A spirit is a supernatural being, often, but not exclusively, a non-physical entity; such as

a ghost, fairy, or angel.[1] The concepts of a person's spirit and soul, often also overlap, as both
are either contrasted with or given ontological priority overthe body and both are believed to
survive bodily death in some religions,[2] and "spirit" can also have the sense of "ghost", i.e. a
manifestation of the spirit of a deceased person. In English Bibles, "the Spirit" (with a capital "S"),
specifically denotes the Holy Spirit.

Spiritism

Spiritism is a spiritualistic philosophy codified in the 19th century by the French educator
Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail, under the codename Allan Kardec; it proposed the study of "the
nature, origin, and destiny of spirits, and their relation with the corporeal world".

Spiritism, a branch of spiritualism developed by Allan Kardec and today practiced mostly
in Continental Europe and Latin America, especially in Brazil, emphasizes reincarnation.[3]

Spiritualism

Spiritualism is a new religious movement based on the belief that the spirits of the dead exist and
have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living.

Spiritualism is a belief that spirits of the dead have both the ability and the inclination to
communicate with the living. The afterlife, or “spirit world”, is seen by spiritualists, not as a static
place, but as one in which spirits continue to evolve. These two beliefs: that contact with spirits is
possible, and that spirits are more advanced than humans, leads spiritualists to a third belief, that
spirits are capable of providing useful knowledge about moral and ethical issues, as well as about
the nature of God. Some spiritualists will speak of a concept they refer to as a “spirit guides”–
specific spirits, often contacted, who are relied upon for spiritual guidance. Spiritism, a branch of
spiritualism developed by Allan Kardec and today found mostly in Continental Europe and Latin
America, especially Brazil, emphasizes reincarnation.

Spiritualism is a religious movement based on the belief that the spirits of the dead exist and
have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living. The afterlife, or the "spirit
world", is seen by spiritualists, not as a static place, but as one in which spirits continue to evolve.
These two beliefs — that contact with spirits is possible, and that spirits are more advanced than
humans — lead spiritualists to a third belief, that spirits are capable of providing useful knowledge
about moral and ethical issues, as well as about the nature of God. Some spiritualists will speak of
a concept which they refer to as "spirit guides"—specific spirits, often contacted, who are relied
upon for spiritual guidance.[

SPIRITUALITY

The meaning of spirituality has developed and expanded over time, and various connotations
can be found alongside each other.[1][2][3][note 1]

Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the
original shape of man",[note 2] oriented at "the image of God"[4][5] as exemplified by the founders
and sacred texts of the religions of the world. The term was used within early Christianity to refer
to a life oriented toward the Holy Spirit.[6] and broadened during late medieval times to include
mental aspects of life.

In modern times the term both spread to other religious traditions[7] and broadened to refer to a
wider range of experience, including a range of esoteric traditions and religious traditions. Modern
usages tend to refer to a subjective experience of a sacred dimension[8] and the "deepest values
and meanings by which people live",[9][10] often in a context separate from organized religious
institutions,[11] such as a belief in a supernatural (beyond the known and observable)
realm,[12] personal growth,[13] a quest for an ultimate or sacred meaning,[14] religious
experience,[15] or an encounter with one's own "inner dimension".[16]
Philippine Drug War

The "Philippine Drug War" refers to the drug policy of the Philippine government under President
Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, 2016. A July 2016 Philippine National Police
circular from PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa states that the campaign is aimed at "the neutralization
[ie., killing] of illegal drug personalities nationwide".[15] Duterte has urged members of the public
to kill suspected criminals and drug addicts.[16] Lawyers acting on behalf of drug suspects have
also been targeted by unknown assailants.[17]

The policy has been widely condemned locally and internationally for the number of deaths
resulting from police operations and allegations of systematic extrajudicial executions. Research
by media organizations and human rights groups has shown that police routinely execute drug
suspects and then plant guns and drugs as evidence.[18] The policy is supported by the majority
of the local population, as well as by leaders or representatives of certain countries such as China,
Japan and the United States.

Estimates of the death toll vary. News organizations and human rights groups have put the figure
at over 12,000.[19][20] The victims included 54 children in the first year.[20] The government
claimed 4,200 have been killed as of April 30, 2018.[19] Opposition senators claimed in 2018 that
over 20,000 have been killed.[21][22]

In February 2018, the International Criminal Court in The Hague announced a "preliminary
examination" into killings linked to the Philippine Drug War since at least July 1, 2016.

