MANILA (UCAN): Rights groups disputed a claim by Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., that the country’s controversial war on drugs turned “bloodless” during his administration.
To counter Marcos Jr.’s claim, made during his third State of the Nation address on July 22, rights activists say they have documented the killing of at least 15 people between July 8 and 15 as part of the anti-narcotics drive.
“This is the highest death toll in a week this year and the highest number killed by state agents,” said Carlos Conde, a senior researcher at New York-based Human Rights Watch.
At least five drug suspects died and one police operative, identified as Master Sergeant Jed Michael Gregorio, was killed in action. In contrast, six other police officers were injured in a raid on southern Mindanao Island on July 10.
The war on drugs was started by the previous president, Rodrigo Duterte, during his tenure from 2016 to 2022, whose administration is reported to have adopted a “shoot-to-kill policy” to purge suspected drug dealers. The policy claimed 20,000 lives, according to rights groups, and the International Criminal Court [ICC] has sought action against the former president.
Dutere’s daughter, Sara Dutere, is the nation’s vice president.
More than 700 have been killed under him so far and the killings worsened in the past year compared with the year before
Carlos Conde
In a well-applauded speech on July 22, Marcos said, “Our bloodless war on dangerous drugs” never adheres to “extermination.”
Marcos Jr. claimed that since assuming office in June 2022, his administration has carried out more than 71,500 raids to confiscate illegal drugs valued at 44 billion pesos [approximately US$754 million].
“More importantly, we welcome the report that the number of drug-affected barangays [villages] in our country has been reduced by 32 per cent,” he said in his speech.
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Cristina Palabay, secretary-general of rights group, Karapatan, said Marcos Jr. had resorted to “lies in his State of the Nation Address when he said that his drug war is bloodless.”
Marcos has not rescinded two anti-drugs squads—the Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel—used by Duterte, Palabay noted and added, “With these in place, there is palpable proof that the bloody drug war continues under Marcos.”
Conde noted that Marcos Jr. not only failed to declare “an end to the war on drugs” but failed to outline a humane approach to illegal drugs.
“More than 700 have been killed under him so far and the killings worsened in the past year compared with the year before,” Conde said in a separate interview on July 22 quoting a monitoring report by the University of the Philippines.
“We expect the ‘drug war’ violence to continue, probably even to worsen,” Conde said.
Meanwhile, Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan, who is the president of Caritas Philippines, urged Marcos to allow the International Criminal Court to investigate extrajudicial killings linked to the war on drugs.
