MANILA: Philippine President Duterte Rodrigo Duterte has called on police to once again take the lead role in his deadly drug war, having twice demoted them in response to criticism of the crackdown.
The fiery leader, who rights groups say may be orchestrating a crime against humanity with his bloody anti-drugs campaign, said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) with 2,000 officers was incapable of doing the job.
“Whether I like it or not, I have to return that power to the police,” he said in a speech on Wednesday night.
Duterte, 72, was elected last year on a promise to eradicate drugs from Philippine society by launching an unprecedented campaign in which up to 100,000 people would die.
He first ordered the police to take a step back in January, describing them as “corrupt to the core” and instructing the PDEA to lead after revelations that officers kidnapped and murdered a South Korean businessman.
But it wasn’t long before Duterte reinstated the 165,000-strong force without any major reforms, re-launching the war under the name “Double Barrel Reloaded” — so-called for the two-pronged police strategy to wipe out drugs.
In October, he announced the PDEA would again take the helm in the face of mounting public opposition, including rare street protests triggered by the murder of three teenagers — allegedly by police officers.
His latest decision follows a regional summit in Manila this month where US President Donald Trump and most other world leaders were silent on allegations of extrajudicial killings in the drug war.
Trump instead hailed his “great relationship” with Duterte and praised him for hosting the meeting, a move rights groups say may have emboldened Duterte to pursue his campaign.
Duterte last month admitted that he removed police from the drug war “in deference” to critics including rights campaigners, Catholic bishops and the European Union.
Neither Duterte nor his spokesman Harry Roque said when police would rejoin.
Asked about government reforms this time around, Roque told reporters Thursday: “He (Duterte) has also said that by and large, not everyone in the (police) is corrupt and therefore he still believes in the institution.”
Since Duterte took office, police have reported killing 3,967 people in the crackdown.
Another 2,290 have been murdered in drug-related crimes, while thousands of other deaths remain unsolved, according to government data.
Philippines’ Duterte says police must return to drug war
Philippines’ Duterte says police must return to drug war
Ukraine says UK Storm Shadow missiles used to hit Russian refinery
- The Novoshakhtinsk refinery was hit by the missiles
- The military said that the Novoshakhtinsk plant is one of the main suppliers of petrol products in southern Russia
KYIV: Ukraine used British Storm Shadow missiles to attack a Russian oil refinery on Thursday, the Ukrainian military said.
The Novoshakhtinsk refinery was hit by the missiles and “numerous explosions” were recorded, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a social media post. It has already used the British missiles to attack targets inside Russia.
“Units of the air force of the armed forces of Ukraine successfully struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil products plant in the Rostov region of the Russian Federation with Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles,” the statement said.
The military said that the Novoshakhtinsk plant is one of the main suppliers of petrol products in southern Russia “and is directly involved in supplying the Russian Federation’s armed forces,” particularly with diesel fuel and aviation kerosene.
Ukraine, which faces daily missile and drone onslaughts from Russia, has sought to respond with attacks inside Russia on energy and infrastructure facilities.