Background

See also: Extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the Philippines

Rodrigo Duterte won the 2016 Philippine presidential election promising to kill tens of thousands
of criminals, and urging people to kill drug addicts.[16] As Mayor of Davao City, Duterte was
criticized by groups like Human Rights Watch for the extrajudicial killings of hundreds of street
children, petty criminals and drug users carried out by the Davao Death Squad, a vigilante group
with which he was allegedly involved.[23][24][25] Duterte has alternately confirmed and denied
his involvement in the alleged Davao Death Squad killings.[26] Duterte has benefited from reports
in the national media that he made Davao into one of the world's safest cities, which he cites as
justification for his drug policy,[27][28][29] although national police data shows that the city has
the highest murder rate and the second highest rape rate in the Philippines.[30][31]

Philippine anti-narcotic officials have admitted that Duterte uses flawed and exaggerated data to
support his claim that the Philippines is becoming a "narco-state".[32] The Philippines has a low
prevalence rate of drug users compared to the global average, according to the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).[33] Duterte said in his state of the nation address that data
from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency shows that there were 3 million drug addicts 2 to 3
years ago, which he said may have increased to 3.7 million. However, according to the Philippine
Dangerous Drugs Board, the government drug policy-making body, 1.8 million Filipinos used
illegal drugs (mostly marijuana) in 2015, the latest official survey published; a third of them had
used illegal drugs only once in the past 13 months.[34][32]

Major events

Early months

In speeches made after his inauguration on June 30, Duterte urged citizens to kill suspected
criminals and drug addicts. He said he would order police to adopt a shoot-to-kill policy, and
would offer them a bounty for dead suspects.[16] On July 2, 2016, the Communist Party of the
Philippines stated that it "reiterates its standing order for the NPA to carry out operations to
disarm and arrest the chieftains of the biggest drug syndicates, as well as other criminal
syndicates involved in human rights violations and destruction of the environment" after its
political wing Bagong Alyansang Makabayan accepted Cabinet posts in the new
government.[35][36] On July 3, 2016, the Philippine National Police announced they had killed 30
alleged drug dealers since Duterte was sworn in as president on June 30.[37][38] They later
stated they had killed 103 suspects between May 10 and July 7.[39]

On July 9, 2016, a spokesperson of the president told critics to show proof that there have been
human rights violations in the Drug War.[39][40] Later that day, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
announced it was open to collaborate with police in the Drug War.[41]

On August 3, 2016, Duterte said that the Sinaloa cartel and the Chinese triad are involved in the
Philippine drug trade. A presidential spokesperson said that Duterte welcomed a proposed
Congressional investigation into extrajudicial killings to be chaired by Senator Leila de Lima, his
chief critic in the government.[42] On August 7, 2016, Duterte named more than 150 drug
suspects including local politicians, police, judges, and military.[43][44] On August 8, 2016 the
United States expressed concerns over the extrajudicial killings.[45]

On August 17, 2016, Duterte announced that de Lima had been having an affair with a married
man, her driver, Ronnie Palisoc Dayan. Duterte claimed that Dayan was her collector for drug
money, who had also himself been using drugs.[46] In a news conference on August 21, 2016,
Duterte announced that he had in his possession wiretaps and ATM records which confirmed his
allegations. He stated: "What is really crucial here is that because of her [romantic] relationship
with her driver which I termed 'immoral' because the driver has a family and wife, that connection
gave rise to the corruption of what was happening inside the national penitentiary." Dismissing
fears for Dayan's safety, he added, "As the President, I got this information … as a privilege. But I
am not required to prove it in court. That is somebody else's business. My job is to protect public
interest. She's lying through her teeth." He explained that he had acquired the new evidence from
an unnamed foreign country.[47]

On August 18, 2016, United Nations human rights experts called on the Philippines to halt
extrajudicial killings. Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions, stated
that Duterte had given a "license to kill" to his citizens by encouraging them to kill.[48][49] In
response, Duterte threatened to withdraw from the UN and form a separate group with African
nations and China. Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella later clarified that the Philippines was
not leaving the UN.[50] As the official death toll reached 1,800, a Congressional investigation of
the killings chaired by de Lima was opened.[51]

On August 23, 2016, Chito Gascon, head of the Philippine Commission on Human Rights, told the
Senate committee that the International Criminal Court may have jurisdiction over the mass
killings.[52] On August 25, Duterte released a "drug matrix" supposedly linking government
officials, including de Lima, with the New Bilibid Prison drug trafficking scandal.[53] De Lima
stated that the "drug matrix" was like something drawn by a 12-year-old child. She added, "I will
not dignify any further this so-called 'drug matrix' which, any ordinary lawyer knows too well,
properly belongs in the garbage can."[54][55] On August 29, Duterte called on de Lima to resign
and "hang herself".[56]

