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Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte says won’t apologise for drug war deaths
- The president also said he was willing to face trial by a local court but will not recognise the ICC, where a case has been filed against him for the deadly campaign
- At least 6,221 people have been killed in drug operations from July 2016 to November 2021, but rights groups say the actual death toll could be much more higher
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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he will never apologise for the deaths of thousands of suspected drug users and dealers under his government’s crackdown on illegal narcotics.
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At least 6,221 people have been killed in drug operations from July 1, 2016 to November 30, 2021, according to government data.
Human rights groups warned the actual death toll could be more than triple the official count, which does not include killings of drug suspects blamed on alleged vigilantes.
“I will never, never apologise for the death to those bastards,” Duterte said in a late-night televised address on Tuesday. “Kill me, jail me … I will never apologise.”
Duterte added he was willing to face trial by a Philippine court but will not recognise the International Criminal Court (ICC), where a case has been filed against him and other government officials for the “war on drugs” campaign.
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