Newly inaugurated Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has urged communist rebels to start killing drug traffickers and people to kill addicts, adding another layer to a controversial war on crime in which he has warned thousands will die.
Key points:
- Rodrigo Duterte invites communists to “use kangaroo courts to kill criminals”
- The 4,000-strong communist army is known for assassinating civilians
- Mr Duterte also calls for drug addicts to be killed
- A bullet-riddled body is found, marking the first extrajudicial killing of Mr Duterte’s presidency
The communists’ armed wing, the 4,000-strong New People’s Army, is known for assassinating civilians deemed to have committed so-called crimes against the people — however its courts and summary executions are illegal.
“Drugs have reached the hinterlands … what if you use your kangaroo courts to kill them to speed up the solution to our problem,” Mr Duterte, a lawyer and former city prosecutor, said in a speech before the military’s top brass in Manila.
In a late-night speech on Thursday to a slum community in the capital attended by only a few journalists, Mr Duterte also called on ordinary Filipinos to kill drug addicts, which is also illegal.
“If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself,” he told a crowd of about 500 people.
Mr Duterte also vowed to kill drug traffickers, using foul language he promised in recent weeks to “tone down” as president.
“These sons of whores are destroying our children,” the 71-year-old said.
“I warn you, don’t go into that, even if you’re a policeman, because I will really kill you.”
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