State of emergency

Following the September 2 bombing in Davao City that killed 14 people in the city's central
business district, on September 3, 2016, Duterte declared a "state of lawlessness", and on the
following day signed a declaration of a "state of national emergency on account of lawless
violence in Mindanao".[57][58] The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National
Police were ordered to "suppress all forms of lawless violence in Mindanao" and to "prevent
lawless violence from spreading and escalating elsewhere". Executive Secretary Salvador
Medialdea said that the declaration "does not specify the imposition of curfews", and would
remain in force indefinitely. He explained: "The recent incidents, the escape of terrorists from
prisons, the beheadings, then eventually what happened in Davao. That was the basis."[59][58]
The state of emergency has been seen as an attempt by Duterte to "enhance his already strong
hold on power, and give him carte blanche to impose further measures" in the Drug War.[60]

At the 2016 ASEAN Summit, US President Barack Obama cancelled scheduled meetings with
Duterte to discuss extrajudicial killings after Duterte referred to Obama as a "son of a
whore".[61][62]

Senate committee

On September 19, 2016, the Senate voted 16-4 to remove de Lima from her position heading the
Senate committee, in a motion brought by senator and boxer Manny Pacquiao.[63] Duterte's allies
in the Senate argued that by allowing the testimony of Edgar Matobato, de Lima had damaged the
country's reputation. She was replaced by Senator Richard Gordon, a supporter of Duterte.[64]
Matobato had testified that while working for the Davao Death Squad he had killed more than 50
people. He said that he had witnessed Duterte killing a government agent with an Uzi, and he had
heard Duterte giving orders to carry out extrajudicial killings, including ordering the bombing of
mosques in retaliation for an attack on a cathedral.[65]

Duterte told reporters that he wanted "a little extension of maybe another six months" in the Drug
War, as there were so many drug offenders and criminals that he "cannot kill them all".[66][67]
On the following day, a convicted bank robber and two former prison officials testified that they
had paid bribes to de Lima. She denies the allegations.[68]

At a press conference on September 30, 2016, on his arrival in Davao City after a two-day official
visit in Vietnam,[69] Duterte appeared to make a comparison between the Drug War and The
Holocaust.[70] He said that "Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug
addicts. I’d be happy to slaughter them."[70] His remarks generated international outcry. US
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said the statement was "deeply troubling".[71][72] The German
government told the Philippine ambassador that Duterte's remarks were "unacceptable."[73] On
October 2, Duterte made an apology to the Jewish community following his remarks.[74][75]

At the beginning of October, a senior police officer told The Guardian that 10 "special ops" official
police death squads had been operating, each consisting of 15 police officers. The officer said that
he had personally been involved in killing 87 suspects, and described how the corpses had their
head wrapped in masking tape with a cardboard placard labelling them as a drug offender so that
the killing would not be investigated, or they were dumped at the roadside ("salvage" victims).
The chairman of the Philippines Commission on Human Rights, Chito Gascon, was quoted in the
report: "I am not surprised, I have heard of this." The PNP declined to comment. The report
stated: "although the Guardian can verify the policeman's rank and his service history, there is no
independent, official confirmation for the allegations of state complicity and police coordination in
mass murder."[76]

On October 28, 2016, incumbent Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom
and nine others (including his five bodyguards) were killed during what was described as a
shootout by the police after they reportedly engaged Dimaukom's group during an anti-illegal drug
operation in Makilala, North Cotabato.[77][78] Dimaukom was among the drug list named by
Duterte on August 7.[79]

On November 1, 2016, it was reported that the US State Department had halted the sale of
26,000 assault rifles to the PNP after opposition from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee due
to concerns about human rights violations. A police spokesman said they had not been informed.
PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa suggested China as a possible alternative supplier.[80][81] On
November 7, Duterte reacted to the US decision to halt the sale by announcing that he was
"ordering its cancellation".[82]
In the early morning of November 5, 2016, incumbent Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.,
who had been detained at Baybay City Sub-Provincial Jail for violation of the Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, was killed in what was described as a shootout inside his jail cell
with personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).[83] According to the
CIDG, Espinosa opened fire on police agents who were executing a search warrant for "illegal
firearms."[84] A hard drive of CCTV footage which may have recorded the shooting of Espinosa is
missing, a provincial official said.[85] Espinosa had turned himself in to PNP after being named in
Duterte's drug list in August.[86][87] He was briefly released but then re-arrested for alleged drug
possession. The president of the National Union of People's Lawyers, Edre Olalia, told local
broadcaster TV5 that the police version of events was "too contrived". He pointed out that a
search warrant is not required to search a jail cell. "Such acts make a mockery of the law, taunt
impunity and insult ordinary common sense." Espinosa was the second official to be killed in the
Drug War.[88][89]

Following the incident, on the same day, Senator Panfilo Lacson sought to resume the
investigation of extrajudicial killings after it was suspended on October 3, 2016 by the Senate
Committee on Justice and Human Rights.[90][91]

