Philippine President Duterte Orders Police to Resume Anti-Drug War
16:57 28.02.2017(updated 17:03 28.02.2017)
Philippines' President has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to resume the anti-drug war a month after police operations were suspended, local media reported Tuesday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – In January, police was banned from carrying out the anti-drug operations following the death of a South Korean businessman, who had been kidnapped and killed by police using the campaign against drugs as a cover.
"I have ordered [PNP chief] Bato [dela Rosa] to recruit young men in the PNP who are imbued with fervor of patriotism to be the members only of the task forces. … I have to do it because I lack men," Duterte said, as quoted by the ABS-CBN broadcaster.
Duterte added that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which was leading the operation since January, when police operations had been halted, will continue to head and supervise the anti-drug war.
According to reports, more than 8,000 people have been killed during the anti-drug war launched after Duterte took office on June 30, with only about 2,500 dying during police operations. Roughly half of the killings are under investigation amid human rights groups' concerns of being extrajudicial.
© Sputnik
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