Widely penned as the “Trump of the Philippines,” Duterte is also called “The Punisher” for his tough talk during the presidential campaign this spring. He has not backed down from his harsh rhetoric but he understands that his stance on crime strikes many as extreme.
“I know there are those who do not agree with my methods of fighting criminality,” Duterte said in his inaugural address.”I know that there are those who do not approve of my methods of fighting criminality, the sale and use of illegal drugs and corruption. In response let me say this: I have seen how corruption bled the government of funds. I have seen how illegal drugs destroy individuals and ruin families’ relationships,” Duterte said.
Duterte, “the Dark Knight of Davao,” promised to wipe out drug crime within six months, even if he has to kill criminals and fatten the fishes of Manila bay with their bodies.
Hundreds of drug users from across the Philippines have surrendered to police for rehabilitation, according to the Philippine Star.
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