On November 28, 2016, Duterte appeared to threaten that human rights workers would be
targeted: "The human rights [defenders] say I kill. If I say: 'Okay, I'll stop'. They [drug users] will
multiply. When harvest time comes, there will be more of them who will die. Then I will include
you among them because you let them multiply." Amnesty International Philippines stated that
Duterte was "inciting hate towards anyone who expresses dissent on his war against drugs." The
National Alliance against Killings Philippines stated: "His comment - that human rights is part of
the drug problem and, as such, human rights advocates should be targeted too - can be
interpreted as a declaration of an open season on human rights defenders".[92]

On December 5 Reuters reported that 97% of drug suspects shot by police died, far more than in
other countries with drug-related violence. They also stated that police reports of killings are
"remarkably similar", involving a "buy-bust" operation in which the suspect panics and shoots at
the officers, who return fire, killing the suspect, and report finding a packet of white powder and a
.38 caliber revolver, often with the serial number removed.

The figures pose a powerful challenge to the official narrative that the Philippines police are only
killing drug suspects in self-defense. These statistics and other evidence amassed by Reuters point
in the other direction: that police are pro-actively gunning down suspects.[93]

On December 8, 2016, the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights issued a report stating
that there was "no evidence sufficient to prove that a Davao Death Squad exists", and "no proof
that there is a state-sponsored policy to commit killings to eradicate illegal drugs in the country."
Eleven senators signed the report, while senators Leila De Lima, JV Ejercito, Antonio Trillanes IV
and Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto did not sign the report or did not subscribe to its
findings.[94]

Temporary cessation of police drug operations

Following criticism of the police over the kidnapping and killing of Jee Ick-Joo, a South Korean
businessman, Duterte ordered the police to suspend drug-related operations while ordering the
military and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to continue drug operations.

Amnesty International investigation

On January 31, 2017, Amnesty International published a report of their investigation of 59 drug-
related killings in 20 cities and towns, "If you are poor you are killed": Extrajudicial Executions in
the Philippines' "War on Drugs", which "details how the police have systematically targeted mostly
poor and defenceless people across the country while planting 'evidence', recruiting paid killers,
stealing from the people they kill and fabricating official incident reports." They stated: "Amnesty
International is deeply concerned that the deliberate, widespread and systematic killings of alleged
drug offenders, which appear to be planned and organized by the authorities, may constitute
crimes against humanity under international law."[5]

A police officer with the rank of Senior Police Officer 1, a ten-year veteran of a Metro Manila anti-
illegal drugs unit, told AI that police are paid 8,000 pesos (US $161) to 15,000 pesos (US $302)
per "encounter" (the term used for extrajudicial executions disguised as legitimate operations);
there is no payment for making arrests. He said that some police also receive a payment from the
funeral home they send the corpses to. Hitmen hired by police are paid 5,000 pesos (US $100) for
each drug user killed and 10,000 to 15,000 pesos (US $200–300) for each "drug pusher" killed,
according to two hitmen interviewed by AI.[5]

Family members and witnesses repeatedly contested the police description of how people were
killed. Police descriptions bore striking similarities from incident to incident; official police reports
in several cases documented by Amnesty International claim the suspect’s gun “malfunctioned”
when he tried to fire at police, after which they shot and killed him. In many instances, the police
try to cover up unlawful killings or ensure convictions for those arrested during drug-related
operations by planting “evidence” at crime scenes and falsifying incident reports—both practices
the police officer said were common.

— Amnesty International report “If you are poor you are killed”: Extrajudicial Executions in the
Philippines’ “War on Drugs”[95]

The report makes a series of recommendations to Duterte and government officials and
departments. If certain key steps are not swiftly taken, it recommends that the International
Criminal Court "initiate a preliminary examination into unlawful killings in the Philippines’s violent
anti-drug campaign and related crimes under the Rome Statute, including the involvement of
government officials, irrespective of rank and status."[95]

The Guardian and Reuters stated that the report added to evidence they had published previously
about police extrajudicial executions. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella responded to the
report, saying that Senate committee investigations proved that there had been no state-
sponsored extrajudicial killings.[96][97] In an interview on February 4, Duterte told a reporter that
Amnesty International was "so naive and so stupid", and "a creation of [George] Soros". He
asked, "Is that the only thing you [de Lima] can produce? The report of Amnesty?"[98]

De Lima was jailed on February 24, awaiting trial on charges related to allegations made by
Duterte in August 2016.[99] A court date has not been set.[100]

Arturo Lascañas

On February 20, Arturo Lascañas, a retired police officer, told reporters at a press conference
outside the senate building that as a leader of the Davao Death Squad he had carried out
extrajudicial killings on the orders of Duterte. He said death squad members were paid 20,000 to
100,000 pesos ($400 to $2,000) per hit, depending on the importance of the target. He gave
details of various killings he had carried out on Duterte's orders, including the previously unsolved
murder of a radio show host critical of Duterte, and confessed to his involvement with Matobato in
the bombing of a mosque on Duterte's orders.[101][102] On the following day the senate voted in
a private session to reopen the investigation, reportedly by a margin of ten votes to eight, with
five abstentions.[103]

