RUSSELLE JUDE C.

ANICETO (BSIT104) DECEMBER 11, 2021

04 Drug Abuse Education

NSTP1

Philippines: ‘Drug War’ Killings Rise During Pandemic

The Philippine government's "drug war" killings intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Human
Rights Watch says. Attacks by the police, military, and unidentified gunmen on leftist activists, community
leaders, human rights defenders, and journalists also increased.

Human Rights Watch says Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be expanding his bloody 'war on
drugs' during curfews. "Red-baiting" of left-wing activists and rights defenders has put them at greater risk of
deadly attack, the group says.

And the lockdown resulted in the arrest and incarceration of tens of thousands of Filipinos. In the early days
of the lockdown, police subjected curfew violators – including children – to abusive treatment. The police
reported in November that nearly 8,000 alleged drug suspects had been killed.

Human Rights Watch's World Report 2021 looks at human rights practices in more than 100 countries. The
new US administration should seek to embed respect for human rights in its domestic and foreign policy, says
Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. In the Philippines, more than 160 activists have
been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte took office.

“As respect for human rights in the Philippines spirals downwards, concerned governments, and UN agencies
will need to press the Duterte government harder to halt its atrocities and hold those responsible to
account,” Robertson said.

Resources:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/01/13/philippines-drug-war-killings-rise-during-pandemic