MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday told cops to ignore criticisms from human rights groups, saying the concept of human rights is the “anti-thesis of government.”
Local and international human rights groups have been alarmed by what they believe is Duterte’s blatant disregard for human rights, as the death toll in his administration's war on drugs continues to rise by the day.
But Duterte remains unfazed by the criticisms.
“Huwag kayong makinig dyan sa [Don’t listen to] human rights (groups), because human rights is always the anti-thesis of government,” Duterte told an audience of mostly policewomen.
The United Nations, United States, and European Union have expressed alarm over Duterte’s war on drugs, but the foul-mouthed leader has instead spewed more vitriol and shrugged off calls that his government respect due process and follow the rule of law.
In a speech earlier today that has shocked observers anew, Duterte said he would kill 3 million drug addicts just like how Adolf Hitler killed Jews during the Holocaust.
In his speech this afternoon, Duterte again lambasted Western governments for their supposed hypocrisy, saying they don’t know the ills afflicting the Philippines’ justice system.
Duterte argued, the justice system in the country is faulty at times that it has allowed drug users to go scot-free and leave police officers vulnerable.
Duterte again stressed that he will back policemen involved in the bloody war on drugs, saying he will assume full responsibility for the anti-crime campaign.
Data by ABS-CBN’s Investigative and Research Group showed that 1,109 people were killed by the policemen in anti-drug operations from May 10 to September 30; 616 were killed by unidentified assailants during the same period. At least 139 bodies were discovered to have been dumped in various locations.