When Mayor Duterte sat down as mayor for the first time, we started what is called "salvaging" of
people, these people are suspects committing crime in Davao. We implemented the personal
orders of Mayor Duterte to us.
— Arturo Lascanas, February 20, 2017[101]

On March 6, Lascanas gave evidence at the Senate committee, testifying that he had killed
approximately 200 criminal suspects, media figures and political opponents on Duterte's
orders.[104]

Since June 2017

Allegations of police using hospitals to hide killings

In June 2017 Reuters reported that "Police were sending corpses to hospitals to destroy evidence
at crime scenes and hide the fact that they were executing drug suspects." Doctors stated that
corpses loaded onto trucks were being dumped at hospitals, sometimes after rigor mortis had
already set in, with clearly unsurvivable wounds, having been shot in the chest and head at close
range. Reuters examined data from two Manila police districts, and found that the proportion of
suspects sent to hospitals, where they are pronounced dead on arrival (DOA), increased from
13% in July 2016 to 85% in January 2017; "The totals grew along with international and domestic
condemnation of Duterte's campaign."[105]

Ozamiz raid, and death of Reynaldo Parojinog

On July 30, Reynaldo Parojinog, the mayor of Ozamiz City, was killed along with 14 others,
including his wife Susan, in a dawn raid at around 2:30 am on his home in San Roque
Lawis.[106][107] According to police, they were on a search warrant when Parojinog's
bodyguards opened fire on them and police officers responded by shooting at them. According to
police provincial chief Jaysen De Guzman, authorities recovered grenades, ammunition and illegal
drugs in the raid.[108][109]

"One-time, big-time" operations

On August 16, over 32 people were killed in multiple "one-time, big-time" antidrug operations in
Bulacan within one day.[110] On Manila, 25 people, including 11 suspected robbers, were also
killed in consecutive anti-criminality operations.[111] The multiple deaths in the large-scale
antidrug operations received condemnation from human rights groups and the majority of the
Senate.[112][113]

Youth casualties

Main article: Shooting of Kian Loyd delos Santos

On August 17, Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student, was shot dead in an
antidrug operation in Caloocan.[114][115] CCTV footage appeared to show Kian being dragged by
two policemen. Police say they killed him in self-defense, and retrieved a gun and two packets of
methamphetamine.[114] Delos Santos was the son of an overseas Filipino worker, a key
demographic in support of Duterte.[116] The teenager's death caused condemnation by
senators.[117][118] His funeral on August 25, attended by more than a thousand people, was one
of the largest protests to date against the Drug War.[119]

Carl Angelo Arnaiz, a 19-year-old teenager, last found in Cainta, Rizal, was tortured and shot dead
also on August 17 (the same date Kian delos Santos was killed) by police after robbing a taxi in
Caloocan.[120] His 14-year-old friend, Reynaldo de Guzman, also called under the nickname
"Kulot", was stabbed to death thirty times and thrown into a creek in Gapan, Nueva Ecija. Along
with the deaths of Kian delos Santos, the deaths of the two teenagers also triggered public
outrage and condemnation.[121]
Human Rights Watch repeated their call for a UN investigation. HRW Asia director Phelim Kine
commented: "The apparent willingness of Philippine police to deliberately target children for
execution marks an appalling new level of depravity in this so-called drug war".[122] Duterte
called the deaths of Arnaiz and de Guzman (the former being a relative of the President on his
mother's side) a "sabotage", believing that some groups are using the Philippine National Police to
destroy the president's public image.[123] Presidential spokesman Abella said "It should not come
as a surprise that these malignant elements would conspire to sabotage the president’s campaign
to rid the Philippines of illegal drugs and criminality", which "may include creating scenarios
stoking public anger against the government".[122]

On August 23, 2016, a 5-year-old student named Danica May Garcia was killed by a stray bullet
coming from the unidentified gunmen in Dagupan City, Pangasinan during an anti-drug
operation.[124] Another minor, 4-year old Skyler Abatayo of Cebu was killed through an 'anti-drug
operation'. Duterte insisted that the child was killed by drug suspects, not by his police force.[125]

Reshuffling of the Caloocan City Police

As a result of involvement in the deaths of teenagers like Kian delos Santos, and Carl Angelo
Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman, and robbing of a drug suspect in an antidrug raid, National
Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Oscar Albayalde ordered the firing and retraining of all
members of the Caloocan City Police, with the exception of its newly appointed chief and its
deputy.[126]

