Philippines War On Drugs: Duterte Will Use Violent Dictator Force To Continue Killings, Halts Police Ops

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was on defense after several rogue police officers killed a South Korean businessman in a murder reportedly linked to his controversial war on drugs, an exhaustive operation that has taken thousands of lives. The president announced local police would no longer participate in his ongoing efforts to eradicate the country of virtually all drugs and drug traffickers. His administration instead suggested he could relaunch a paramilitary force to continue the killings and arrests of alleged criminals.

Speaking Tuesday at a speech given to military personnel at the presidential palace, Duterte blamed the Philippines police force for abusing their power, describing officers as corrupt. "With the sordid event about the Koreans, I ordered the police to stop all operations," Duterte said. "No policeman in this country anywhere is allowed to enforce laws related to the drug campaign."

Meanwhile, officials have floated the idea of Duterte reinstating former Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marco’s police constabulary, according to presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella. Marco’s controversial paramilitary operations were supposedly responsible for countless kidnappings and killings under the dictator’s rule, before he was eventually ousted in 1986.

"It’s not yet official but as far as I know the Philippine constabulary may be reactivated," Abella told reporters Tuesday.

The Philippines war on drugs has thrown the nation and international community into a polarized debate over the ethics of Duterte’s efforts. More than 7,000 people have been killed since Duterte took office in 2016, with many of those being police shootings carried out in the streets. International human rights groups have denounced Duterte's anti-drug campaign, claiming the president’s efforts are more a war on poverty than it is on drugs. The Philippines president has yet to back down, claiming he’d instate martial law if he must in January.

"I have to protect the Filipino people," Duterte said last month. "It is my duty. And I tell you now, if I have to declare martial law, I will declare it."

Meanwhile, Tuesday was the first day in six months without a single reporting of a drug-related killing, Congressman Edcel Lagman told the Guardian.

"There should be no more kids gloves for police scalawags who deserve an iron fist," Lagman said.