MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said there were “abuses by certain elements in the government” during his predecessor’s campaign against illegal drugs, which left thousands dead, reported news agency dpa.
In a forum at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington today, Marcos Jr said the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte “focused very much on enforcement” in its war on drugs.
“Because of that, it could be said that there were abuses by certain elements in the government that have caused concerns from many quarters about the human rights situation of the Philippines,” he said when asked about the government under Duterte.
According to official police records, more than 6,000 people were killed in the war on drugs, which was launched by Duterte after he was elected president in 2016 on an anti-crime campaign.
Human rights groups have alleged that the death toll could be three times higher. Questions have also arisen about whether the suspects were extrajudicially killed by police and whether some of those killed actually had any role in drug sales.
Marcos Jr said he could not speak about “what (Duterte) had in mind” but noted that illegal drugs remain “the source of many, much criminality” in the Philippines.
“The syndicates have become wealthier, more influential. But instead of going after everyone, we have tried to identify the key areas that we have to attend to so we can see a demolition of the activity of drug syndicates.”
Marcos Jr was in the United States for a four-day official visit, during which he discussed regional security amid tensions with China and bilateral relations with US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. – Bernama, May 5, 2023
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