Transfer of anti-drug operations to PDEA

On October 12, 2017, Duterte announced the transfer of anti-drug operations to the Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), ending the involvement of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The announcement followed the publication of an opinion poll on October 8, showing a drop in
presidential approval from 66% to 48%.[127] This is amidst the political storm and public outrage
on the murders of minors by the Caloocan City police, and the various murder cases allegedly
done by other law enforcement agents that surfaced in mainstream and social media.[128] In a
televised speech, Duterte scoffed and mocked the "bleeding hearts" who sympathized with those
killed in the drug war, pointedly at the European Union, whom he accused of interfering with
Philippine sovereignty.[129]

Rodrigo Duterte's refutation to ASEAN representatives

In a speech before Asean representatives, Rodrigo Duterte tried to refute all extrajudicial killings
related to the War on Drugs by stating that these stories only serve as a political agenda in order
to demonize him. He stated that he has only used his mouth to tell drug users that they will be
killed. He stated that "..."shabu" (crystal meth) users have shrunken brains, which is why they
have become violent and aggressive, leading to their deaths."[130] Duterte further added that all
the drug pushers and their henchmen always carry their guns with them and killing them is
justifiable so that they would not endanger the lives of his men.[131] Duterte appointed a human
rights lawyer, Harry Roque, a Kabayan partylist representative, as his spokesperson. Roque stated
that he will change public perception by reducing the impact of the statements by which Duterte
advocates extra-judicial killings in his war on drugs.[132]

2018

Consecutive assassinations of local government officials

Further information: Assassination of Antonio Halili

The controversial Tanauan, Batangas mayor Antonio Halili was assassinated by an unknown sniper
during a flag-raising ceremony on July 2, 2018, becoming the 11th local government official to be
killed in the War on Drugs.[133]

Reactions

Senator Risa Hontiveros, an opponent of Duterte, said that the Drug War was a political strategy
intended to persuade people that "suddenly the historically most important issue of poverty was
no longer the most important."[34] De Lima expressed frustration with the attitude of Filipinos
towards extrajudicial killing: "they think that it's good for peace and order. We now have death
squads on a national scale, but I'm not seeing public outrage."[34] According to a Pulse Asia
opinion poll conducted from July 2 to 8, 2016, 91% of Filipinos "trusted" Duterte.[134] In a survey
conducted between February and May, by PEW research center, found that 78% of the Filipinos
support the drug war.[135]

Dela Rosa announced in September 2016 that the Drug War had "reduced the supply of illegal
drugs in the country by some 80 to 90 percent",[136] and said that the War was already being
won, based on statistical and observational evidence.[137] Aljazeera reported that John Collins,
director of the London School of Economics International Drug Policy Project, said: "Targeting the
supply side can have short-term effects. However, these are usually limited to creating market
chaos rather than reducing the size of the market. ... What you learn is that you're going to war
with a force of economics and the force of economics tends to win out: supply, demand and price
tend to find their own way." He said it was a "certainty" that "the Philippines' new 'war' will fail
and society will emerge worse off from it."[34] In June 2017 the price of methamphetamine on
the streets of Manila was lower than it had been at the start of Duterte's presidency, according to
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency data. Gloria Lai of the International Drug Policy Consortium
commented: "If prices have fallen, it's an indication that enforcement actions have not been
effective".[138]

The Chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., quelled
fears that foreign investors might be put off by the increasing rate of killings in the country,
explaining at a press conference on September 19, 2016, that investors only care about profit:
"They don't care if 50 percent of Filipinos are killing each other so long as they're not
affected".[139] On the following day the Wall Street Journal reported that foreign investors, who
account for half of the activity on the Philippine Stock Exchange, had been "hightailing it out of
town", selling $500 million worth of shares over the past month, putting pressure on the Philippine
peso which was close to its weakest point since 2009.[140]

The Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Tagle acknowledged that people were right to be "worried
about extrajudicial killings", along with other "form[s] of murder": abortion, unfair labor practices,
wasting food, and "selling illegal drugs, pushing the youth to go into vices".[141]

International

Protest against the Philippine war on drugs in front of the Philippine Consulate General in New
York City. The protesters are holding placards which urge Duterte to stop killing drug users.

