President Duterte continues to make waves and his campaign against drugs escalated the number of drug-related deaths. The Roman Catholic church, Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and the families of the alleged drug personalities have been clamoring for justice.
PHOTO CREDIT: NEWS.ABS-CBN.COM
The Appeal to United Nations and International Narcotics Control Board
A Philippine senator, Leila de Lima, who called for a thorough investigation, together with other international human rights group have made an appeal to the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Response to the appeal has yet to be heard from UNODC but INCB has this press release on their website:
INCB President Werner Sipp calls on the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to issue an immediate and unequivocal condemnation and denunciation of extrajudicial actions against individuals suspected of involvement in the illicit drug trade or of drug use, to put an immediate stop to such actions, and to ensure that the perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice in full observance of due process and the rule of law.
Months before the 2016 Presidential Elections, Duterte had been keen and straight about his platform on the fight against harmful and illegal drugs. Analysts say that this is one of the main reasons why he won by a landslide as the Filipino people has been suffering from the violence and heinous crimes brought about by illegal drugs. The other main factor of his victory is his vow to put an end to the corruption in the government which, like the illegal drugs, have made the people suffer while those that are in the position have enriched themselves.
The Slaughter of the Innocent
Innocent until proven guilty. This is the cry of activist groups in response to the rising number of killings since President Duterte took office. But the 71-year-old Dirty Harry of the Philippines is unfazed and has stood firm on his promise to the Filipino people that voted for him.
A reputable political analyst, Ramon Casiple, said that it's too early to decide whether the new President's approach to cleaning up the streets of drugs is effective or not. "Let's give him his 100 days", added Casiple.