During his official state visit to the Philippines in January 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō
Abe said: "On countering illegal drugs, we want to work together with the Philippines through
relevant measures of support". He offered financial assistance for Philippine drug rehabilitation
centres, and made no mention of deaths resulting from the drug war. He announced a $800
million Official Development Assistance package to "promote economic and infrastructure
development".[142]
Gary Song-Huann Lin, the representative of Taiwan in the Philippines, welcomed Duterte's plan to
declare a war against criminality and illegal drugs. He said Taiwan is ready to help the Philippines
combat cross-border crimes like human and drug trafficking.[143]

On July 19, 2016, Lingxiao Li, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Manila, announced China's
support for the Drug War: "China fully understands that the Philippine government under the
leadership of H. E. President Rodrigo Duterte has taken it as a top priority to crack down drug-
related crimes. China has expressed explicitly to the new administration China's willingness for
effective cooperation in this regard, and would like to work out a specific plan of action with the
Philippine side." The statement made no reference to extrajudicial killings, and called illegal drugs
the "common enemy of mankind".[144][145][146] On September 27, the Chinese Ambassador
Zhao Jianhua reiterated that "Illegal drugs are the enemy of all mankind" in a statement
confirming Chinese support for the Duterte administration.[147]

Indonesian National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian commented in regards to Indonesia's
rejection of a similar policy for Indonesia: "Shoot on sight policy leads to abuse of power. We still
believe in the presumption of innocence. Lethal actions are only warranted if there is an
immediate threat against officers... there should not be a deliberate attempt to kill".[148] In
September 2016 Budi Waseso, head of Indonesia's National Anti-Narcotics Agency (BNN), said
that he was currently contemplating copying the Philippines' hardline tactics against drug
traffickers. He said that the Agency planned a major increase in armaments and recruitment. An
Agency spokesman later attempted to downplay the comments, stating: "We can't shoot criminals
just like that, we have to follow the rules."[149] Most recently, Indonesian President Joko
“Jokowi” Widodo used the language of “emergency” to ramp up the country’s war on drugs, in a
move that observers see as "in step with Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s" own campaign
against the illegal drug trade.[150]

On October 16, prior to Duterte's departure for a state visit to Brunei, the President said he would
seek the support of that country for his campaign against illegal drugs and Brunei's continued
assistance to achieve peace and progress in Mindanao.[151] This was responded positively from
Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah in the next day according to Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary
Perfecto Yasay Jr.[152] Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said "he respect
the method undertaken by the Philippine government as it is suitable for their country situation",
while stressing that "Malaysia will never follow such example as we have our own methods with
one of those such as seizing assets used in drug trafficking with resultant funds to be channelled
back towards rehabilitation, prevention and enforcement of laws against drugs".[153]

On December 3, during a phone conversation between Duterte and then-United States President-
elect Donald Trump, the latter called the government role in the "war on drugs" as being
conducted "the right way".[154]

On December 16, Duterte and Singaporean President Tony Tan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong have agreed to work together in the fight against terrorism and illegal drugs. In a meeting
during a state visit both parties discussed areas of cooperation between the two countries.[155]

The European Parliament expressed concern over the extrajudicial killings after a resolution on
September 15, stating: "Drug trafficking and drug abuse in the Philippines remain a serious
national and international concern, note MEPs. They understand that millions of people are hurt
by the high level of drug addiction and its consequences in the country but are also concerned by
the 'extraordinarily high numbers killed during police operations in the context of an intensified
anti-crime and anti-drug campaign."[156] In response, at a press conference Duterte made an
obscene hand gesture and called British and French representatives "hypocrites" because their
ancestors had killed thousands of Arabs and others in the colonial era. He said: "When I read the
EU condemnation I told them fuck you. You are doing it in atonement for your sins. They are now
strict because they have guilty feelings. Who did I kill? Assuming that it's true? 1,700? How many
have they killed?"[157][158]
EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, in a visit to the Philippines in March 2017, warned that
unless the Philippines addresses human rights issues, the EU would cancel tariff-free export of
6,000 products under the Generalized System of Preferences. Presidential spokesman Ernesto
Abella dismissed the concerns, saying that they revealed European ignorance.[142]

United States President Donald Trump has disputed this, saying that executions are necessary to
crackdown on drug use.[159][160][161]

On December 24, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Edward Markey, and Christopher Coons expressed
their concerns regarding the alleged extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in Duterte's
war on drugs. Through a letter sent to the U.S. Department of State, they noted that instead of
addressing the drug problem, investing in treatment programs or approaching the issue with an
emphasis on health, Duterte has "pledged to kill another 20,000 to 30,000 people, many simply
because they suffer from a drug use disorder." Rubio, Markey and Coons also questioned U.S.
secretary of state John Kerry's pledge of $32-million funding for training and other law-
enforcement assistance during his visit to Manila.[162][163] In May 2017, Senator Rubio, along
with Senator Ben Cardin, filed a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate to restrict the exportation of
weapons from the U.S. to the Philippines.[164]

The US ambassador in Manila announced on December 14, 2016, that the US foreign aid agency,
the Millennium Challenge Corporation, would cancel funding to the Philippines due to "significant
concerns around rule of law and civil liberties in the Philippines", explaining that aid recipients
were required to demonstrate a "commitment to the rule of law, due process and respect for
human rights". The MCC had disbursed $434 million to the Philippines from 2011 to 2015. The
funding denial was expected to lead to the cancellation of a five-year infrastructure development
project previously agreed to in December 2015.[142]

In February 2017, former Colombian President César Gaviria wrote an opinion piece on The New
York Times to warn Duterte and the administration that the drug war is "unwinnable" and
"disastrous", citing his own experiences as the President of Colombia. He also criticized the alleged
extrajudicial killings and vigilantism, saying these are "the wrong ways to go". According to
Gaviria, the war on drugs is essentially a war on people.[165] Gaviria suggested that improving
public health and safety, strengthening anti-corruption measures, investing in sustainable
development, decriminalizing drug consumption, and strengthening the regulation of therapeutic
goods would enhance supply and demand reduction. In response to Gaviria, Duterte called him an
"idiot", and said the issue of extrajudicial killings should be set aside, and that there were four to
five million drug addicts in the country.[166][167]

In September 2017, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano delivered a speech at the 72nd
United Nations General Assembly, during which he argued that extrajudicial killings were a myth,
and that the Drug war, which according to Human Rights Watch has resulted in 13,000 deaths to
date, was being waged to "protect (the) human rights of...the most vulnerable (citizens)".[168]

In October 2017, Secretary Cayetano was interview by the Qatari news outlet al-Jazeera. He
asserted that all 3,900 people who were killed in the drug war fought against the police despite
there having been no investigations conducted prior to the drug busts. He also rebuffed all claims
that the drug war was against its people.[169]

ICC preliminary investigation

The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda expressed concern, over
the drug-related killings in the country, on October 13.[170] In her statement, Bensouda said that
the high officials of the country "seem to condone such killings and further seem to encourage
State forces and civilians alike to continue targeting these individuals with lethal force."[171] She
also warns that any person in the country who provoke "in acts of mass violence by ordering,
requesting, encouraging or contributing, in any other manner, to the commission of crimes within
the jurisdiction of ICC" will be prosecuted before the court.[172] About that, Duterte is open for
the investigation by the ICC, Malacañang said.[172]
In February 2018, the ICC announced a “preliminary examination” into killings linked to the
Philippine government’s “war on drugs”. Prosecutor Bensouda said the court will “analyze crimes
allegedly committed in [the Philippines] since at least 1 July 2016.” Duterte’s spokesman Harry
Roque dismissed the ICC’s decision as a “waste of the court’s time and resources.”
[173][174][175]

38-nation statement against the drug war

On June 19, 2018, 38 United Nations member states released a collective statement through the
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), calling on the Republic of the Philippines and
Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to stop the killings in the country and probe abuses caused
by the deadly drug war. The 38 nations included Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia,
Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.[176][177][178]

In popular media

Television

On April 9, 2018, Netflix aired its first series from the Philippines entitled, AMO, made by Filipino
director, Brillante Mendoza.[179]

Music

"Hustisya" is a rap song about the drug war which was created by local artists inspired by the
death of their friend immortalized in a photograph often compared to Michelangelo's Pieta.[180]

In December 2016, American singer James Taylor posted on social media that he had cancelled
his concert in Manila, which was set for February 2017, citing the increasing number of deaths
related to the drug war.[181][182]

Photography

On April 11, 2017, The New York Times won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography on
their Philippine Drug war report. The story was published on December 7, 2016, and was titled
"They Are Slaughtering Us Like Animals".[183]

The La Pieta[184] or the "Philippines Pieta", named after the sculpture by Michelangelo, refers to
the photograph of Jennilyn Olayres holding the lifeless corpse of Michael Siaron, who was shot
dead by unidentified assailants in Pasay, Metro Manila, in July 23, 2016. The image was widely
used in the national press.[185] The death of Michael Siaron remains unsolved for almost a year.
Malacañang asserts that the man behind the killing were committed by drug syndicates
themselves.[186] After Siaron was shot dead by unidentified assailants, a writing on a cardboard
states, "Wag tularan si Siaron dahil pusher umano," was placed on his body.[186] One year and
three months after he was killed, the police identified as the suspected assailant as Nesty Santiago
through a ballistic exam on the recovered firearm.[187] Santiago was apparently a member of a
syndicate involved in robberies, car thefts, hired killings and illegal drugs. The Pasay City Police
declared his death as "case closed". However, Santiago was also killed by riding-in-tandem on
December 29, 2016.[187] No further investigation were made.[187]

A photo of a body of an alleged drug dealer, killed during a police anti-drug operation, in Manila
by Noel Celis has been selected as one of Time Magazine's top 100 photos of 2017.[188]

Mobile gaming

There are various mobile games featuring Duterte fighting criminals,[189] many of which have
since been censored by Apple Inc. from their App Store following an appeal by various regional
organizations.[190]